Moravians are credited with influencing the Piedmont crafts movement. As potters and cabinet makers, they helped lay the foundation for the furniture manufacturing industry in this region. Industries such as Reynolds Tobacco and the Hanes companies also shaped Winston-Salem by bringing remarkable wealth to the city and endowing it with an impressive list of institutions and foundations.




Winston-Salem is a city of many cultural firsts:
American classical music was first written in Salem in 1789 by John Frederick Peter. The composition was titled "Six Quintet."

Established in 1946, Winston-Salem has the oldest city symphony in North Carolina and is home of the first American born and trained conductor of a major symphony in the United States (Thor Johnson, Cincinnati Symphony). America's oldest continually performing brass band, Salem Band, began performing here in 1778 and continues during the summer in Old Salem's square.

R. Philip Hanes, Winston-Salem's cultural affairs commissioner, was one of the leaders who established the nation's first arts council, as well as the arts council movement in the United States, here in 1949. In 1960, he helped found the organization now known as Americans for the Arts.




The goal of Winston-Salem Delta Fine Arts, Inc. is to stimulate interest and pride in American arts and humanities, emphasizing the contributions of African Americans. The Delta Arts Center offers programs in the visual arts, music, literature, drama, history and folk arts. Delta Arts Center has featured artists such as George Walker, William Eduoard Scott, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe and John Biggers.

Two murals by John Biggers, "Origins" and "Ascension," were commissioned by Winston-Salem Delta Fine Arts, Inc. for permanent exhibition in the three-story atrium of the C.G. O'Kelly Library at Winston-Salem State University. Each magnificent mural is 15 feet wide by 30 feet high and displays symbolic representations of ancient concepts found in African mythology and folklore, fused with mathematical concepts and scientific theories.




The Charlotte and Philip Hanes Art Gallery at Wake Forest University's Scales Fine Arts Center provides an ongoing schedule of art exhibits and has featured works by Pablo Picasso, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns and Keith Haring, among others.

View art and exhibits on the campus of Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) and experience the community's vibrant African American culture. Diggs Gallery offers 10-15 visual art exhibitions each year. Recent exhibits focused on African hair traditions and on 200 years of African American contributions to the world of fashion.

Featuring permanent exhibits of cultural objects from the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, the Museum of Anthropology at Wake Forest University is the only museum devoted to the study of world cultures in the Southeast. This intimate museum has a permanent gallery devoted entirely to the cultures of Africa, and features changing exhibits such as utilitarian objects from the daily lives of numerous African tribes.


An arts conservatory of international renown, the North Carolina School of the Arts (NCSA) was founded in the 1960s as the first state-supported school of its kind in the nation. NCSA's historic Stevens Center, a restored 1929 movie palace in downtown Winston-Salem, ACE Exhibition Complex, Agnes de Mille Theatre, Crawford Hall, Performance Place and Watson Hall regularly showcase work by students, faculty and distinguished guest artists, including opera, orchestral and chamber music, jazz, ballet and contemporary dance, plays and films.

School of the Arts graduates can be recognized on stage, in film credits and behind the scenes. A few notables include Gary Beach, Tony Award-winner for "The Producers;" Terrence Mann of Broadway's "Beauty and the Beast;" Diedrich Bader, Oswald on TV's "The Drew Carey Show;" Jennifer Welch-Babidge, soprano with the Metropolitan Opera; David Gordon Green, director of the critically acclaimed independent film GEORGE WASHINGTON; and Tom Hulce, Mozart in the film "Amadeus."

Create a holiday tradition by attending "The Nutcracker" at the Stevens Center. Tchaikovsky's magical fairy-tale ballet has been performed annually by the North Carolina School of the Arts students since the school's opening. "The Nutcracker" features the original Russian choreography, glittering costumes and fabulous set designs.




Piedmont Craftsmen Gallery & Shop enjoys a national reputation for excellence. Its mission is to foster an appreciation of fine traditional and contemporary craft. It showcases the work of more than 340 of the finest artisans working throughout the Southeast. Members' works can be found in numerous private collections and museums including the White House Collection, the Smithsonian and the Mint Museum. Artists have been featured in American Crafts, American Style, Southern Living, Home Magazine, Country Living and Our State, North Carolina Magazine, among others.


The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) consistently features the best of today's regional and national contemporary artists. Once the home of James G. Hanes, this elegant Tudor house features spacious, modern galleries. Exhibits change quarterly and have featured: Gregory Warmack, "Mr. Imagination," who created the "Memory Wall of Peace and Love" at the Winston-Salem Transit Authority using memorabilia donated by members of the community; nationally known Tom Friedman, who uses mundane materials such as chewing gum, balls, toothpaste, etc. to encourage audiences to take another look at fundamental objects; Gordon Parks, who is widely recognized for his photographs and film; and William Wegman, who photographs his beloved dogs, Weimaraners, has also been featured.

Winston-Salem has many unique shopping opportunities. For instance, if you are looking for an exquisite copper matte Raku jar or the perfect hand-woven sweater, you’ll find them here. Stores and galleries feature contemporary works by American craftsmen, as well as the finest paintings and studio art from local, regional and national artists. Find antiques, traditional Moravian gifts, jewelry, hand-blown glass, a large selection of North Carolina pottery, as well as African American art and collectibles. As an added enticement, special shopping packages are available.

In the late 1800s, Jule Gilmer Körner, a member of the city's founding family, an artist and interior designer, created a unique 22-room home. Located in Kernersville, it has seven levels with ceiling heights ranging from six to 25 feet. On the National Register of Historic Places, Körner's Folly is open to the public. View its artwork and murals. It is the home of the first private little theatre in the country.