North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove, NC, to Hold Fundraiser Auction at CAM Raleigh in Raleigh, NC, Feb. 5, 2022

Join us at CAM RALEIGH, downtown Raleigh, NC’s, happening contemporary art museum, on Saturday evening, February 5, 2022, from 6-8:30pm, as we celebrate the North Carolina Pottery Center’s Annual Going, Going, Gone to Pots! Gala & Auction. Feast on fine foods and festive drinks. Enjoy sweet music as you take in the best of North Carolina’s pottery and ceramics at our silent and live auctions. This event benefits the NC Pottery Center, a Seagrove-based nonprofit promoting the rich heritage and ongoing artistry of pottery in North Carolina.

Learn More and Get Your Tickets at (www.ncpcgala.org).

We have begun gradually adding photos of gala auction pieces to the gala website (www.ncpcgala.org) and our Facebook page. Check them out and keep checking back as we gradually add them!

Get your tickets now before they sell out!

Triangle Cultural Art Gallery in Raleigh, NC, Calls for Entries for Sankofa Visual Art Competition – Deadline Dec. 5, 2020

Triangle Cultural Art Gallery in Raleigh, NC, call for entries for Sankofa Visual Art Competition, “Looking Back at 2020”

Deadline for entries is Dec. 5, 2020

Call for artist

1. ARTIST ELIGIBILITY

The artist must be eighteen (18) years of age or older on or before November 1, 2020.
The artist’s submission must be original works of art by the submitting artist sizes up to 30″ x 40″.
An artist submits as an individual artist.

2. All submissions must be completed and paid for by 11:59PM on, Saturday Dec. 5th, 2020. Use our simple submission tool, to upload your artwork photo, artist statement, and bio.
Each artist may submit up to 3 individual entries.
Each artist must submit the $35 submission fee before Saturday December 5th, 2020 deadline.

3. ARTWORK ELIGIBILITY

Each artist’s submission must be one single work of art. That single work of art size up to 30″ by 40″ and may consist of multiple components but cannot be merely a grouping of components without conceptual purpose. All decisions in this respect are at Triangle Cultural Art Gallery’s’ discretion.
The artist’s submission does not infringe upon any third party’s proprietary rights and must not violate any intellectual property laws.
The artist must submit an artwork created by themselves. The submission cannot be identical to or a copy, reproduction or only slightly altered version of someone else’s existing imagery. If someone else’s imagery forms part of the artist’s submission, the artwork in the submission must be significantly different from the source imagery. In such case of appropriation, the artist is required to provide a photo of the source imagery at the time of submission.
The artist’s submission must be in the medium in which the artist initially executed the work as opposed to a reproduction or digital version of that work.
The artist’s submission, and every single component of that submission, must be wholly owned by the artist at the time of their submission through the duration of the exhibition.

4. COMPETITION TIMELINE

Submissions for Triangle Cultural Art Gallery 2021 Juried Art Show are open November 5, 2020 – December 5, 2020. Submissions close at 11:59 p.m. EST on Saturday, December 5, 2020.
Submitted works will be reviewed and rated through the Submittable submission platform by Charles Joyner.
The artist will be notified of their acceptance or rejection for Triangle Cultural Art Gallery juried art competition by December 20, 2020 through the e-mail account provided in the submission.
The artist will receive a venue invitation and Artist & Venue Hosting Agreement no later than January 1, 2021 with drop-off January 11-17, 2021.
The venue show will be from January 21 – February 28, 2021 and the opening reception will take place January 30, 2021 4pm-6pm.
Artists agree to all rules and regulations set forth by the Triangle Cultural Art Gallery and their representatives.
Entries retrieved by hand must be removed from their venue between March 3-8, 2021 by appointment with the venue. Those entries remaining after 6:00 p.m. on March 9, 2021 will be disposed of by Triangle Cultural Art Gallery at its absolute and exclusive discretion, with no recourse or remedy available to the artist.
Entries to be returned by shipping are REQUIRED to have a prepaid return label included with the artwork during delivery. Return shipping will take place March 11-22, 2021. Those entries remaining after 6:00 p.m. on May 22, 2021 will be disposed of by Triangle Cultural Art Gallery at its absolute and exclusive discretion, with no recourse or remedy available to the artist.

