As a challenging and spirited year draws to a close, we’re looking back at some of 2020’s most memorable posts on Circa, the North Carolina Museum of Art blog, where you’ll find connections to the “People’s Collection,” the Park, and the inside scoop on special exhibitions.

Beauty, Complexity, Complicity
The story behind Senegalese gold jewelry, and the women who wore it in the 18th and 19th centuries, is layered with a history of oppression and empowerment.

Leonardo Drew: Making Chaos Legible
Chief Curator Linda Dougherty introduces the work of an explosive sculptor.
Do allies participate in oppressive systems that marginalize the communities they attempt to support? Artists in the collection pose a challenging question.

Young Artists Exhibition Goes Virtual
Winning artworks from the Southeast’s Boys and Girls Clubs, curated by the NCMA.

The Art of Healing: Faith and Affliction
Artist José Bedia portrays a saint of health and healing often described as showing no mercy to the arrogant but providing solace to the poor.

Nature’s Art in the Museum Park
Our observant ranger reveals how green herons bait and don’t switch, and how you can build your own birdbath in your backyard, when spring returns.

Audio description of artworks and events expand the NCMA’s reach.

Front Burner Artists: Migrating to N.C.
The state has drawn artists with a siren song of affordable living, access to nature, and rich cultural opportunities.

Find Yourself in a Mirrored Labyrinth
The NCMA adds another interactive sculpture to its ever-growing collection of outdoor art in the Museum Park.
Paired with a Purpose
As they work with outside consultants to reconsider and reinstall their collections, NCMA curators are reimagining the People’s Collection, connecting works of art that have never been displayed together, hoping to spark curiosity and new insights.
Toxic Beauty: Aerial Photographs Offer Warnings
Shows at the NCMA and its satellite museum, SECCA, connect art and environmentalism with powerful images.