Wilmington United States Colored Troops
Sculpture Project

Cameron Art Museum was the site of the Battle of Forks Road, a Civil War skirmish whose victory was won by the United States Colored Troops (USCT) and led to the fall of Wilmington. Many of the 1600 African-American soldiers who fought here were native to this area, and after the war, many of them stayed to settle, raise their families, establish educational opportunities, and build a thriving merchant class. Their impact is significant, yet their story is virtually unknown. Be a part of this important project that will make a lasting impact on eastern North Carolina.

About the Project

Stephen Hayes has cast USCT descendants, USCT re-enactors, military veterans, and community members to be a part of this new work of art. This project will promote social change by illuminating this little-known story of African-American freedom fighters that will provide a counterpoint to the narrative of the Civil War told by the built environment of the entire South. Community engagement, through a 4-day Living History School Days and Living History Weekend in the Fall of 2021, furthers the impact of this work of art.

About the Artist

Durham-born artist Stephen Hayes, is the Brock Family Visiting Instructor in Studio Arts in the Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies at Duke University. Hayes’s work has been featured at the National Cathedral, Winston Salem State University, Duke University, CAM Raleigh, Rosa Parks Museum, African American Museum of Philadelphia, and Harvey B. Gantt Center, among others. He is the recipient of the 2019 North Carolina Arts Council Emerging Artist Award. He has attended residencies at the McColl Center for the Visual Art in Charlotte and the Halcyon Arts Lab, Washington, D.C., among others.

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Corporate Logo 8x8 Brick $1,000

• Your corporate logo and 1-4 lines of text permanently engraved on a paver at the public sculpture site
• Invitation to sculpture installation in November 2021
• One complimentary VIP card

8x8 Brick $500

• 1-4 lines of text permanently engraved on a paver at the public sculpture site
• Invitation to sculpture installation in November 2021
• One complimentary VIP card

4x8 Brick $250

• 1-3 lines of text permanently engraved on a paver at the public sculpture site
• Invitation to sculpture installation in November 2021
• One complimentary VIP card

For more information, please contact John McDonnell, Development Director john@cameronartmuseum.org or 910.395.5999 ext. 1010 or Heather Wilson, Deputy Director deputydirector@cameronartmuseum.org or 910.395.5999 ext. 1003