The **Winston-Salem/Forsyth County (WS|FC) Public Art Commission** is seeking an **artist or artist team** to **design, fabricate, and install public artwork** at **Brunson Elementary School**. This **permanent installation** will be part of a **new construction project**, as Brunson Elementary is relocating to a new campus after **63 years** at its original location. The new school is scheduled to open for the **2026–2027 academic year**.

  
**Artwork Context**

 Brunson Elementary will be relocated to 1201 N. Patterson Avenue in a previously industrial neighborhood north of downtown Winston-Salem. The school will be built on the site of a former furniture manufacturing facility that dates to the early 1900s. 

  
Brunson Elementary is a PK-5 school within the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school district. It is a STEM-focused magnet school that also hosts the school district’s highly academically gifted (HAG) program. The student population is 70% minority and enrolls students from across the county. 

  
We are seeking public artwork that speaks to the whole student population and provides inspiration for learning and school pride. Committee members are interested in an artwork that bridges the past and present, referencing the building site’s many iterations.

**Project Budget**

The budget of **$75,000** is intended to cover:

* Artist-design fees
* Insurance
* Materials
* Fabrication
* Transportation
* Installation

The **Public Art Commission** will cover any **engineering and inspection costs**.

Up to **three finalists** will each be paid **$1,000** to design and present a proposal

  
Exhibition at Brunson Elementary School.

 Public Art at Brunson Elementary

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Public Art Commission and Boston-Thurmond Community Network are issuing a Request for Qualifications for an artist or artist team to design and install asphalt murals in up to three locations throughout the Boston-Thurmond neighborhood.

  
**Artwork Context**

 Boston-Thurmond is a historically Black residential neighborhood north of downtown Winston-Salem. Residents have been working together to revitalize parts of the neighborhood through several public art projects. The sites identified for this project are near schools and on major throughways in the neighborhood. With each asphalt mural, the committee hopes to slow down drivers and bring awareness to the school zones.

  
The three asphalt mural sites include Kimberley Park Elementary, Cook Literacy Model School, and Paisley Magnet & Lowrance Middle School. Kimberley Park Elementary is a neighborhood elementary school that will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year. The school neighbors City-owned tennis courts that honor Charles and Ruth Archie and their nine children. The Archie children learned to play tennis on the courts and were well-known in the community for their many successes in the sport.

  
Cook Literacy Model School was renamed from Cook Elementary in 2016 when the neighborhood elementary school went through a major overhaul to increase student scores. Aside from the designated crosswalks on Thurmond and 12th Street, there are additional opportunities to paint the sidewalks near the school to encourage safe pedestrian practices.

  
Paisley Magnet School & Lowrance Middle School share a building, meaning that Lowrance serves as the neighborhood middle school while Paisley is a magnet school for the International Baccalaureate program for students in grades six through ten. The school also sits next to the Dr. CB Hauser trailhead for the Stuart & Emma Thomas Memorial Trail, a nature trail that cuts through 92 protected acres of rolling pastures, forested groves, and views of downtown Winston-Salem.

**Project Budget**

 This project is funded by the Boston Thurmond Community Network. An artist can be selected to paint up to three murals, totaling a budget of $17,000\. The selection committee will determine whether this project will be awarded to one artist or three artists. The individual murals are budgeted as follows:

 • Kimberley Park Elementary Crosswalk Murals: $4,250

 • Cook Literacy Model School Crosswalk Murals: $4,250

 • Paisley Magnet & Lowrance Middle School Intersection Mural: $8,500

Each mural’s budget is intended to pay for artist-design fees, insurance, materials, fabrication, and installation. The Boston Thurmond Community Network and the WS|FC Public Art Commission will cover additional costs for community paint days and road closures. Up to three finalists will be paid $250 to design and present a proposal.

  
Mural displayed at Boston Thurmond.

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