IN PERSON: This special event course will offer opportunities to visit some of the most treasured arts venues in our community and just beyond. The course will consist of three daylong outings in May and early June. Each week we will visit two prominent museums in our regional art world. The visits will include tours at each of the venues. Between tours, we’ll enjoy lunch at local eateries. We will visit: the Ackland Art Museum at UNC-Chapel Hill and the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke (May 6); Reynolda House Museum of American Art in Winston-Salem and the Weatherspoon Art Museum at UNC-Greensboro in Greensboro (May 13); the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) and Gregg Museum of Art & Design at NC State University in Raleigh (June 3). | Facilitated discussion.
Guest Speakers:
May 6. Chapel Hill and Durham The Ackland Art Museum at UNC-Chapel Hill has a special exhibition, "Color Concentrated: A Salon-Style Show From the Robertson Collection." The installation draws inspiration from the chance juxtapositions of paintings on museum storage racks, from the Robertson’s own display of their collection at home, and from the crowded walls of 19-century Parisian salon exhibitions. In a dramatic new way, "Color Concentrated" highlights the Robertson collection’s commitment to the expressive potential of hue. The Nasher Museum at Duke is celebrating its 20th anniversary through the exhibition "Everything Now All at Once," which displays iconic works in the Nasher’s contemporary collection. This collection exemplifies the museum’s dedication to prioritizing artists who have been historically undervalued, fostering artists’ career growth through commissioned works, and acquiring works at defining moments in an artist’s career.
May 13. Winston-Salem and Greensboro Reynolda House Museum of American Art is located in what was originally the home of the founders of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The historic home was the centerpiece of a 1,067-acre estate and model farm. The house is currently closed for renovations, but we will tour the outside, learn about the history of Reynolda Village, and spend time with the special exhibition "Layered Looking: Making Sense of Art" in the Babcock Gallery. The Weatherspoon Art Museum at UNC-Greensboro is presenting "Of Salt and Spirit: Black Quilters in the American South." Quilt-making is one of the most enduring ways of making meaning and encapsulating memories within Black culture. As historical leaders of this art form, generations of Southern Black women have used quilts to preserve history. We will also view an exhibition of the work of North Carolina artist Precious Lovell, responding to the Southern quilting tradition.
June 3. Raleigh The North Carolina Museum of Art state collection galleries span more than 5,000 years, from antiquity to the present, and provide cultural experiences for the people of our state and beyond. The NCMA is known for its diverse holdings, prominently featuring European masterpieces, robust American art, and contemporary art including art by many North Carolina artists. We will tour some of the highlights of this renowned collection. The Gregg Museum of Art & Design at NC State focuses on outstanding examples of art, craft, and design. We will tour "Stories Told by Breath: Native American Voices in North Carolina." Using a rich range of media, the exhibit celebrates the creativity, memory, and cultural continuity of Native American artists connected to North Carolina.
Max enrollment: 15.
