NCMA Recommends: Wind Sculpture II
Yinka Shonibare, CBE, Wind Sculpture II, 2013, steel armature with hand-painted fiberglass resin cast, H. 240 — W. 133 5/16 — D. 31 3/16 in., Gift of Jim and Ann Goodnight
Known for his figurative works that use brightly patterned fabric to explore cultural identity, Yinka Shonibare, CBE (born in London to Nigerian parents) transforms a wisp of cloth into a monumental sculpture in the Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park. “None of us have isolated identities anymore,” he says, “and that’s a factor of globalization ultimately. I suppose I’m a direct product of that. The fabrics I use also look like they could be just African … but the fabric has a complicated history in its trade routes: it was originally designed as an Indonesian fabric, produced by the Dutch, and the British sold it into the African market. It’s a perfect metaphor for multilayered identities.”
City of Sunflowers
Celebrate the bounty of summer in our annual sunflower field, which is adjacent to Wind Sculpture II. The ten varieties of flowers will be near peak bloom around the end of July and beginning of August. Learn more here about our partnership with Dorothea Dix Park to make Raleigh the City of Sunflowers.
The Museum Park: Past, Present, and Future
The Museum Park became a haven for many during this challenging past year. Join curator of horticulture and sustainability, Rachel Woods, virtually on Thursday, July 15, to learn about the Park’s history and current projects, and to get a sneak peek into its future.
Summer Films in the Park
Outdoor films at the NCMA are back! Come experience big-screen movie magic under the stars. Enjoy movies that will make you nostalgic for decades past. Let yourself be transported back in time to the moment you first experienced these classic films. View the schedule and get tickets here.
Family Growga Live
Participate in movement and mindfulness in the Museum Park with our friends at Growga on July 24. This class incorporates yoga, art, and basic mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing and relaxation. Best for ages 6 and up.
Shonibare in Music
“The Netherlands—The Shonibare: The Journey” is a musical interchange reflecting artworks by Ludolf Backhuysen and Yinka Shonibare in the collection. Composed by classical pianist Carolyn Colquitt, it imagines a conversation between an early 18th-century Dutch seascape and a 2005 life-size mannequin sculpture. View the performance, which took place at the NCMA last April, here.
Inspired by Wind Sculpture II
What shapes can you find in the bold, colorful geometry of Wind Sculpture II? What lines? The design of these components refers to African wax cloth. It is created by using a printing block to apply waxy resin to cloth. Then, fabric dyes saturate the cloth with color, except for where the resin resists the dye. You can try your own resist techniques at home using crayons and watercolor paint!
Share Your Museum Favorites
Postcards inspire us and create connections to places in a personal way. The Museum Store offers a new signature collection of postcards featuring 10 of our most popular works from the galleries and Park, including Wind Sculpture II. Share your Museum experience with someone by sending them a picture of your favorite. Available for $10.
Slow Down Using Art
Slow art is a growing movement to mindfully observe and communally appreciate art. The hour-long virtual program on July 21 guides you through an intentional observation of a work of art from the NCMA’s collection. This is a great practice to calm the mind and experience art in a deeper way.