WS Chronicle

Triad Cultural Arts will present a Juneteenth weekend celebration throughout Winston-Salem June 17-19, with events culminating in an all-day festival in Biotech Place and Bailey Park on Saturday, June 19.

The weekend will start with the opening of Owens Daniels’ “When the Revolution Comes: Photographic Works,” 6-8 p.m., Thursday, June 17, in the Arboreal Gallery, Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, 251 N. Spruce St.

The Opening Ceremony of the Juneteenth Celebration will be at noon on Friday, June 18, at St. Philips Church, Old Salem, on Facebook and YouTube, and another channel to be announced. 

Also on Friday at 8:30 p.m., Aperture Cinema will present a screening of “Miss Juneteenth” at MUSE Winston-Salem, 226 S. Liberty St.

The Saturday, June 19, Juneteenth Festival in the Innovation Quarter will be both inside at Biotech Place, 575 Patterson Ave., and outside in Bailey Park, 445 Patterson Ave. Registration is required at www.triadculturalarts.org because of COVID-19 precautions.

Biotech Place will be hosting events from noon to 5 p.m. They include performances, panel discussions, and heritage demonstrations.

Bailey Park events will run noon to 7 p.m. and include vendors, displays, music and food.

Here’s the schedule so far:

*Noon – Opening program with Libation by Dr. Felecia Piggott Anderson, Greetings from local and state officials, history, and performance of Negro Spirituals and Gospel songs by Sophia Feaster Lawrence and Mae Burner from the North Carolina Black Repertory Company’s “Mahalia.”

*1 p.m. – Early Black Builders of Salem led by Old Salem interpreters Joel Cook and Ben Masterson.  The Winston-Salem Youth Symphony will perform an excerpt from work by 18th-century Black violinist, composer, swordsman, and activist, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. 

*2 p.m. – Cultural Health & Wellness – Black skin care, heart health and maintaining emotional well-being. Dr. Brenda Latham-Sadler will moderate. Panelists include Dr. Rechelle Tull, chief resident in Dermatology, Dr. Jamy Ard, Epidemiology and Prevention, and Brock M. Grace, MS, LCMHC.

*3 p.m. – Poetic Journey through Civil Rights to Black Lives Matter.  Hear from the youth and teens from our community,  featuring Authoring Action, a dynamic group of young transformative creative writing and spoken word artists.

*4 p.m. – All That Jazz – Billie Holiday’s songs will be performed by local jazz vocalist Janice Price.  Interactive conversation with Dr. Fran Oates along with performances by other smooth jazz artists.

Juneteenth sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors: Food Lion, City of Winston-Salem; Gold Sponsors: Ralph Lauren, Reynolds American, Innovation Quarter; Silver Sponsors: Wells Fargo, Inmar Intelligence; Bronze Sponsors: Wake Forest Baptist Health, Hanesbrands, Winston-Salem Urban League; Patron: Allegacy Federal Credit Union, Kilpatrick Townsend; Special Thanks: Old Salem, Aperture Cinema, and Artzenstuff Creative.

Admission is free with COVID-19-required registration at https://triadculturalarts.org/index.php/juneteenth-2/ . Celebration-goers will be required to use the provided seating in Biotech Place due to COVID restrictions. For more information, visit www.triadculturalarts.org.