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Oh, hi! We're your art museum:

We are art you can hike, bike, and walk to.
We are sensory trails, sunflower fields, and edible gardens.
We are one of the best free museums in the US.
We are a 164-acre Museum Park.
All free—right in your backyard.

Click the link in our profile and come say hi!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Art in Bloom 2026, presented by @pncbank. We want to congratulate all of the extraordinary designers who participated. You took this year's theme, Written in the Stars, and produced absolutely stunning floral designs.

We also want to recognize our ribbon winners, who were selected by NC Museum of Art Director Valerie Hillings (@vhillings), fellow designers, and visitors.

We can't wait for next year's Art in Bloom, scheduled for March 17-21, 2027!

This summer, the North Carolina Museum of Art began a series of renovation and expansion projects on our Raleigh campus. We're excited about what lies ahead as these projects will be completed in phases now through 2028.

As our campus continues to grow and change, we revisited the archives to examine pictures of the Museum and Park's evolution over the years. Beginning with drone footage of the current construction, we created a video in reverse chronological order to show you some rarely seen documentation of the NCMA's development.

To learn more about our renovation and expansion projects, click the link in our bio.

Our next "Still. Moving" dance performance will be on Saturday, May 30, at 11 am and 1 pm in West Building. Created in dialogue with Tomás Saraceno’s "Zonal Harmonic 170,000" and "Zonal Harmonic 220,000," this original work by Rainbow Dance Co./Arts Together explores the unseen architectures that shape how we move, gather, and belong.

Inspired by Saraceno’s vision of airborne networks and interspecies connection, the choreography considers the body not as an isolated figure but as part of a larger, vibrating system—held in tension, resonance, and relation. Like Saraceno’s sculptural environments, the dance piece asks: What holds us up, and what holds us together?

Both performances are free to attend, and no registration is required. You can read more about this performance at the link in our bio.

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Image 1: Tomás Saraceno, Zonal Harmonic 170,000, 2022, carbon fiber, polyester rope, monofilament, H. 34 5/8 × W. 56 5/16 × D. 46 7/16 in., Gift of Richard DeWid and Helen Murray with additional funds from the North Carolina State Art Society (Robert F. Phifer Bequest)

Tomás Saraceno, Zonal Harmonic 220,000, 2022, carbon fiber, polyester rope, monofilament, H. 73 5/8 × W. 103 15/16 × D. 102 3/8 in., Gift of Richard DeWid and Helen Murray with additional funds from the North Carolina State Art Society (Robert F. Phifer Bequest)

Image 2: Rainbow Dance Co.: Courtesy of the company

Our next "Still. Moving" dance performance will be on Saturday, May 30, at 11 am and 1 pm in West Building. Created in dialogue with Tomás Saraceno’s "Zonal Harmonic 170,000" and "Zonal Harmonic 220,000," this original work by Rainbow Dance Co./Arts Together explores the unseen architectures that shape how we move, gather, and belong.

Inspired by Saraceno’s vision of airborne networks and interspecies connection, the choreography considers the body not as an isolated figure but as part of a larger, vibrating system—held in tension, resonance, and relation. Like Saraceno’s sculptural environments, the dance piece asks: What holds us up, and what holds us together?

Both performances are free to attend, and no registration is required. You can read more about this performance at the link in our bio.

--------
Image 1: Tomás Saraceno, Zonal Harmonic 170,000, 2022, carbon fiber, polyester rope, monofilament, H. 34 5/8 × W. 56 5/16 × D. 46 7/16 in., Gift of Richard DeWid and Helen Murray with additional funds from the North Carolina State Art Society (Robert F. Phifer Bequest)

Tomás Saraceno, Zonal Harmonic 220,000, 2022, carbon fiber, polyester rope, monofilament, H. 73 5/8 × W. 103 15/16 × D. 102 3/8 in., Gift of Richard DeWid and Helen Murray with additional funds from the North Carolina State Art Society (Robert F. Phifer Bequest)

Image 2: Rainbow Dance Co.: Courtesy of the company

Looking for something to do today, but don't feel like being out in the rain? You're in luck!

Today is our Knowing the West Community Day, which means you get free entry into our new exhibition, Knowing the West. Additionally, from 11 am-4 pm, we will be hosting the Western North Carolina Art and Craft Showcase, a free one-day market celebrating the traditions and contemporary practices of craft artists from WNC, alongside makers from across the state.

Visit us today to get a new perspective on the American West, then meet North Carolina artists, explore handmade work, and experience what makes the NCMA a statewide gathering place for creativity, connection, and cultural celebration!

