Public Art at Method Community Park

The City of Raleigh is working with two local artists to create public art at Method Community Park. Dare Coulter will create exterior public art throughout the site. Kulsum Tasnif is documenting the stories of former Berry O'Kelly students and IAR community members through oral histories and videos.

Dare Coulter

Dare Coulter is an award-winning professional sculptor, artist, muralist, and illustrator. Her most recent notable work includes a 200ft mural (with Kotis Street Art) in Greensboro honoring oft-unmentioned black cowboys and a commission of a painting of Nina Simone from the National Trust for Historic Preservation that was used to raise funds to restore Nina Simone's childhood home. She has illustrated nine children's books, including Kwame Alexander’s “An American Story” and You Are My Sunshine. While Dare is pursuing her dream of creating monumental sculptures of Black joy all over the world, she is having a great time visiting schools and painting murals, and sharing her passion for art with the world. She graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor’s in Art + Design, but she also considers herself a graduate of Meredith College’s art program.

Kulsum Tasnif

Women with a yelllow headscarf holds artwork

Kulsum Tasnif is a contemporary artist who bridges the cultural divide between East and West in her artwork. Born in England to Pakistani parents, Kulsum’s art reflects her personal journey of transcending geographic boundaries in search of beauty and truth. Her pieces explore internal and external narratives, connecting her diverse heritage with universal themes of identity and belonging.

After completing her graduate studies in Art and Design at NC State in 2021, Kulsum founded Artist Ummah—a non-profit organization that celebrates creativity, identity, and community. "Ummah," meaning "community" in Arabic, embodies her mission to empower artists and bring vibrant, diverse expressions of creativity to the forefront.

Learn more about Kulsum Tasnif.

Project Overview

Method Community Center Improvements

The Method Road Community Center is housed in one of only two surviving buildings from the multi-building Berry O’Kelly School. Also known as the Pioneers Building, it now serves as a community center at Method Park, a City of Raleigh facility. As part of the 2022 Parks Bond, the City plans to renovate the historic community center to address needed improvements and community priorities including:

Renovate the existing historic community center to address needed improvements and community priorities.
The Community Center is housed in one of only two surviving buildings from the multi-building Berry O’Kelly School. Also known as the Pioneers Building, it now serves as a community center at Method Park, a City of Raleigh facility.
The buildings and athletic facilities remaining at the Berry O’Kelly School campus reflect the history of an important Raleigh institution. Residents of the freedman’s village that evolved into Method had always prioritized education. Three schools existed in the late nineteenth century before Method’s most prominent resident, Berry O’Kelly, donated land in 1894 for a new school. A frame building with a gable roof housed the school until 1915, when a significant upgrade resulted in a ten-classroom brick edifice to house an elementary and high school. The new institution was called Berry O’Kelly Training School, and it consolidated three rural African American schools. Rosenwald funds helped expand the school in the 1920s, and by 1931, it was the state’s largest high school for African American students. The school remained in operation until 1966. The 1926 Agriculture Building and the ca. 1959 Gymnasium are the only buildings remaining. O’Kelly’s grave is on campus, and a memorial marker further honors and remembers his importance to the community.
One of the project's goals is to highlight the rich history and diversity of the Method Community.

Learn more about the Method Community Center Improvement project.