Events
Knowing the West After Hours
Join us for a special edition of NCMA After Hours as we celebrate the opening of the exhibition Knowing the West. Spend …
Apr 30, 2026
Knowing the West Exhibition Opening Panel Discussion
This opening conversation focuses on Knowing the West, the first major traveling exhibition to embrace and examine how p…
May 1, 2026
Knowing the West Member Preview Day
Members receive access to the exhibition a day before it opens to the public. Enjoy the show without the crowds and take…
May 1, 2026
Spring Full Moon Walk
Space is limited and preregistration is required—no walk-ups and no waitlist. These programs fill up fast but are offere…
May 1, 2026
Family-Friendly Tour
Find new favorites alongside old friends on this playful tour. Tour is 30 minutes long and best for kids ages 5–11 with …
May 2, 2026
Teens Sketch the Galleries
Join us to spend time sketching with other teens in the galleries. Bring a pencil and your sketchbook and follow prompts…
May 2, 2026
Family Movie Night: James and the Giant Peach
James and the Giant Peach (1996). Directed by Henry Selick, 1 hr. 19 min., adventure/animation/family/fantasy, PG Enjoy…
May 2, 2026
NCMA Sacred Song Series: Nefesh Mountain’s Storytellers
Storytellers is an intimate duo performance with Doni Zasloff and Eric Lindberg—a profound night of heartfelt music and …
May 3, 2026
What’s in the Box?
Spend a morning at the Museum with our beloved program for preschoolers! Meet a work of art, enjoy movement and play, an…
May 6, 2026
What’s in the Box?
Spend a morning at the Museum with our beloved program for preschoolers! Meet a work of art, enjoy movement and play, an…
May 6, 2026
Adaptive Tai Chi in the Park: Mindful Movement for Everyone
Please note: you must sign up for each individual occurrence if you want to attend more than one session. The ancient C…
May 7, 2026
NCMA to Go Activity Kits: Still Life in Bloom / Kits de actividades del NCMA para llevar: Naturaleza muerta en flor
Get creative with NCMA art and artists at home! Reserve an activity kit with materials for a complete hands-on project p…
May 9, 2026
Events
Calendar of Events
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Spring is here, and there is no better time to get up close and personal with nature in the Museum Park and in the galleries. See how nature inspires artists and find inspiration to create your own memorable masterpieces. This camp is four days, Monday through Thursday, from 9 am to 4:30 pm.
$375
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1 event,
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 Spend a morning at the Museum with our beloved program for preschoolers! Meet a work of art, enjoy movement and play, and get your creative juices flowing with these sessions for 3- to 5-year-olds and their caregivers. Adults and children take a visit to the Museum galleries and create unique works of art in our
$10
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1 event,
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 Please note: you must sign up for each individual occurrence if you want to attend more than one session. The ancient Chinese martial art of Tai Chi combines slow and gentle movements with focused attention. During this accessible class, participants are guided through visually and vocally descriptive cues and have the option to sit or stand throughout. Taught by Tish
Free
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2 events,
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 Join us to spend time sketching with other teens in the galleries. Bring a pencil and your sketchbook and follow prompts or find your favorite sketching spot with a friend. All levels of experience are welcome. For ages 13–18.
Free
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 Get ready for a vibrant afternoon filled with live music, movement, and creativity around every corner of our 164-acre Museum Park. Buskers Day returns—bigger, bolder, and blossoming for the first time in the spring! Celebrate the timeless art of street performance with some of North Carolina’s most talented buskers, who bring rhythm, color, and joy
Free
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1 event,
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 Dive deeper into the science of sound! In this workshop with musician Jason Mullinax, participants learn the fundamentals of how sound and music work to enhance the stories we tell. They engage in hands-on experiments to get the most variety out of unconventional instruments. All skill levels welcome. About the instructor Jason Mullinax is a teacher,
$50
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2 events,
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 In this workshop participants are introduced to the benefits of building a journaling practice as they explore journaling as a tool for self-discovery and creativity. Participants experience a guided meditation followed by journaling and intuitive art activities, which provide opportunities to share, connect, and find inspiration. Both beginning and seasoned journalers welcome. Writing and art backgrounds not required.
$50
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 Join us and Alex Brown, director of programs and audience engagement at NCMA Winston-Salem, for a virtual sensory journey inspired by Alison Saar’s Tippy Toes. During this hour-long program, participants are prompted to use kit items to activate the senses of touch, taste, smell, and sound. Paired with audio description, this immersive sensory experience fosters a deep, personal connection
Free
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1 event,
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 College Night is the NCMA’s biggest college event of the year, bringing together students from across North Carolina for an evening in our galleries. This year’s theme draws inspiration from the exhibition Seeing Red and includes music, performances, art activities, and tours by our student gallery guides. Free snacks and beverages will be provided. Have a question about accessibility at the NCMA?