5. PRIZES & ARTWORK SALES

Charles Joyner will juror the entries and he will select a First Place of $300; one Second Place Prize of $200; one Third Place Prize of $100.
An artist can only win one prize or award selected by the juror.
All artist submitting an entry agree to allow the Triangle Cultural Art Gallery to use images of the artwork for promotional materials. All work is available for sale by the Triangle Cultural Art Gallery and will remain in the gallery exhibit until the end of the event on March 2, 2021.
Any sales of artworks that are part of Triangle Cultural Art Gallery are pending until the end of the event, after award winners are announced.
Triangle Cultural Gallery will receive a 50% commission of all artwork sales.

6. ACCEPTED ARTISTS’ RESPONSIBILITIES

The artist is responsible for keeping their e-mail account, e-mail address, contact phone number and current mailing address up-to-date.
The artist is responsible for all transportation costs to deliver and retrieve their artwork to and from Triangle Cultural Art Gallery within the required dates set by Triangle Cultural Art Gallery. Failure to retrieve work within 3 months (90 days) of the exhibits conclusion, forfeits said work.

7. LOGISTICS FOR INSTALLATION

Artwork accepted for Triangle Cultural Art Gallery should be ready to hang or install. For 2-D and other wall-mounted artworks, artworks should have weight-appropriate D-rings, eye bolts/screw eyes, and/or wire; all eye bolts/screw eyes should be outfitted with wire. Artworks deemed not ready to hang or show as delivered will be excluded from display.
Triangle Cultural Art Gallery will install artwork if mounting or installing the artwork is non-standard and/or overly complicated; all decisions in this respect are at Triangle Cultural Art Gallery’s discretion.
Artists who require non-standard pedestals, bases or other display platforms should provide such platforms themselves; all decisions in this respect are at Triangle Cultural Art Gallery’s discretion.

8. EXHIBITION DISPLAY

Triangle Cultural Art Gallery has the final decision on how, where and the space allotted to any artwork displayed at Triangle Cultural Art Gallery. No artist is guaranteed the maximum space indicated here, regardless of the dimensions listed by the artist for the artwork in the submission.

9. VENUE GUIDELINES

All Artwork accepted into the competition will be exhibited at Triangle Cultural Art Gallery – 8320 Litchford Road, Suite 138, Raleigh, NC. 27615 for the duration of the show.

10. PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

TCAG will determine how and where promotional materials are displayed and distributed.
Images of accepted artwork; artwork information, including dimensions and price; artist statements; and artist biographies, submitted through submission process or otherwise, will be used for online and catalogue publication, publicity and marketing, labels, and possibly elsewhere at Triangle Cultural Art Gallery’s discretion.

11. DISQUALIFYING CONDITIONS

Entries that do not conform to their accepted digital image or accepted site-specific installation proposal may be rejected at the sole and exclusive discretion of TCAG.
Entries will be removed based upon impracticability or impossibility of installation or continued exhibition, or if they create issues with fire or public safety hazards, as determined by Triangle Cultural Art Gallery.
If the artwork is damaged, incomplete, or the artist sells the accepted artwork prior to installation, or in any other fashion ceases to wholly own the artwork or components of the artwork, the artwork is no longer eligible and will be removed from the competition, and a new artwork cannot be substituted for the initial, accepted entry.
Failure to adhere to these rules may result in disqualification and removal from the competition at any time.

For artist inquiries, please contact us by e-mail at (info@TriangleCulturalArt.com) or call 919-900-8055.

A Message from the Executive Director of the North Carolina Arts Council

March 27, 2020

Dear friends and colleagues:

As all of us continue to be challenged by COVID-19, the staff of the North Carolina Arts Council is working hard to mitigate the pandemic’s impact on nonprofit arts organizations in the state, both in the short term and over the coming months.

We are reaching out this week to arts groups that received grants for FY 2019-2020 to explore options that will allow grantees to retain and use grant funds even though their operations and programs have been disrupted by COVID-19. We are considering several solutions to help our partners including extending project end dates, altering a project’s scope, and changing a grant’s designation from project to operating support.

We’re also exploring ways to call attention to the needs of individual artists more broadly during this period when social distancing is in place. One idea is to co-produce an online fundraising concert to benefit artists in financial straits, which we hope can occur in April or May.

Working closely with Arts NC, we’re beginning to craft strategies to help stabilize our field during this crisis. Possible scenarios involve both federal and state resources and the potential for private-sector support. To make the strongest case for stimulus funding, we’ll need accurate data on the pandemic’s impact. Please continue to update your information on the COVID-19 arts-and-cultural-sector economic impact survey that Americans for the Arts is conducting online at (https://surveys.americansforthearts.org/s3/CoronavirusImpactSurvey).