Entry to both events is free, and no registration is required.

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Pictured: Olive Rush, Maria and Julian, 1914, oil on academy board, 12 1/4 × 18 1/2 in., Tia Collection, Santa Fe, NM; Image: James Hart Photography

Soundcheck ahead of tonight's concert, "György Kurtág at 100: Hungarian and Romanian Folk-Inspired Music"!

Join us at 7 pm in the SECU Auditorium, where @MallarmeMusic presents works by Hungarian composers György Kurtág and Béla Bartók for cimbalom, violin, mezzo, and piano.

Tickets are available at the link in our bio.

🎉 Community Day at the NC Museum of Art (@ncmartmuseum) tomorrow!
May 23 • 10 AM–5 PM • East Building

Free entry to Knowing the West—an exhibition of 120+ works (beadwork, pottery, painting, saddles & more), curated to reframe the West as a complex, evolving narrative across cultures and generations.

Oh, hi! We're your art museum.🎨

We’re a place where art blooms every spring.💐
Where special exhibitions spark curiosity every year.🐎
Where living arts take center stage.💃
Where arts, nature, and people come together.🌳

We’re a place to wander, wonder, and belong. All free—right in your backyard.🏘️

We found (bobblehead) @SSebastianAho hanging out at the Museum Park ahead of the Hurricanes vs. Montreal Canadiens game tonight!

He was sitting on the Musical Swings, which, oddly enough, were created by Montreal-based art and design studio Daily tous les jours. An intentional move to assert dominance or just a coincidence? Hmm...🤔

Good luck to our neighbors down the road tonight - Let's go @Canes!

We had a staff meeting this morning. It was...fun?!

Take a behind-the-scenes look at how we use Art, Nature, and People to make a stereotypically boring meeting into something fun, engaging, and informative.

THIS SATURDAY, MAY 23: From 11 am-4 pm, join us for a community day featuring free admission to Knowing the West and a Western NC Art and Craft Showcase!

This one-day market, in partnership with @BlueRidgeHeritage, celebrates the traditions and contemporary practices of craft artists from Western North Carolina, alongside makers from across the state.

Featuring ceramics, textiles, woodwork, jewelry, prints, and more, the showcase highlights the depth and diversity of North Carolina’s creative community.

The event invites visitors to meet artists, explore handmade work, and experience the NCMA as a statewide gathering place for creativity, connection, and cultural celebration.

Some of the featured artists/makers who will be on hand (in order of the photos) include:
@RosaFriedrichs1230
@PrideAndArchive
@WishingFlowerPress
@JL.MerrillMetalworks
@Toryn_Black_Design
@RedRenJewelry

We will also have @CornerBoysBBQ here to serve up their fantastic barbecue and soul food!

Our Community Day is free to attend, and no registration is required. We'll see you on Saturday!

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Images: Courtesy of the artists

THIS SATURDAY, MAY 23: From 11 am-4 pm, join us for a community day featuring free admission to Knowing the West and a Western NC Art and Craft Showcase!

This one-day market, in partnership with @BlueRidgeHeritage, celebrates the traditions and contemporary practices of craft artists from Western North Carolina, alongside makers from across the state.

Featuring ceramics, textiles, woodwork, jewelry, prints, and more, the showcase highlights the depth and diversity of North Carolina’s creative community.

The event invites visitors to meet artists, explore handmade work, and experience the NCMA as a statewide gathering place for creativity, connection, and cultural celebration.

Some of the featured artists/makers who will be on hand (in order of the photos) include:
@RosaFriedrichs1230
@PrideAndArchive
@WishingFlowerPress
@JL.MerrillMetalworks
@Toryn_Black_Design
@RedRenJewelry

We will also have @CornerBoysBBQ here to serve up their fantastic barbecue and soul food!

Our Community Day is free to attend, and no registration is required. We'll see you on Saturday!

----------
Images: Courtesy of the artists

THIS SATURDAY, MAY 23: From 11 am-4 pm, join us for a community day featuring free admission to Knowing the West and a Western NC Art and Craft Showcase!

This one-day market, in partnership with @BlueRidgeHeritage, celebrates the traditions and contemporary practices of craft artists from Western North Carolina, alongside makers from across the state.

Featuring ceramics, textiles, woodwork, jewelry, prints, and more, the showcase highlights the depth and diversity of North Carolina’s creative community.

The event invites visitors to meet artists, explore handmade work, and experience the NCMA as a statewide gathering place for creativity, connection, and cultural celebration.

