Since founding the nation’s first arts council in 1957, Winston-Salem has enjoyed a rich history of supporting the arts. Ironically, as central as the arts are to the fabric of the community, the Arts Council itself did not have a visible downtown base for its operations.

The large, arts-based facility designed by Walter Robbs* did more than convert a former hosiery mill and vehicle maintenance garage into a variety of event, classroom, office and theatre spaces—it put the arts central stage and reinforced the arts as the city’s calling card, underscoring its official position as ‘The City of Arts & Innovation.’

Moreover, the Center re-energized an area that was being overshadowed by a vibrant restaurant district just one block away. And it provided a creative, inclusive and accessible place for people throughout the city and Forsyth County to engage with and participate in the arts.

*Collaboration with CJMW Architecture