As I have mentioned in previous letters, even though our offices aren’t open to the public, we’re on the job and staff (https://www.ncarts.org/leadership/staff-directory) are available by phone and by email. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions or need help.

Thank you for your resilience. Together we’ll help to bring our state through these trying times.

With gratitude,

Wayne Martin, Executive Director
North Carolina Arts Council

Editor’s Note: My question is, why is there never any help for those in the commercial side of the arts? I guess it’s OK to help the musician, but not the person who sold them and maintains their instrument? It’s OK to help a painter, but not the person who sold them their art supplies or the gallery owner who helps them sell their work. We’re tied of being left out of the financial help picture when a disaster strikes. We’re part of the art community too. And, there wouldn’t be much of an art community without us. Shame on all of you in the non-profit side of the arts for being so selfish and myopic.

North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, NC, Offers Art in Bloom – March 19–22, 2020

The North Carolina Museum of Art, in Raleigh, NC, will hosts its annual Art in Bloom fundraiser, presented by PNC Bank, on March 19–22, 2020. Featuring more than 50 floral designers from around the country, the popular fundraiser tasks designers to create unique floral pieces inspired by works in the NCMA’s collection. More than 21,000 people attended the 2019 fundraiser and sold-out related events, marking its most successful year to date.

The four-day event also includes floral workshops, lectures, and events, as well as special extended hours and expanded food options. See more information on related events below or by visiting (ncartmuseum.org/bloom) or calling 919/715-5923.

The community-favorite trash can bouquets, which popped up around Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill last year in anticipation of the event, will appear in new locations in the weeks leading up to Art in Bloom. Additional community partnerships, including specialty tea with Heirloom Brewshop in Raleigh, are also to come. Follow along on the Museum’s social media channels @ncartmuseum and hashtags #NCMAbloom and #PNCartinbloom.

In preparation for Art in Bloom, the Museum’s West Building (including the galleries, Iris restaurant, and the Museum Store) will be closed on Wednesday, March 18. East Building and the Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park will remain open for visitors. Proceeds from Art in Bloom support Museum programming and exhibitions and benefit the NCMA Foundation.

During the four days of Art in Bloom, tickets are required for admission to the Museum’s collection in West Building. East Building and the Museum Park will remain open and free to visitors. Tickets for members go on sale Thursday, Feb. 6, at 10am, and for nonmembers Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 10am. Reservations for Iris restaurant open for members and nonmembers Tuesday, Feb. 4.

$16 Members
$20 Nonmembers
Free for children 6 and under

Tickets available at (ncartmuseum.org/bloom) or by calling 919/715-5923.

Art in Bloom tickets are good for same-day admission to the NCMA’s spring exhibitions “Front Burner: Highlights in Contemporary North Carolina Painting”, “Art in Translation: Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook”, and “Christopher Holt: Contemporary Frescoes/Faith and Community”.

Related events are ticketed separately. Additional fees are charged for workshops, presentations, and other events (schedule below).

Hours
Thursday, March 19, 9am–5pm; last entry 4pm
Friday, March 20, 9am–9pm; last entry 8pm
Saturday, March 21, 9am–9pm; last entry 8pm
Sunday, March 22, 9am–5pm; last entry 4pm

Art in Bloom Opening Event: Rose Gold Party
Thursday, March 19, 7:30–10pm
West Building
$45 Members, $50 Nonmembers

Come dressed to dazzle! Designers will be on hand to talk about their interpretations, answer questions, and congratulate the winner of the Director’s Choice ribbon. Ticket includes light snacks, beer and wine, and a specialty cocktail.

For further info visit (ncartmuseum.org/bloom) or call 919/715-5923.

Organizers Call for Entries for the 12th Annual North Ridge Country Club Art Gala, held Feb. 29, 2020, in Raleigh, NC – Deadline Jan. 19, 2020

Artists! It’s time once again to enter your artwork for an opportunity to show at the 12th Annual North Ridge Country Club Art Gala on Saturday, February 29, 2020.

Entry Deadline: January 19, 2020

The North Ridge Country Club Art Society wishes to promote art and area artists, while also developing increased art appreciation within its membership. The NRCC Art Society continues to expand the permanent art collection in the clubhouse for members to enjoy. To achieve these goals, the North Ridge Country Club Art Society sponsors a juried art competition each year, culminating in a special event to showcase the work of the selected artists.

