Program Overview
Greensboro Mutual Aid (GMA) seeks a Guilford-County based artist or artist team to complete an arts project to honor and create awareness about East White Oak Community Center (EWOCC), a site on the National Register of Historic Places. The center has served as a cornerstone of the East White Neighborhood and larger Greensboro community since its founding in 1916 as an school for the children of local mill workers. It continues to function today as a vital hub, including as a home for GMA’s second Freedom Fridge and mutual support activities.
GMA is a dynamic, grassroots organization grounded in principles of love, resilience and community growth, and seeks to honor and invest in East White Community Center and contribute meaningfully to Greensboro’s cultural tapestry of inclusive, community-informed public art.
This initiative is made possible through a partnership with Creative Greensboro’s Neighborhood Arts program, which brings artist–led and community-led arts experiences and beautification projects close to home in neighborhoods across Greensboro.
The application deadline is March 31, 2026 at 5 p.m.
A community stakeholder group, formed by GMA, seletecd the project elements, and locations, and will also select the artist or artists to ensure the East White Community Center’s history is meaningfully reflected in each piece. This group will play a central role in shaping the vision and direction of the project, ensuring that local voices and the center’s legacy are at the heart of every creative decision. This stakeholder group offers the following guiding vision that this arts project:
-
Express themes of working together, a strong sense of community, references to the children who were educated at the school house and youth programs, in general, at East White Oak Community Center;
-
Highlight East White Oak Community Center as a “first of its kind;”
-
Create awareness about East White Oak’s history;
-
Enhance the vibrancy of East White’s Oak presence as a community hub;
-
Incorporate poetry and/or writing to share the story of East White Oak Community Center.
Project Scope and Budget
$12,000 for all artist fees, design, materials, supplies, equipment, community engagement sessions/marketing and labor/installation costs required to complete the project.
Artist will conduct two arts-centered community engagement sessions at East White Oak, Bywoods Park, Peeler Rec Center (based on availability) or McGirt-Horton Library (based on availability).
Creative Greensboro will assist the artist(s) with working with Parks and Recreation and the Library for community engagement sessions, if needed, and to complete the mural and backboard art.
Timeline
March 7 - 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Potential applicants are invited to a welcome session at the East White Oak Community Center to visit the space and learn about the center's history and this Community Art project. This event includes an opportunity for applicants to document their artwork for submission to their application portfolio.
March 31 at 5 p.m. is the application deadline.
By April 30 - Artist(s) selected.
By June 15 - Community enagagment sessions completed, design proposal for all project elements submitted to Greensboro Mutual Aid. There may be up to two rounds of revisions.
By August 31 – Artwork installations completed.
Questions? Contact:
Saya'ka Hickey, Greensboro Mutual Aid at GSOmutualAid@gmail.com.
Karen Archia, Community Partnerships Coordinator, Creative Greensboro at karen.archia@greensboro-nc.gov or 336-433-7362