Happy 36th Anniversary, Diggs Gallery
Celebrating 36 Years of Art, Legacy, Culture & Community
October 2, 1990 – October 2, 2026
Today, Diggs Gallery at Winston-Salem State University proudly celebrates 36 years of enriching lives through art, culture, education and community.
Diggs Gallery officially opened its doors to the public on October 2, 1990, beginning a remarkable journey that would establish the Gallery as a major cultural center at Winston-Salem State University and one of North Carolina’s significant exhibition spaces dedicated to the art and culture of Africa and the African Diaspora.
The Gallery is named in honor of James Thackeray “T” Diggs, Jr. (1915–1989), a 1934 graduate of Winston-Salem State, accomplished artist, educator and WSSU art professor for more than four decades. Professor Diggs believed deeply in the liberating power of artistic expression, famously sharing:
“Art is a means of expressing, creating, doing your own thing, and being liberated.”
His friendship with art collector and philanthropist James Gordon Hanes, Jr. played an important role in the Gallery’s beginnings. Following Professor Diggs’ death in 1989, Hanes helped honor his friend’s legacy through the creation of Diggs Gallery.
Over the decades, the Gallery has built an important permanent collection through gifts and acquisitions. Its holdings include the Sculpture Garden, the Biggers Murals, paintings, prints, works on paper and sculptures, with a special emphasis on African and African American art. Artists represented in the collection include John Biggers, Melvin Edwards, Richard Hunt, Beverly Buchanan, Elizabeth Catlett, Selma Burke, Hayward Oubre, Jr., Roland Watts, Juan Logan and many others.
A New Chapter: The Rebirth of Diggs Gallery
After being closed for five years, Diggs Gallery officially reopened to the public in March 2026, beginning an exciting new chapter in its history.
Under new leadership, the Gallery is embracing its rebirth with a renewed commitment to honoring its distinguished past while building an ambitious future—reestablishing Diggs as a vibrant cultural destination, strengthening its permanent collection, presenting meaningful exhibitions and educational programs, engaging students and the greater community, and preserving the stories and artistic traditions of the African Diaspora for generations to come.
As we celebrate 36 years, we honor Professor Diggs’ extraordinary legacy, the artists whose work has filled our spaces, the students and faculty who have learned and created here, and the patrons, supporters and community members who continue to believe in the transformative power of art.
Diggs Gallery is open again. The legacy continues. And a new chapter is being written.
Happy 36th Anniversary, Diggs Gallery!
Celebrating our past. Reimagining our future.
Diggs Gallery | Winston-Salem State University
Where Art, History, Culture and Community Come Together
