The Peter Oliver Pavilion Gallery is set to open in Winston Salem, NC on the historic Oliver farm – a four-acre plot of land that Peter Oliver, a talented Black potter who lived in the Moravian community at Old Salem, rented from the church beginning 1802.
Peter Oliver was born into slavery in 1750 and was owned by the Moravian church in Salem. From a young age, he showed a natural talent for pottery, which was a key industry in the Moravian community at that time. As he grew older, Peter continued to hone his skills and became a highly respected potter, producing a wide range of utilitarian wares such as jugs, jars, and bowls.
Despite his talents, Peter Oliver remained enslaved until he was able to purchase his own freedom in 1802. After earning his freedom, Peter continued to produce pottery, and his work became increasingly refined and sophisticated. Today, Peter Oliver's work is highly prized by collectors and museums, and his legacy is celebrated in many different ways. The opening of the Peter Oliver Pavilion Gallery is just the latest example of how his life and work continue to inspire and influence people today.
The Peter Oliver Pavilion Gallery will be located along South Liberty near the new pedestrian land bridge over Salem Parkway and will showcase the craftsmanship of Peter Oliver's work as well the rich and varied Black legacy in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County that Peter Oliver and his descendants helped forge.
Walter Hood, a world-renowned landscape architect, created the park's designs, which were unveiled earlier this year. The Creative Corridors Coalition is currently doing a capital drive for the project with the goal of raising between $6 and $10 million.
To read more and donate to the project, click here.
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Image via Creative Corridors Coalition
