Now, 12 Winston-Salem artists have created a citywide art gallery by making art for bus stops from south on Peters Creek to north on University parkways, and from west on Country Club Road to east on Waughtown Street.

People all over town, heading for work or school, then home again, might have their days made a little bit  brighter by the sight of local historic figures such as Big House Gaines on University Parkway or birds and butterflies on Reynolda Road. 

The Artistic Bus Shelter Program was organized by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Public Art Commission to improve the experience of riding the bus for people who use the Winston-Salem Transit Authority.

The first six artworks are being installed today. Another six will be up by Aug. 30, according to Kelly Bennett, a project planner who administers the City-County Public Art Commission.

• “OurColorVibes,” by Leo Rucker, at the DoubleTree Hotel on University Parkway;
• “’Big House’ and Earl ‘The Pearl,'” by Mike Wilson on University Parkway at the Joel Coliseum;
• “The Tre Crowned,” by Phebe Pankey, on North Cleveland Ave. at 25th Street;
• “Women of Winston-Salem,” Hosanna Gourley, on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at Winston-Salem State University;
• “Farmers Market Fruits and Veggies,” by Shelly McMillan, at Northside Shopping Center on North Patterson Avenue;
• “Maya Angelou: Rainbow in the Clouds,” by Terri Coppola, at the Salvation Army on New Walkertown Road.

• “Oyster Mushroom, (Pleurotus Ostreatus); Tobacco Plant, (Nicotiana Solanceae),” by Carlos A. Gustavo on Reynolds Park Road at the SouthEast Plaza Shopping Center;
• “Marching for Mobility,” by Phillip Summers, on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at Waughtown Street;
• “Catching the A Train,” by Owens O. Daniels, at Goodwill on Peters Creek Parkway;
• “Enchanted Forest,” by Meagan E. Matejka, on Salem Crest Lane;
• “Nature’s Home,” by Carolina Corona, opposite Old Town Drive on Reynolda Road;
• “Work in progress” at the time of this story, by the Community Design Studio, facilitated by Elise Barrella and Lauren Frye, at the corner of Country Club and Jonestown roads.

In a statement, the Community Design Studio folks explained what they are working on: “Spring and summer of 2020 have challenged us to explore new ways to engage our diverse community in placemaking. Our installation is as much about the process of creating public art as it is about the resulting artwork for the bus shelter.

“Intended as an experiment in socially distanced engagement, this installation was collaboratively designed by patrons and passersby of Bus Stop No. 47615. Community Design Studio (CDS) provided a blank canvas with an invitation for anyone to make their mark. …”

Janie Wilson, a business owner and longtime arts supporter in Winston-Salem, was on the Public Art Commission committee that selected the work for the bus shelter project.

Each artist received a $1,000 stipend, and the commission is covering the cost of printing and installing the works in the shelters. 

The idea for the project came to the art commission from Martha Eller, Wilson said. “She tutors in the schools, and she noticed that many of the children rode city buses. She thought the shelters were in pretty bad shape and could be better.”

The selection committee let the artists choose their locations. “Some of them did site-specific pieces, and some did more general works,” Wilson said. “They are all so different, and that’s one of the things that is so nice about it. 

“It shows the breadth of the artists’ talent that we have in town.”

Phebe Pankey’s “The Tre Crowned” shows three people who have contributed positively to the community: Joe Watson, the Peanut Man; former Mayor Pro Tempore, Vivian Burke; and, Tony Jordan of Tony’s Italian Ice.

“I chose those who I felt made significant impacts on my community,” Pankey said. “They were also those who were easily recognizable and are present in different communities.”

Pankey studied Art at WSSU and received her bachelor’s degree in 2019. She has done conservation and curatorial internships at institutions including Duke, Fisk, Yale and Princeton universities, the Winterthur Delaware Estate, and the Georgia O’Keefe Museum. She is an illustrator and sells prints of her artwork. 

“I was very excited to be selected for the project,” Pankey said. “It’s my first public art piece, and I’m honored to be included with the rest of the artists that were selected.”

Carolina Corona’s “Nature’s Home” shows plants, birds and butterflies that are native to the N.C. Piedmont.

“I have always been passionate about environmentalism, so i wanted to not only make something beautiful for the bus shelter but also bring awareness to the conservation and protection of native species in North Carolina,” Corona said.

A fine art painter who works in her studio every day, Corona said. “I was very happy to be selected for the program. I’ve been looking for opportunities to do work in the city.

“I hope It will help remind people of how beautiful nature is while at the same time bringing awareness to a world worth preserving. I want it to be an everyday reminder.”

Corona started her career as an art instructor in the public school system. Now, she exhibits in galleries across the state and participates in seasonal art shows and festivals.

Meagan Matejka has been a student at West Forsyth High School. She painted “Enchanted Forest,” which is the home of a friendly witch who lives in a pumpkin house. 

“I hope everyone that sees this artwork can enjoy it,” Meagan said. “Who knows, maybe you’ll be able to feel right at home and fit right in!”