Artist Vincent Ballentine selected to help honor Greensboro Six; Unveils concept for Wyndham Rewards commissioned mural

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Following a nationwide search that saw more than 50 submissions from artists coast-to-coast, Wyndham Rewards, in collaboration with the City of Greensboro and First Tee – Central Carolina, announced Tuesday that artist Vincent Ballentine has been selected to design and install a commemorative mural honoring civil rights pioneers, The Greensboro Six, at historic Gillespie Golf Course in Greensboro, N.C.

Wyndham Rewards introduced Vincent to the community at a press conference at Gillespie and shared an early rendering of his concept for the mural, honoring The Greensboro Six's impact while celebrating Gillespie's continued significance to the community through the work of First Tee. Ballentine's vision and work will formally be unveiled during a special celebration at Gillespie on August 5, ahead of the PGA TOUR's 85th Wyndham Championship.

"This mural is a special reminder of our tremendous history in Greensboro, and the impact The Greensboro Six had on the sport of golf and beyond," said Ryan Wilson, CEO, First Tee – Central Carolina. "Vincent's design captures our vision of bringing the community together through the power of golf and will serve as an everyday reminder of our storied past – and because of that – our beautiful future."

"The Gillespie mural honors courageous men who overcame deep-rooted racial challenges to inspire incredible change," Ballentine said. "My hope is that the mural sparks meaningful conversations among younger generations about our history and the importance of inclusivity while establishing a permanent fixture paying homage to the Greensboro Six."

Illustrating history, inspiring generations

Brooklyn-based Vincent Ballentine is a multi-disciplined visual artist with a degree in film and education from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and continued study in film at the Cleveland Institute of Art. His work ranges from digital illustration and animation to large-scale murals and street art and has been commissioned by the likes of NCAA, MTV and BET, among others.

With a heartfelt passion for storytelling through art and a desire to inspire generational connectivity and inclusivity, Ballentine was chosen from a pool of more than 50 accomplished artists nationwide to tell the story of The Greensboro Six. His interpretation of history details the Civil Rights heroes as they walk through the doors of the Gate City, a nickname for the city of Greensboro, and ushers in a new day for golf and the world we live in today. The image is complemented with nods to the continued significance Gillespie plays in the community today, particularly through the work of the First Tee.

The legacy of The Greensboro Six

In 1955, one week after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, six Black men led by Dr. George Simkins started a local movement of their own by defiantly playing a round at the whites-only Gillespie Golf Course. They were later arrested, convicted of trespassing and spent 15 days in jail. Seven years and numerous court cases later, their actions led to Gillespie desegregating and later, seeing The Greater Greensboro Open (now the Wyndham Championship) become the first PGA TOUR event in the South to welcome a Black player (Charlie Sifford).

Today, Gillespie is home to First Tee - Central Carolina, a national youth development program using the game of golf to create life-changing opportunities for local youth on and off the course. It also has the distinction of being the first course in North Carolina to offer PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere), a national program leveraging golf to enhance the well-being of active-duty military and veterans and is one of the only courses in the Triad catering to players with spinal injuries and disabilities through adaptive equipment and free programs.