Closing soon: Your guide to buzzworthy exhibits at Triangle museums
Have you seen Georgia O’Keeffe’s extraordinary flowers at the North Carolina Museum of Art?
What about Durham artist Ernie Barnes famous paintings on display at the N.C. Museum of History?
Both O’Keeffe and Barnes have works in popular exhibits at area museums and are set to end their runs in the coming months.
Now, as life slows down for the holidays, is the perfect time to take a leisurely look at local exhibitions at Triangle museums — O’Keeffe, Barnes and more.
Bundle up the family and out-of-town guests. Spend some quality time marveling at interesting pieces of art and chatting afterward with friends and family about the works that inspire.
Note that some have special holiday hours.
Here’s the roundup:
“The Beyond: Georgia O’Keeffe and Contemporary Art” and “Candida Höfer in Mexico”
Where: North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh. 919-715-5923 or ncartmuseum.org
When: Through Jan. 20. The museum is closed Mondays. It also will be closed Dec. 25, 26 and Jan. 1. The Museum Park is open daily. There will be extended hours on Jan. 19 with the museum staying open until 9 p.m. Attendees encouraged to buy tickets in advance.
What you’ll find: This exhibit features 35 paintings, sculpture and personal artifacts from the woman often called the mother of American modernism. “The Beyond” presents a conversation between some of O’Keeffe’s most important works and the work of 20 emerging artists, selected for their individual approaches to some of O’Keeffe’s themes, including flowers, bodies, still lifes, skyscrapers, desert landscapes, and the interplay between realism and abstraction.
In addition to the O’Keeffe show, your ticket gives you access to “Candida Höfer in Mexico” as well. German photographer Candida Höfer has made portraits of iconic buildings around the world, including the Louvre in Paris, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and La Scala in Milan. This exhibition features 25 large-format photographs of magnificent interiors of libraries, convents, theaters, churches, and museums throughout Mexico.
Don’t miss: While you’re at the museum, head to the West Building, where you’ll find “Light of Life,” the unique light display by Japanese conceptual artist Yayoi Kusama. It originally was a part of the spring exhibit, “You Are Here: Light, Color, and Sound Experiences.” The new acquisition is now a part of the museum’s permanent collection and is worth the wait. Admission to the permanent collection is free.
Details: These two shows are ticketed together. $18 for adults; $15 for seniors, military, groups of 10 or more and college students: $12 for youth from 7 -18; free for children ages 6 and under. For college students at home, remember the museum is free from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays. You need to show your college ID.
“The North Carolina Roots of Artist Ernie Barnes”
Where: N.C. Museum of History, 5 E Edenton St, Raleigh. 919-814-7000 or ncmuseumofhistory.org
When: Through Mar. 3. Closed Dec. 24 and 25 and Jan. 1.
What you’ll find: Durham native Ernie Barnes’ show features 37 oil and acrylic paintings, including a reproduction of his most famous painting, “The Sugar Shack.” Many saw “Sugar Shack” for the first time on soul singer Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You” album cover and during the closing credits of “Good Times,” the sitcom that ran from 1974 to 1979. In addition, there are 20 pieces of Barnes memorabilia, including his painting palette, brushes and blocked letters he earned as a football player at Hillside High School in Durham.
Don’t miss: While you are at the museum, check out “North Carolina & World War I” and join the more than half a million visitors who’ve experienced what it was like to “step in the boots” of a Tar Heel soldier. This award-winning exhibit has been extended through Memorial Day.
Details: Free.
“Above the Rim”
Where: CAM Raleigh, 409 W. Martin St., Raleigh. 919-261-5920 or camraleigh.org
When: Through Feb. 3. A dance party with artist is Feb. 2 at 5 p.m. There are extended hours Feb. 3.
What you’ll find: Sixteen artists celebrate the sport and art of basketball. The exhibition views basketball as a sport and a cultural phenomenon that crosses boundaries and connects communities across class, race, gender, nationality and age.
Don’t miss: The indoor half-court, basketball court designed by Felipe Pantone. You can actually shoot around on it.
