One of the leading art museums of the American South, the North Carolina Museum of Art opened in 1956 as the first in the nation established with public state funds. More than 40 galleries here are home to a permanent collection of paintings, artifacts, and sculptures spanning the history of art from antiquity to the present day. Visitors can see paintings of the European Renaissance, Egyptian funerary artifacts, and contemporary international works of art, among others. An amphitheater hosts outdoor performances, and a museum park features more than a dozen major site-specific works surrounded by forests and fields.
With an extravagant collection of over 20,000 exhibits, the Gregg Museum of Art & Design is a cultural treasure trove. The magnanimous collection includes photography, architectural drawings, paintings, sculpture, textiles, ceramics, self-taught art, modern furniture, Native American and tribal art. There are six to eight exhibitions throughout the year, as well as workshops, film screenings and other programs.
The Contemporary Art Museum is a temple to contemporary art and design housed in a re-purposed warehouse in downtown Raleigh. The museum has no permanent collection of its own, but strives to showcase the work of emerging artists and designers with new perspectives and in fresh contexts. In addition to cutting-edge exhibitions, the museum offers middle and high school students educational and creative programs, including panels, docent partnerships, and summer access to studio space. Weekly guided tours of current exhibitions are included with general admission.
Mill Wood Art provides rough milled logs into distinctive art, making them. The natural beauty and warmth of the wood make an eye-catching focal point that will any environment. These pieces are of designs & sizes.
This storefront gallery in the restored historic Mahler Building showcases contemporary art by emerging and established artists on the regional and national level. Though small, the gallery has a nice collection of works in different media, with a focus on photography, prints, paintings, and North Carolina fine crafts. The full service gallery provides art consulting, featured exhibitions, and hosts lectures.
