A Bold Expansion Signals Carolina's Contemporary-Art Ambitions
With a major new wing and an aggressive acquisition strategy, one of the state's leading museums is staking a claim to national relevance.
The Carolinas have long imported their contemporary art from elsewhere. One ambitious museum intends to change that.
Building for relevance
A major new wing and an aggressive acquisition program signal the institution's determination to compete on a national stage. The expansion adds gallery space, but more tellingly, it announces intent — a refusal to remain a regional afterthought.
The collection has grown bolder, embracing challenging contemporary work.
Culture as strategy
The ambition is civic as well as artistic. A serious contemporary museum attracts talent, tourism and prestige, and the state's leaders increasingly grasp the connection.
Skeptics question whether the region can sustain such aspirations. The museum's leadership is undeterred, betting that if you build a genuinely important institution, the audience and the reputation will follow. The Carolinas, they insist, are ready.
Related Stories
NCMA Opens a Free Nancy Baker Cahill Show That Spills Into the Museum Park
Ecologies of Scale, opening September 26, mixes video, sculpture, works on paper and augmented reality across the galleries and the Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park.
The Mint Opens Corey Pemberton's First Solo Museum Show
Living Well, opening September 19 at Mint Museum Uptown, brings together more than 70 works in painting, collage, glass, quilts and textile design by the Los Angeles artist.
Hopscotch Returns to Downtown Raleigh for Its 16th Year
The September 10-12 festival fills City Plaza and downtown clubs with headliners including King Princess, Cory Wong and Dexter and the Moonrocks, plus a new free daytime hangout at Moore Square.