The 2020 Juror is Edie Carpenter, Director, Artistic + Curatorial Programs for the Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art in Greensboro, NC. Carpenter will serve as juror and select 25 pieces for the show from submitted artwork.

Those selected artists will have 8 X 10 foot booths to offer additional work for sale at the North Ridge Country Club Art Gala on Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 6pm.

Club members and their guests will attend the party to view the work and possibly add pieces to their personal collections. The juror will choose Best in Show, Second and Third Place award winners, who will receive recognition at the Gala and the opportunity to display their work in Gallery Hall for a designated number of weeks at North Ridge Country Club.

The North Ridge Country Club Art Society will purchase the Best in Show piece to hang in the permanent collection.

$15 per digital entry
15% commission collected on work sold in connection with the show
Entry Deadline: January 19, 2020

Enter at this link (https://www.cognitoforms.com/NorthRidgeCountryClub1/_12thAnnualNorthRidgeCountryClubArtGala).

North Ridge Country Club
6612 Falls of Neuse Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27615

Lee Hansley of the Lee Hansley Gallery in Raleigh, NC, Has Died

I received this e-mail from Mark Tulbert on Jan. 31, 2019

A Sad Day in Raleigh

Our good friend, inspiration, and eminent arts visionary Lee Hansley died of heart failure today, January 30, 2019, in North Carolina Heart and Vascular Hospital in Raleigh, NC. Lee had been hospitalized for more than three weeks and, after noble efforts by patient and caregivers alike, he died peacefully in the early afternoon.

Let us all be thankful that so many came together to support Lee, his gallery and his passion for making our homes and our communities better places to live and learn by bringing art into our everyday lives.

Thank you so much for your role in the success of Lee Hansley Gallery and the satisfaction of its owner who, you must admit, was one of a kind. We will all miss him.

Lee Hansley Gallery will be open through March 1, 2019. Lee’s personal art and the gallery furnishings will be auctioned in a few months by Leland Little Auctions. Information about a memorial service will be forthcoming.

For inquiries please contact Lee Hansley Gallery at:
(www.leehansleygallery.com)
(lee@leehansleygallery.com)
(kaitlin@leehansleygallery.com)
Telephone: 919/828-7557
1053 E. Whitaker Mill Rd. Raleigh, NC 27604

I did not know Lee Hansley, I only met him once many years ago when I was delivering papers to galleries in Raleigh when we first started Carolina Arts in 1997. That’s when his gallery was in the Capital Club Building in downtown Raleigh. I remember that meeting due to the exchange of comments we had. I had dropped off a stack of papers on the gallery’s front desk that Hansley was sitting at, did a quick look around the gallery, and then headed out as I had many more deliveries to make. As I left he said tell Tom Starland thanks for his effort in promoting the visual arts in the Carolinas. I said thanks back and he asked if I was Tom Starland and I said I was. He then asked, “Why are you delivering these papers?” I explained that there was no one else to do it and I like seeing the galleries where they are going. I then asked if he was Lee Hansley and he replied – “I see what you mean”.

Throughout the years, I had a hard time getting the galleries and art spaces in Raleigh to send us info about their exhibits being offered there and that was the case with the Lee Hansley Gallery. Many times when they did post info about exhibits on their website, by the time I saw it our deadline had passed. In our February issue I did find current info about what they would be showing – it was “Hobson Pittman (1899-1972) and His Contemporaries” on view through Mar. 6, 2019 (the gallery will now close on Mar. 1). We even had an image to go with the gallery listing. Then after our Feb. issue was put together I see a notice that the gallery would be closing due to Lee Hansley’s health and a few days later as we’re launching that issue we receive the e-mail from Mark Tulbert that Hansley had died.

Many galleries in the Carolinas are owned and run by pretty much one person, some will have a few helpers, but most are dependant on one person. If that one person no longer wants to be a gallery owner, has a problem with their health, or runs into financial troubles – that gallery with go with them. So my message to artists and art lovers is – be grateful – very grateful to those folks who are running art galleries in the Carolinas. In many cases they are on the edge of being gone any day without your support.