Free
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4 events,
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 Space is limited and preregistration is required. Help steward the Museum Park by supporting staff in their restoration initiatives. After a brief introduction, volunteers plant native species around the Park to increase biodiversity and provide habitat for wildlife. Includes walking up to a mile total on paved and grassy surfaces with slight inclines as well as lifting, bending, and digging.
Free
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 Find new favorites alongside old friends on this playful tour. The tour is 30 minutes long and best for kids ages 5–11 with their adult companions. Photo: Courtney Klemens
Free
 As part of the Still. Moving dance series, choreographer Tara Z. Mullins presents “The Wind Machine,” a new work inspired by the kinetic sculptures of Vollis Simpson. Recycling discarded parts from cars, bicycles, and farm machinery, Simpson transformed castoff objects into intricate, whimsical wind machines. A World War II veteran, he built his first wind-powered
Free
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1 event, For the NCMA’s third Yom HaShoah concert, we remember the story of survival, heroism, and hope connected to Raleigh’s very own Zalman Raffael, Carolina Ballet’s artistic director. Raffael’s grandfather, Zalman Grinberg, is the inspiration for this program with works by Erwin Schulhoff, Paul Ben Haim, and Phillip Glass. Jacqueline Wolborsky, principal second violinist in the
Free
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2 events,
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 Story time with an artful twist! Come look, listen, and move as we make connections with original works of art and children’s books. Rotating featured readers means there’s always a new perspective to enjoy. This session led by Erin Hanehan celebrates the intersection of art, mindfulness, stories, and movement. Best for children ages 18 months to 4 years and their
Free
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 Drawing on themes from works in our collection and qualities of the spring season, we inspire you to turn deeper within. An intentional observation of art is followed by a guided meditation to create opportunities for moments of calm and self-reflection. Suitable for all skill levels; ages 16 and up. This progam occurs on a third Wednesday evening once every
$18
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2 events,
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 Join us on a 50-minute tour of the People’s Collection. These tours are great during a first-time visit, after lunch at NCMA Café, or if you’re curious about the 5,000+ years of art and culture exhibited at the Museum. Tours vary and are subject to docent availability. NCMA docents may explore several galleries, focus on
Free
 Shttl (2022), directed by Ady Walter, 1 hr. 54 min., drama On the eve of the 1941 Nazi invasion, a young aspiring filmmaker returns from Kyiv to his rural village on the border between Ukraine and Poland. He is expected to marry the rabbi’s daughter. Instead, he plans to run away with his true love
$10
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1 event, This event has been rescheduled from Friday, October 12 to Friday, April 17. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024). Directed by Jeff Fowler, 1 hr. 50 min., action/adventure/comedy/family, PG Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched, Team
Free
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6 events,
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 Join us for a guided walk through the Park that focuses on the healing power of nature and being outside. During this slow-paced and meditative walk, connect with the natural world, yourself, and each other through guided meditation and sensory explorations that provide opportunities for calm and restoration. Ages 12 and up. Space is limited, and preregistration is required. This tour is
Free
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 This workshop designed by Maureen O’Neill offers a variety of exercises to help participants connect to and engage with the present moment. Through guided mark making (drawing and painting), participants learn to shift focus to their touch and breath and experience how a beautiful line or color can bring them into a meditative place that
$50
 Art on the Dot is the NCMA’s newest tour offering! Beginning in August 2025, we encourage you to join a docent in the galleries for a bite-sized tour experience. Starting at 11 am on Saturdays and Sundays, a docent invites you to engage with about three works of art for 30 minutes. Each weekend morning,
Free
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2 events,
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 Mix and mingle with the NCMA Membership team and fellow Museum members on a tour of the People’s Collection. After the program is over, enjoy lunch at NCMA Café using your member discount.