Some of the featured artists/makers who will be on hand (in order of the photos) include:
@RosaFriedrichs1230
@PrideAndArchive
@WishingFlowerPress
@JL.MerrillMetalworks
@Toryn_Black_Design
@RedRenJewelry

We will also have @CornerBoysBBQ here to serve up their fantastic barbecue and soul food!

Our Community Day is free to attend, and no registration is required. We'll see you on Saturday!

----------
Images: Courtesy of the artists

THIS SATURDAY, MAY 23: From 11 am-4 pm, join us for a community day featuring free admission to Knowing the West and a Western NC Art and Craft Showcase!

This one-day market, in partnership with @BlueRidgeHeritage, celebrates the traditions and contemporary practices of craft artists from Western North Carolina, alongside makers from across the state.

Featuring ceramics, textiles, woodwork, jewelry, prints, and more, the showcase highlights the depth and diversity of North Carolina’s creative community.

The event invites visitors to meet artists, explore handmade work, and experience the NCMA as a statewide gathering place for creativity, connection, and cultural celebration.

Some of the featured artists/makers who will be on hand (in order of the photos) include:
@RosaFriedrichs1230
@PrideAndArchive
@WishingFlowerPress
@JL.MerrillMetalworks
@Toryn_Black_Design
@RedRenJewelry

We will also have @CornerBoysBBQ here to serve up their fantastic barbecue and soul food!

Our Community Day is free to attend, and no registration is required. We'll see you on Saturday!

----------
Images: Courtesy of the artists

THIS SATURDAY, MAY 23: From 11 am-4 pm, join us for a community day featuring free admission to Knowing the West and a Western NC Art and Craft Showcase!

This one-day market, in partnership with @BlueRidgeHeritage, celebrates the traditions and contemporary practices of craft artists from Western North Carolina, alongside makers from across the state.

Featuring ceramics, textiles, woodwork, jewelry, prints, and more, the showcase highlights the depth and diversity of North Carolina’s creative community.

The event invites visitors to meet artists, explore handmade work, and experience the NCMA as a statewide gathering place for creativity, connection, and cultural celebration.

Some of the featured artists/makers who will be on hand (in order of the photos) include:
@RosaFriedrichs1230
@PrideAndArchive
@WishingFlowerPress
@JL.MerrillMetalworks
@Toryn_Black_Design
@RedRenJewelry

We will also have @CornerBoysBBQ here to serve up their fantastic barbecue and soul food!

Our Community Day is free to attend, and no registration is required. We'll see you on Saturday!

----------
Images: Courtesy of the artists

THIS SATURDAY, MAY 23: From 11 am-4 pm, join us for a community day featuring free admission to Knowing the West and a Western NC Art and Craft Showcase!

This one-day market, in partnership with @BlueRidgeHeritage, celebrates the traditions and contemporary practices of craft artists from Western North Carolina, alongside makers from across the state.

Featuring ceramics, textiles, woodwork, jewelry, prints, and more, the showcase highlights the depth and diversity of North Carolina’s creative community.

The event invites visitors to meet artists, explore handmade work, and experience the NCMA as a statewide gathering place for creativity, connection, and cultural celebration.

Some of the featured artists/makers who will be on hand (in order of the photos) include:
@RosaFriedrichs1230
@PrideAndArchive
@WishingFlowerPress
@JL.MerrillMetalworks
@Toryn_Black_Design
@RedRenJewelry

We will also have @CornerBoysBBQ here to serve up their fantastic barbecue and soul food!

Our Community Day is free to attend, and no registration is required. We'll see you on Saturday!

----------
Images: Courtesy of the artists

Today is World Bee Day🐝, so we're taking you bee-hind the scenes with @BeeDowntown beekeeper Kristina as she shows you how the NCMA's community apiary is taken care of and we search for the Queen!

Last year, the NCMA's bees🐝:
- Flew nearly 7 million miles (equal to 278 trips around Earth🌎)
- Produce over 125 pounds of honey🍯 - 215% more honey than the average hive in North Carolina
- Visited 252 million flowers🌻🌷🪻
- Positively impacted 18,000 acres of the surrounding community with their efforts🏡

The honey produced by these bees🐝is used at the NCMA Café, sold in jars at the Museum Store and Welcome Center, and is now being used for @EllasPopcorn Bee-Dreamy Almond Popcorn that we have available in a “Bee Sweet, Do Good” gift box (jar of NCMA honey🍯included) at the Museum Store!