Collaborative Public Design Projects
Designing for All: Community Public Art Projects
At Community Design Studio (CDS), we use design as a transformative force, engaging diverse groups in creative public art projects that enhance Winston-Salem’s spaces. Our collaborative approach creates lasting art that fosters connection, pride, and shared ownership in the community.
How We Work
We facilitate collaborative public art projects that involve the community in every stage—from design to installation. By co-creating with artists and local stakeholders, we unlock creativity and empower participants to shape their environment.
Our Approach to Public Art
Our approach is based on:
Collaboration: Bringing together artists, community members, and stakeholders.
Creativity for All: Offering opportunities for self-expression and contribution.
Sustainable Impact: Creating meaningful art that fosters pride and ownership.
Public Art Funds: A Path to Sustainable Community Impact
Your support makes these projects possible. Contributions to our Public Art Fund help create art that enriches public spaces and uplifts the community, building a more vibrant and inclusive city.
Get Involved: Support Public Art in Winston-Salem
Join us in supporting public art through donations, volunteering, or partnerships.
Case Studies: UNRULY | Park(ing) Day | Bus Shelter Art
CASE STUDY 01: PUBLIC ART & COMMUNITY ACTIVATION
Park(ing) Day
Installations
Project Overview
Park(ing) Day is an international event that challenges the use of public space by temporarily transforming parking spots into engaging mini-parks. Originally started by the design + art + activism group Rebar in San Francisco, the movement has inspired cities worldwide.
In 2015, Community Design Studio (CDS) introduced Winston-Salem’s first Park(ing) Day installation on Trade Street. The design featured a base made from donated pallets, green turf spilling from the trunk of a Prius, and a temporary public space for play and relaxation. The installation was conceived through a series of Design over Drinks charettes, where local designers collaborated to bring the idea to life.
CDS continued Park(ing) Day from 2019 to 2021, engaging summer campers in designing parking space installations and collaborating with the community to construct the pieces at MIXXER Community Makerspace.
Project Type: Installation, Public Space, Charette, Design + Build, Activism | Dates: 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021
Project Team
Kristen Haaf, 2015 Instigator & Logistics
Lauren Frye, Design & Outreach
Keith Wales, Construction
Elise Barrella, 2019–2021 Instigator & Logistics
Participants: Hannah Atkinson, Steve Harberger, Katrina Hughes, Nisha Prasad, Ucha David
Community Partners
City of Winston-Salem, Parking Space Logistics
Vernon’s Produce, Pallet Donation
Atelier on Trade, Parking Space/Sidewalk Location & Moral Support (Through Coffee)
MIXXER Community Makerspace, Build Location
DENT Creative Reuse, Parking Space Designer (2019)
LAUREN FRYE ON CDS’ COMMUNITY BUILD
“Each of these benches was built and painted by people of all ages, from 5 to 65. By people with white, light, and dark brown skin. By students, parents, grandparents, and people who speak multiple languages. They are a vision of what we can do when we come together: beautiful, sturdy, helpful, and yes, a bit quirky. I love them for their personalities and their layers.”
CASE STUDY 02: PUBLIC ART & COMMUNITY ACTIVATION
Community Bus
Shelter Art
Project Type: Interactive Public Art, Community Collaboration | July–August 2020
Project Overview
During the summer of 2020, Community Design Studio (CDS) created an interactive public art piece for a bus shelter in Winston-Salem, NC. Please Add Color / Agregue Color was a multi-phase project that invited community participation to transform an ordinary bus shelter into a vibrant expression of local creativity.
The project unfolded in four phases:
Community Invitation: CDS installed a template, chalk paint, and signage encouraging bus shelter visitors to "Please Add Color" to the panels.
Community Participation: Over the course of a week, visitors contributed drawings on the panels. CDS volunteers documented the artwork, removing only profane language while preserving all other contributions.
Design Refinement: A professional graphic designer translated the community’s drawings into a finalized design.
Installation: The completed artwork was printed on four vinyl panels and installed at the shelter by the City of Winston-Salem.
The final installation remains a source of joy for bus riders at the intersection of Country Club and Jonestown Roads and a second location at 1920 W. 1st Street.
In 2021, CDS collaborated with Gateway Nature Preserve, local artist Carolina Corona, and visitors to Washington Park to create Burst of Primavera, another artistic bus shelter installation now located on Broad Street near Salem Avenue.
To learn more about these and other artistic bus shelters in the city, visit:
City of Winston-Salem Artistic Bus Shelter Program
"All We Need Is Love" ♥︎ – Visitor Contribution to 2020 Bus Shelter Installation
"All We Need Is Love" ♥︎ – Visitor Contribution to 2020 Bus Shelter Installation
CASE STUDY 03: PUBLIC ART & COMMUNITY ACTIVATION
UNRULY – Interactive Public Art Installation
Project Type: Competition Entry, Community Build | April 2015–2016
Project Overview
Great public spaces foster social interaction and play beyond their physical design. UNRULY was created to activate the underutilized Spruce Street entrance of the Arts Center in Winston-Salem by encouraging spontaneous play and movement.
Strategic installations—such as painted dance steps on sidewalks and “jump boxes” that play musical notes when stepped on—were placed along busier Marshall Street to draw pedestrians toward the Arts Center. These playful elements served as an invitation to engage, turning everyday passersby into active participants in the public space.
By using a breadcrumb trail of interactive play features, UNRULY encouraged exploration, creativity, and a deeper connection between the community and the built environment.
Community Engagement
A diverse team helped bring UNRULY to life, including members discovered through MIXXER meetups. Community members participated in recording sound bites for the jump boxes, drawing footprints on sidewalks to complete the installation, and testing and engaging with the project over time through a connected microsite. The interactive nature of the installation ensures that it continues to evolve, engaging new voices and perspectives in public art.
Design Process & Collaboration
The lead designers collaborated with the Arts Council, AIA Winston-Salem, and the City of Winston-Salem to balance creative vision and interactive design with public space constraints and logistical considerations while adhering to legal and city requirements. This process paved the way for future public art installations in Winston-Salem, reinforcing the city’s identity as a City of Arts and Innovation.
Project Team
Kristen Haaf & Lauren Frye, Lead Designers
Forrest Causby, Web & Visual Consultant
Steve Harberger, Resident Do-er
Bob Guzman, Arduino Guru
Oliiver Sevin, Coding & Testing
Alan Shelton, Construction Guru
Haaf Children, Product Testing
Community Partners
The Arts Council
AIA Winston-Salem Chapter