Free
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 Enjoy the fun of drop-in art-making activities for all ages popping up across the Museum galleries and Museum Park. This month, try your hand at figure sketching! Draw from a live model, practice your poses, and learn about ways to draw the human body, inspired by the exhibition Partial Figure. Auguste Rodin, The Cathedral, modeled 1908, Musée Rodin cast
Free
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1 event,
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 Celebrating the centennial of American artist Robert Rauschenberg’s birth, this program brings together two lectures that examine distinct moments in the artist’s career. One focuses on Rauschenberg’s time at the experimental Black Mountain College, where his studies with Josef Albers and collaborations with fellow artists shaped key approaches to postwar American art. The other considers
Free
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2 events,
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 Calling all art snobs! Join us for an entertaining evening featuring art–inspired trivia questions, and some good ol’ fashion community building. Bring your thinking cap and a team of up to four people for a chance to win some fun prizes. Let’s put your art knowledge to the test! Refreshments and snacks available for purchase. Image: August Rodin, The
Free
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 Join us for an evening of Shakespeare in the Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park. Carolina Shakespeare performs in full costume, presenting five 20-minute scenes from some of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays: Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, Othello, and Much Ado About Nothing. This is a guided walking performance. Audiences travel
Free
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2 events,
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 Trio Sefardi plays Sephardic songs from the Balkans, Turkey, and North Africa, as well as music they learned from Flory Jagoda, the Bosnian-born composer, singer, tradition-bearer, and 2002 National Heritage Fellow. Set in the Devotion Gallery, the program also includes songs from the spring holidays of Purim and Passover. Photo: Courtesy of the artists
Free
 Ixcanul (2015), directed by Jayro Bustamante, 1 hr. 33 min., drama On the slopes of an active volcano in Guatemala, a marriage is arranged for seventeen-year-old María by her Kaqchikel parents. Join us before the film for a discussion with curator Ángel González López. Image: Courtesy of Kino Lorber
$10
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2 events,
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 This guided experience combines scenic exploration, local history, and delicious bites. Learn about key locations, explore their cultural and environmental impact, and enjoy small plates and drinks crafted with ingredients sourced directly from the Park. Photo: Courtesy of Catering Works
$60
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 Please note: this event has been rescheduled from March 28 to April 25. Celebrate spring with an immersive afternoon of Persian classical and folk music and dance. We have gathered Iranian musicians, a dancer, and a visual artist from across North America to create a breathtaking journey through the elegant beauty of Persian art. This
$10
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4 events,
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 Live music in the galleries inspired by art—Notes on View is a pop-up music series at the NCMA featuring 40-minute live performances that respond to and resonate with works on display. Ranging from contemporary sounds to classical compositions, performances invite you to experience the galleries in a new way: through sound, space, and shared creativity.
Free
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Live music in the galleries inspired by art—Notes on View is a pop-up music series at the NCMA featuring 40-minute live performances that respond to and resonate with works on display. Ranging from contemporary sounds to classical compositions, performances invite you to experience the galleries in a new way: through sound, space, and shared creativity.
Free
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 Kevin Zhu, violin Matthew Lipman, viola Gabriel Martins, cello Victor Santiago Asunción, piano About the artists Back by popular demand after their 2024 performance at the NC Governor’s Mansion gala, cellist Gabriel Martins and pianist Victor Santiago Asunción are bringing violinist Kevin Zhu and violist Matthew Lipman for a quartet program that includes the lush
$31
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1 event,
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 Join us for a special edition of NCMA After Hours as we celebrate the opening of the exhibition Knowing the West. Spend the evening exploring the exhibition, enjoying music, and taking part in hands-on creative experiences inspired by the stories and artists featured in the show. Join artist Peter Marin for guided tours of the
Free
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3 events,
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 Members receive access to the exhibition a day before it opens to the public. Enjoy the show without the crowds and take advantage of the member discount in the Exhibition Store. Image: Dorothy Brett, Desert Indian, 1932/1937, oil on canvas, 40 × 40 in., Tia Collection; Photo: James Hart Photography
Free
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This opening conversation focuses on Knowing the West, the first major traveling exhibition to embrace and examine how people see the American West. Please join us as curators Jami C. Powell and Larissa Randall discuss the show’s development and themes and share stories about the range of artwork on display. About the speakers Jami C.
Free
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 Space is limited and preregistration is required—no walk-ups and no waitlist. These programs fill up fast but are offered once every season if registration for this one is closed. Join us for an after-hours walk in the Museum Park. Enjoy our seasonal guided moonlit walk to experience nature and art at night. Wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately
Free
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3 events,
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Find new favorites alongside old friends on this playful tour. Tour is 30 minutes long and best for kids ages 5–11 with their adult companions. Photo: Courtney Klemens
Free
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Join us to spend time sketching with other teens in the galleries. Bring a pencil and your sketchbook and follow prompts or find your favorite sketching spot with a friend. All levels of experience are welcome. For ages 13–18. Photo: Angela Lombardi
Free
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James and the Giant Peach (1996). Directed by Henry Selick, 1 hr. 19 min., adventure/animation/family/fantasy, PG Enjoy this classic film about an orphan who lives with his two cruel aunts, befriends anthropomorphic bugs who live inside a giant peach, and embarks on a journey to New York City. Come at 6 pm for premovie activities
$10
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