North Carolina Museum of Art facts for kids
West Building entrance canopy
|
|
| Established | 1947 |
|---|---|
| Location | 2110 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27607 |
The North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) is an amazing art museum located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It first opened its doors in 1956. What makes it special is that it was the first big museum in the United States to be started and paid for by a state government.
Since 1947, when the state first set aside money for its art collection, the museum has offered free admission to its main collection. Today, the NCMA has art from over 5,000 years of history, from ancient times to now. It also has an outdoor theater for shows and many cool exhibitions and programs. The museum features more than 40 art galleries. It also has over a dozen large artworks in its huge 164-acre (0.66 km2) park, which is the biggest museum park in the country! The NCMA is one of the top art museums in the American South. It recently finished a big expansion that won awards for its smart, energy-saving design.
Contents
Museum History: How It Started
In 1924, a group called the North Carolina State Art Society formed. They wanted to create an art museum for the state. By 1928, they had raised money. In 1929, 75 paintings were shown for the first time in temporary spaces in Raleigh. Later, in 1939, the NCMA moved to the old Supreme Court building.
State Funding and Early Collection
A big step happened in 1947. The state government set aside $1 million to buy art for the people of North Carolina. This money was used to buy 139 European and American artworks. The Samuel H. Kress Foundation also gave a gift of 71 artworks, mostly from the Italian Renaissance. This was the very first time a U.S. state officially set aside money just for an art collection! Alice Willson Broughton, who was North Carolina's First Lady, helped make this funding happen.
First Home on Morgan Street
On April 6, 1956, the museum officially opened. It was in a renovated building on Morgan Street in downtown Raleigh. W. R. Valentiner became the museum's first director. In 1961, the museum became a state agency. This meant it was run by both the state and a board of trustees.
Moving to Blue Ridge Road
By 1967, the museum needed more space. So, a new location was chosen on Blue Ridge Road. The new building opened in 1983. It was designed by Edward Durrell Stone. He used square shapes as a basic idea for the building's design. After he passed away, the outside of the building was changed from white marble to red brick.
Exciting Museum Expansion
In April 2010, the museum opened its new West Building. This building is very large, about 127,000 square feet (11,800 m2). It was designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners. This expansion was made to show off the museum's main collection. It also included over 100 new artworks. Some highlights are 30 sculptures by Auguste Rodin. The project also turned the museum's East Building into a place for temporary shows, learning programs, and events. The new West Building has special aluminum walls and a roof designed to let in natural light.
Amazing Art Collections
The museum has a huge collection of art from all over the world and different time periods. You can see European paintings from the Renaissance to the 1800s. There's also ancient Egyptian art, sculptures from ancient Greece and Rome, and American art from the 1700s to the 1900s. Plus, there's lots of international contemporary art (art from our time). Other cool collections include art from Africa, ancient America, and special Jewish ceremonial objects.
African Art
The museum's African art collection started in the 1970s. It includes historical pieces from the 1800s and 1900s. You can see important items from the Benin Kingdom. The collection has grown to include art from many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. It shows different ethnic styles, like those of the Chokwe and Luba peoples. Many pieces are made from traditional materials like wood, metal, and textiles. They show how art has changed over centuries.
American Art
The American art collection has paintings and sculptures from the mid-1700s to the early 1900s. It starts with three big portraits by John Singleton Copley. It ends with paintings by leading American impressionists. The collection shows many themes in American art history. These include celebrating nature, finding a national identity, and changes in society. In 2018, the museum got the sculpture Saul from 1865 by William Wetmore Story.
Ancient American Art
The ancient American collection features art from three main areas: Mesoamerica, Central America, and the Andes. The gallery mostly focuses on Mesoamerica, especially the art of the ancient Maya. The Maya were known for their achievements in science and art. The museum's collection shows their religious beliefs, sports, rituals, and daily life.
Ancient Egyptian Art
Even though it has only 38 items, the ancient Egyptian art collection is very special. It shows art from all the major periods of ancient Egyptian history. This includes art from 4000 BCE to 642 CE. The oldest item is a black-topped red ceramic jar, made about 6,000 years ago. Many items are related to burials and the afterlife. These include painted coffins, servant statues called shabtis, and a canopic jar. The collection also shows the many gods Egyptians worshipped.