23rd Annual American Indian Heritage Celebration at the NC Museum of History in Raleigh, NC – Nov. 17, 2018

For the 23rd year, people of all ages will attend the American Indian Heritage Celebration at the North Carolina Museum of History in downtown Raleigh, NC. The state’s featured event for recognizing National American Indian Heritage Month will be held on Sat., Nov. 17, 2018, from 11am to 4pm. Members of all eight state-recognized tribes* will share their history and culture during this popular festival, named a “Top 20 Event” in 2017 by the Southeast Tourism Society. Admission is free.

Over 100 presenters will fill the museum and Bicentennial Plaza throughout the day, including drum groups, dancers, craftspeople, storytellers, scholars, and artists. There will be plenty of hands-on activities for children, such as the bow-and-arrow shooting range, finger weaving, and corncob darts. Food and beverages from American Indian owned businesses and organizations will be available. There will also be opportunities to take home souvenirs from select artists and vendors.

“Each year’s celebration brings something familiar and something new,” says Emily Grant, Youth Programs Coordinator. “From demonstrations of centuries-old crafts to discussions of current issues and what it means to be American Indian in 2018, the event will be part family reunion, part pageantry and performance, and part celebration of the resiliency and energy of community.”

During the day, there will be many opportunities to learn about the eight state-recognized tribes in North Carolina. Attendees can:

Attend the Grand Entry, the roll call of NC’s tribes and organizations, which will be accompanied by drum groups and hundreds of dancers dressed in colorful regalia.

Dive into hands-on activities, such as shooting bows-and-arrows, participating in archaeology digs, and imprinting designs onto pottery.

Take in a fashion show and see how clothing designer Tabatha Jacobs Polanco incorporates traditional native elements into everyday fashion for the 21st century.

Engage with authors and educators, including Lena Epps Brooker (Hot Dogs on the Road: An American Indian Girl’s Reflections on Growing Up in a Black and White World) and Dr. Malinda Maynor Lowery (The Lumbee Indians: An American Struggle).

Discover UNC Chapel Hill’s virtual museum, a collection of 3D models of archaeological artifacts, and learn about the NC Archives and State Library’s efforts to digitize documents relating to American Indian communities.

Watch a short film that documents the efforts of Robeson County residents who oppose the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Afterwards, you will have the chance to talk with the creators of the film about the project.

Observe exciting demonstrations of weapon making and dugout canoe burning.

Attend an informative talk with Dr. Vibrina Coronado on how Indians in Robeson County confronted Ku Klux Klan members in 1958 and thwarted their plans to rally.

Learn how to make cough syrup using the medicinal and nutritious elderberry with Ricky Bratz of the Conservation Fund.

For an exciting and educational experience, bring the entire family to the 23rd Annual American Indian Heritage. For a full schedule of all performances and presentations, visit (www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/events) or call 919/814-7900.

Sponsored in part by the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs; the City of Raleigh, based on recommendation of the Raleigh Arts Commission; the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County; IBM; Food Lion; Locklear Roofing; Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina; and MOHA (North Carolina Museum of History Associates).

Special Programming

Be sure to join us throughout the month of November for our American Indian-related educational programming:

History à la Carte: Water
Wednesday, Nov. 14, noon–1pm.
Register at (www.NCMOH-programs.com) to reserve a seat. Bring your own lunch; some beverages provided. For information, call 919/814-7032.
Speaker: Ryan E. Emanuel, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University; Member, Lumbee Tribe

The Lumbee and the Coharie draw their tribal names from local rivers; the Meherrin call themselves “people of the water” about the rivers, wetlands, and sounds of their home; the Waccamaw Siouan creation story features a lake. North Carolina tribes identify themselves by the landscapes and sacred places where they live, or once lived.

23rd Annual American Indian Heritage Celebration
Saturday, Nov. 17, 11am-4pm.
For information, visit (www.NCMOH-programs.com) or call 919/814-7058.

Watch artists, dancers, and performers; participate in workshops and craft activities; and learn about NC’s American Indian population. This event offers something for all ages and gives a firsthand opportunity to learn about the state’s American Indian culture, past and present.

Sponsored, in part, by the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs; the City of Raleigh, based on recommendation of the Raleigh Arts Commission; Food Lion; United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County; Triangle Native American Society; and MOHA, the Museum of History Associates. Come to the festival and join the museum today to get your MOHA membership for half-price.

*The eight state-recognized tribes are Coharie, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Haliwa-Sponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, Sappony and Waccamaw Siouan.

For further information about the tribes, go to (http://www.doa.state.nc.us/CIA/).

