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Stalwart of the Arts
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Published: October 5, 2008
Ed Shewmake was a soft-spoken man whose impact on The City of the Arts spoke for itself. Winston-Salem needs many more like him.
Shewmake, who died last month, helped found Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, as well as the gallery that would become the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art. He also helped found Artworks, "the artists' cooperative that pioneered what has since become the downtown Arts District," Tom Patterson noted in last Sunday's Journal.
Shewmake was an artist in painting, drawing, ceramic sculpture, assemblage, printmaking, photography and filmmaking. Teaching art at Salem College and what is now the Sawtooth School for Visual Art, he influenced many students.
Shewmake's role in building Winston-Salem's reputation as an arts community can't be overstated. "He was a leader in the visual-arts community for so many years and initiated so much of what is now happening in this community," said Milton Rhodes, the chief executive of the Arts Council of Winston Salem and Forsyth County. "Ed had a great vision of what could happen, and with others he put it together for the long haul."
Shewmake obviously realized that the arts are integral to the city, a point underscored by the Arts District's leading role in downtown revitalization. Fortunately, more such leaders are on the rise in the local arts community. Their efforts, central to the economic success of the area, deserve financial support from throughout the city and Forsyth County.
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