Details: $5. Free to artists, members, students, first-responders, teachers, skateboarders, military, veterans and their families.
“People Get Ready: Building a Contemporary Collection”
Where: Nasher Museum of Art, 2001 Campus Drive, Durham, at Duke University. 919-684-5135 or nasher.duke.edu/
When: Through Jan. 6. Closed Dec. 24-25, 31 and Jan. 1.
What you’ll find: “People Get Ready” features works from people of African descent from 1970 through 2018 that address issues like identity, social justice and environmentalism. The exhibition’s title comes from Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions’ soulful song about hope, faith and redemption. The art includes photography, paintings, works on paper, mixed media and sculpture.
Don’t miss: Look for works by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, who painted the portraits of President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, respectively. A free holiday family program on Thursday, Dec. 27. from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Families are welcome to participate in a special bilingual storytime in English and Spanish at 11 a.m. and again at noon. There is also a winter-themed scavenger hunt, and hands-on art making.
Details: Cost: $7 adults. $5 seniors (65 and older). $4 non-Duke student with ID. Free for 17 and younger, active duty military, veterans and alumni with identification. General admission is free all day on Thursdays.
“Vernon Pratt: All the Possibilities of Sixteen”
Where: Gregg Museum of Art & Design at NC State University, Raleigh. 919-515-3503 or gregg.arts.ncsu.edu
When: Through Feb. 10. Closed Dec. 24-25, 31 and Jan. 1.
What you’ll find: The exhibition is the first complete showing of a massive 256-panel work centering on Pratt’s interest in systems and the variations, permutations and the rhythms and harmonies within. At 18 feet high and 110 feet wide, it is the largest and most complex work of Pratt’s ever exhibited, the museum says, and has been called his “magnum opus” by Gregg Museum director Roger Manley. Never assembled before, it has been hidden for 36 years and is presented now for the very first time.
Don’t miss: “Left-Handed Liberty — Self-Taught Art.” Manley describes it as a fun little exhibition highlighting the work of mostly outsider North Carolina artists. The roughly 40 pieces include paintings, sculptures and items made out of found objects.
Details: Free.
“Birthday Presents”
Where: Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia St., Chapel Hill. 919-966-5736 or ackland.org
When: Through Jan. 6. Closed Dec. 24-25, 31 and Jan. 1.
What you’ll find: To celebrate the UNC museum’s 60th anniversary, donors and collectors contributed an array of drawings, paintings and more for this birthday exhibit. It includes 60 works of art from 30 donors, including 13 from UNC alumni.
Don’t miss: In “Birthday Presents,” look for three etchings by the Dutch artist Rembrandt, including “The Small Lion Hunt,” and “Christ and the Woman of Samaria.” As for the rest of the museum, the permanent collection galleries have been “re-imagined, re-designed and re-installed” with more room for African art and additions to the museum’s Asian art collection.
Details: Free.
Coming soon
Keep your eye on the upcoming exhibits.
▪ “Al Norte al Norte: Latino Life in North Carolina”: The traveling exhibit features Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Jose Galvez’s photos of the state’s Latino culture. Opens Jan. 4 at City of Raleigh Museum. Galvez lives in the Triangle. cormuseum.org
▪ “The Beautiful Brain: The Drawings of Santiago Ramón y Cajal”: Santiago Ramón y Cajal was both a scientist and an artist, and his intricate drawings of the brain remain scientifically relevant today. Opens Jan. 25 at the Ackland Art Museum. ackland.org
▪ “John James Audubon’s The Birds of America”: Rare hand-colored engravings, acquired by the state in 1848, emerge in special cases in a new Audubon Gallery Feb. 16. ncartmuseum.org
▪ “Pop América, 1965-1975”: The traveling exhibit at the Nasher explores the pop art movement through the lens of Latin American and Latino artists. The colorful 100-piece exhibit incorporates research from Duke professor Ester Gabara, who will give a talk when the exhibit opens Feb. 21. nasher.duke.edu
This story was originally published December 20, 2018 at 9:27 AM.