The NC Museum of History, a Smithsonian affiliate is located at 5 E. Edenton Street in downtown Raleigh. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 9am to 5pm, and Sunday, noon to 5pm. The museum collects and preserves artifacts of North Carolina history and educates the public on the history of the state and the nation through exhibits and educational programs. Each year more than 400,000 people visit the museum to see some of the 150,000 artifacts in the museum collection. The Museum of History, within the Division of State History Museums, is part of the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

For information about the NC Museum of History, call 919/814-7000 or access (www.ncmuseumofhistory.org) or follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ or YouTube.

Artspace in Raleigh, NC, Holds Opens Call for Entries for “FRESH” Exhibition – Deadline May 12, 2018

Artspace in Raleigh, NC, seeks submissions for “FRESH”, an exhibition of new works by North Carolina artists. The exhibition demystifies the process about what goes into the making of a juried exhibition by exhibiting all submitted works prior to the final juried exhibition. NC artists 18 + working in any media are encouraged to submit work produced in the last two years to this unique exhibition. Submissions are limited in size to a maximum of 36” wide and 72” high. For video submissions, please contact Annah Lee prior to the deadline to ensure work can be accommodated. All work must be for sale. 50% commission from all sales goes directly to support the Artspace Inspiration Fund. For further details visit (http://artspacenc.org/artists/opportunities/call-for-exhibitions/fresh/).

Submission Timeline: Submissions due to Artspace between May 8-12, 2018, from 11am-5pm. All submitted work will be displayed in Gallery One and Gallery Two from May 18 – 26. Selected works will be announced May 28. Juried selection will be on display in Gallery One from June 1 – 29, 2018.

Juror:
The exhibition and awards will be juried by Jennifer Dasal, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at the NC Museum of Art and creator + host of “ArtCurious” podcast. Cash awards for Best in Show ($1000), 2nd place ($500), 3rd place ($250), and People’s Choice ($100).

Programs:
FRESH Look: May 17, 6pm. Pre-jury viewing party.
FRESH Interpretations: May 19, 11am. Musical response to selected works with Greg Whitt.
FRESH Perspective: June 16, 12-2pm. Live screening of new ArtCurious episode followed by a Q+A session with juror, Jennifer Dasal.

About Artspace:
Artspace is a visual arts center inspiring innovation through opportunities to experience the creative process and engage with artists. Artspace is a widely known and highly valued non-profit visual arts leader in the Southeast. It is a locus of opportunity for the curious of all ages where innovation and creativity are explored, experienced, shared, and celebrated.

For further info call 919/821-2787 or visit (www.artspacenc.org).

North Carolina Museum of Art Director Lawrence J. Wheeler Announces Retirement

The North Carolina Museum of Art’s director, Lawrence J. Wheeler, has announced his plans to retire in November 2018. In his 23 years at the helm of the NCMA thus far, Wheeler has led the Museum, in Raleigh, NC, to new heights, shaping it into a top-tier art destination and, above all, a welcoming community space for a growing city and state. Wheeler will continue as director until a new director is appointed.

Wheeler was named director of the Museum in October 1994, having served as assistant director at the Cleveland Museum of Art and, before that, as deputy secretary at the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources in Raleigh. During his tenure the NCMA has become one of the leading art museums in America, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to the Museum galleries, special exhibitions, and Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park.

“North Carolinians of all walks of life have access to one of the most renowned art museums in the country thanks to Larry Wheeler’s visionary leadership,” Governor Roy Cooper said. “From overseeing construction of the original Museum building, to its ambitious expansion in 2010, to the creation of the new Museum Park, Larry has been the North Carolina Museum of Art’s guiding light. North Carolina is better for his service, and Kristin and I wish him all the best in his well-earned retirement.”

In 2006, under Wheeler’s leadership, the Museum unveiled its design for an ambitious expansion. His vision for a spacious, light-filled structure to house the Museum’s permanent collection became a reality in April 2010 with the opening of West Building. Today the American Institute of Architects award–winning space, surrounded by sculpture gardens and reflecting pools, presents works drawn from the NCMA’s outstanding permanent collection, spanning 5,000 years from ancient Egypt to the present day.

Wheeler also oversaw the innovative redesign and transformation of the Museum Park, which is among the largest museum parks in the world. The Park redefines the traditional museum experience as the site of outdoor art installations, community gathering spaces for social interactions, contemplative gardens, and the Joseph M. Bryan, Jr., Theater in the Museum Park, home to a celebrated outdoor performing arts series. “Ultimately, his complete trust in the vision and creative journey shaped the NCMA campus into the community gathering space it is today,” said Dan Gottlieb, director of planning, design, and the Museum Park, who worked closely with Wheeler throughout his entire tenure, and on the West Building and Park projects.

