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Wilmington, N.C. – Cameron Art Museum announces the unveiling of Stephen Hayes’s new sculpture, Boundless, on the museum’s grounds on Saturday, November 13, 2021. Unveiling events will span two days (November 13-14) and will include music, storytelling, family activities, food trucks, and a ticketed conversation with artist Stephen Hayes. Admission to the museum will be free both days. The unveiling will be held at 11 am, with remarks by Mayor Bill Saffo and County Commissioner Jonathan Barfield. Programs will run throughout the day on Saturday, November 13 from 11 am – 5 pm and from 10 am – 5 pm on Sunday, November 14.
Musician and historian Mary D. Williams will perform at the unveiling at 11 am. Williams has performed and provided her voice to the soundtrack of Blood Done Sign My Name (February 2010). She has also performed at the North Carolina State Capitol and has been featured on Dick Gordon’s The Story, as well as on National Public Radio.
North Carolina storyteller Carolyn Evans will perform a new story based on true experiences of the mother of a USCT soldier in Wilmington, NC, at 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm. A gifted storyteller, Evans became interested in acting at Syracuse University and continued to act at the City University of New York. She has performed on stage with entertainers including Glenn Close, Melba Moore, and Terry McFadden. and appeared at the Apollo Theater, on New York’s WBAI radio, PENN Center Inc., at Gettysburg, as well as PBS and CNN TV.
Spoken word poet Johnny Lee Chapman, III will perform a new work inspired by the life of USCT Medal of Honor winner Powhatan Beaty, a soldier who fought at Forks Road and became an actor after the Civil War, at 1:15 pm and 2:15 pm. Johnny Lee Chapman, III is an interdisciplinary artist from Fuquay-Varina, NC. In 2014, he leaped from the page to the stage, beginning his career as a spoken word artist. Since then, he has performed regionally and nationally and is an active voice within his Triangle community. His professional range includes spoken word performances, screenwriting and acting, facilitation of poetry showcases, craft workshops, and artist mentorship.
“We are grateful for the community’s continued interest in this ambitious and meaningful project,” said Anne Brennan, executive director of CAM. “The challenging events of the past year have brought renewed meaning to our vision for Boundless – which is to help promote social change.”
Located on the site of the Battle of Forks Road on the grounds of CAM, Boundless will feature the life casts of 11 African American men connected to the Battle of Forks Road and its story – USCT descendants, reenactors, veterans, and local community leaders. Josiah Patrick, a Wilmington man whose features are used in the sculpture, is a descendant of four USCT soldiers. He is just one of the local men whose features were used for the sculpture. Watch the casting process.
CAM stands on the site of the Battle of Forks Road, a Civil War skirmish that was won by the USCT and led to the fall of Wilmington, the Confederacy’s last seaport. Many of the African American soldiers who fought there were native to the area, and after the war, many stayed to build the community. These 1,600 USCT soldiers fought for the Union, but they also fought for their freedom and the abolishment of slavery. Their impact is significant, yet the story is virtually unknown. Watch the Battle of Forks Road documentary.
The USCT project is timely and necessary, as the nation looks closely at issues of race and systemic racism. This project, with its goal of engaging the community and addressing race and racism through programming that contextualizes Boundless with local history, will benefit Wilmington, N.C., a city struggling to reconcile a tragic past of white supremacy. For Hayes, the sculpture is personal. “As a Black man in America, you see the imagery of a Black person in chains, being whipped, begging, kneeling and helpless,” said Hayes. “This project is important to me because, as a creator, I get to change that narrative — by giving Black soldiers a sense of honor and pride.”
Read about the project in The New York Times.
CAM is the steward of the Battle of Forks Road Historic Site and is dedicated to interpreting the contribution of the USCT through art, living history and educational opportunities, including curriculum about the USCT for local schools. Durham-born Hayes is a recipient of the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art and teaches at Duke University. He is known for his figurative work, specifically depicting the African American experience. Hayes’ work has been featured at the National Cathedral, Winston-Salem State University, Duke University, CAM Raleigh, Rosa Parks Museum, African American Museum in Philadelphia, and Harvey B. Gantt Center, among others
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