Property of the People: The Foundations of the NCMA, 1924–1945
This exhibition examines the first 20 years of development of the Museum, when a group of public-spirited North Carolinians formed and shaped an organization whose purpose was to secure a state art museum in the capital city; to collect, preserve, and exhibit works of art, both old and new; and to stimulate interest in art, particularly among the rising generation.
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They styled themselves the North Carolina Art Society, and throughout the late ʼ20s, ʼ30s, and early ʼ40s, through Depression, recovery, and the Second World War, these men and women pursued and ultimately achieved this mission—and under the leadership of one woman, Katherine Pendleton Arrington, “a formidable young widow from Warrenton.” This exhibition tells their story.
Organized by the North Carolina Museum of Art. This exhibition is made possible, in part, by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources; the North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation, Inc.; and the William R. Kenan Jr. Endowment for Educational Exhibitions. Research for this exhibition was made possible by Ann and Jim Goodnight/The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fund for Curatorial and Conservation Research and Travel.
A collection of late-antique glass and paintings from the Phifer collection on display in the temporary State Art Museum, Agriculture Building, Raleigh, 1938.
Summer at the NCMA
While West Building is closed in preparation for Reimagining the People’s Collection this fall, there’s still so much to experience and enjoy at your favorite museum of art.
Fault Lines: Art and the Environment
Through video, photography, sculpture, and mixed-media works, the 14 contemporary artists in Fault Lines focus on current environmental concerns and offer new perspectives that make us think.
What’s Blooming This Spring in the NCMA’s Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park
Now’s the perfect time to spend an afternoon in the Museum Park, where nature’s works of art are showing off.