Wheeler worked passionately to develop the Museum’s collection, including securing a gift of 29 Auguste Rodin sculptures from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation in 2009, making the NCMA the largest repository of Rodin’s work in the American South. The large gift followed the tremendous success of the NCMA’s 1999 Rodin exhibition, which drew over 300,000 in attendance. “All Larry asked was to make the Rodin exhibition, which included 60-plus works from the Cantor Foundation, the best Rodin exhibition ever,” said David Steel, curator of European art. “Larry is never satisfied with ‘adequate’ or ‘good.’ What he demands is ‘superlative,’ ‘the best,’ and ‘more.’”

Wheeler strengthened the NCMA’s modern and contemporary collections, including overseeing a gift of works by masters of mid- to late-20th-century American art—Milton Avery, Richard Diebenkorn, Helen Frankenthaler, Adolph Gottlieb, Hans Hofmann, Ellsworth Kelly, Robert Motherwell, David Park, Sean Scully, Frank Stella, and many others—from the private collection of Jim and Mary Patton.

Wheeler’s awards include his 2017 induction into the Raleigh Hall of Fame, the Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters from the Republic of France, the Medal of Arts from the city of Raleigh, the Leadership Award from the Triangle Business Journal, the Design Guild Award from the North Carolina State University College of Design, and the Thad Eure Memorial Award from the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau. In 2000 he was named Tar Heel of the Year by the Raleigh News & Observer, which called him “the godfather of the Triangle’s cultural boom” and cited his skill at melding “arts, politics, and commerce into a powerful new cultural force.” In November 2010 Wheeler received the inaugural Mary D. B. T. Semans Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts from Duke University’s Nasher Museum of Art.

Wheeler grew up in Lakeland, Florida. He holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in history and French from Pfeiffer College and a Master of Arts and Ph.D. in European history from the University of Georgia. He has received honorary degrees from North Carolina State University and Pfeiffer University.

Details about events surrounding his retirement, including celebrations of Wheeler’s legacy and an installation on the Museum’s history during his directorship, are forthcoming.

For further information call the Museum at 919/839-6262 or visit (www.ncartmuseum.org).

Monster Drawing Rally Returns to the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, NC, Aug. 25, 2017

The second annual Monster Drawing Rally, featuring more than 70 artists at all stages of their careers taking shifts to draw for an hour in front of a live audience. As spectators spy on the creative process, sketches morph into full-fledged works of art. Finished drawings are immediately available for $50 each. DJ Forge will be spinning beats, and a variety of food trucks will be on hand. The evening also includes a collaborative art project sponsored by Flight Fund.

View from past event

Monster Drawing Rally makes art more accessible as a way to view new talent, interact with North Carolina’s artistic community, and support NCMA programming. Inspired by the San Francisco artist-centered nonprofit Southern Exposure, whose mission is to show support to local artists, we’ve adopted this fund-raising idea to bring North Carolina artists to the Museum for a night of creating, mingling, drinking, and fun.

Artists include Ben Shafer, Miriam Zimil, Drew Hill, Greg Baldwin, Kiki Farish, Maya Freelon Asante, Rio Aubry Taylor, Sean Kernick, Marx Myth, Bart Cusick, and more.

Food trucks include The Parlour, Stuft, Flirting with Fire, Bulkogi, and Soomsoom Pita Pockets.

The event takes place in the East Building at the North Carolina Museum of Art, 2110 Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh, NC, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017, from 5:30 to 9pm.

Tickets: $5 for members, $10 for nonmembers, free for children under 6 with ticket. Purchase online or through the Box Office at 919/715-5923

The NCMA hosts a special related event, ArtCast Live Podcast, on Thursday, August 3, featuring artists from the Monster Drawing Rally and local podcasters Jen Dasal, NCMA associate curator of contemporary art (ArtCurious) and Jeff Bell, host (Don’t You Lie to Me). The event is free with ticket. The ArtCast Live event is also the debut of the Art-o-Mat art vending machine. For $5, attendees can get a unique piece of art, dispensed through a one-of-a-kind vintage vending machine. Learn about the podcast hosts and artists on the Museum site.

For further info visit (http://ncartmuseum.org).