European Art Treasures
The museum's European collection is one of its strongest. When the museum first bought art in 1947, 123 of the 139 pieces were European. Then, in 1961, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation gave 75 more Italian paintings and sculptures. This made the European collection one of the best in the United States. You can see many paintings like Virgin and Child in a Landscape. There are also important sculptures, including over 30 bronzes by Auguste Rodin. Some of these are in the museum's Rodin Garden.
British, Spanish, and French Art
The museum has many British portraits. Most of these are in a gallery showing European portraits. You can see important works by artists like Anthony van Dyck and Thomas Gainsborough. The museum's French and Spanish collections include portraits and still lifes. These are by artists like Millet, Pissarro, and Monet.
Italian Art
The museum's collection of Italian paintings is very rich. A special gallery shows altarpieces and religious works from the 1500s to the 1700s. There are also paintings by famous artists like Titian and Raphael. You can also see beautiful 17th-century baroque art.
Northern European Art
The Northern European collection has a small but special group of Northern Renaissance paintings and sculptures. It also has an important collection of 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings. These include works by Hendrick Ter Brugghen, Jan Steen, Peter Paul Rubens, and Anthony van Dyck.
Modern Art (Up to 1960)
In the West Building, the museum's modern art collection fills several rooms. It features works by top German modern artists from the early 1900s. You can also see art by the first American modernists. The collection includes Cubist and Surrealist pieces. There are also works by other modern masters like Richard Diebenkorn and Andrew Wyeth.
Judaic Art
The museum's Judaic art collection celebrates the spiritual life and ceremonies of Jewish people. It shows beautiful ritual objects. This is one of only two galleries in an American art museum dedicated to Judaica. The gallery has objects from different Jewish traditions. These objects are used in synagogue worship, for holidays, or for special life events. You can see examples like a Menorah and Torah scrolls.
Contemporary Art
In recent years, the museum has added many new contemporary art pieces. They have worked hard to get art made with new and experimental media. This includes video art like Bill Viola’s The Quintet of Remembrance (2000). The museum also collects works by artists from many different backgrounds. Since 2003, they have actively collected contemporary photography. By 2010, they had over 200 photos by artists from around the world. Recent additions include works by Kehinde Wiley and Mickalene Thomas. In the museum's garden, you can see two identical figures called Spiegel I and Spiegel II. These were made from white painted stainless steel in 2010 by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa. The collection also includes many works by artists from North Carolina.
Museum Park: Art Outdoors
The Museum Park is a huge outdoor space with 164 acres (0.66 km2) of fields, woods, and creeks. It has over a dozen special artworks made for the park. There are also two miles (3 km) of trails to explore. This park is the largest museum art park in North America! When the weather is nice, you can watch outdoor movies and concerts at the Joseph M. Bryan, Jr., Amphitheater.
The museum's modern art program extends into the park. Artists have created both temporary and permanent artworks there. As of 2010, you can see art by Thomas Sayre and Vollis Simpson. There's also a special camera obscura called Cloud Chamber for the Trees and Sky by Chris Drury. Other outdoor sculptures include Ronald Bladen's Three Elements and Henry Moore's Large Spindle Piece. These are installed in the gardens around the West Building. Picture This is a huge artwork designed by artist Barbara Kruger for the amphitheater.
Special Exhibitions
Since the renovations in 2010, the East Building hosts many changing exhibitions. These include a gallery for North Carolina artists and a photography gallery. There are also educational exhibitions. Plus, the museum often has at least two traveling or temporary exhibitions on display.
Past Exhibitions to Explore
The museum has hosted many interesting shows over the years, including:
- Word Up: The Intersection of Text and Image (2012–2013)
- Edvard Munch: Symbolism in Print (2012–2013)
- Still-Life Masterpieces: A Visual Feast from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2012–2013)
- Rembrandt in America (2011–2012)
- 30 Americans: Contemporary African American Art Collection from the Rubell Family (2011)
- American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell (2010–2011)
- Temples and Tombs: Treasures of Egyptian Art from The British Museum (2007)
- Monet in Normandy (2006–2007)
- Matisse, Picasso and the School of Paris: Masterpieces from The Baltimore Museum of Art (2004–2005)
- Augustus Saint-Gaudens: American Sculptor of the Gilded Age (2003)
- Art in the Age of Rubens and Rembrandt (2002–2003)
- Empire of the Sultans: Ottoman Art from the Khalili Collection (2002)
- Toulouse-Lautrec: Master of the Moulin Rouge (2001–2002)
- Rodin (2000)
See also
- List of contemporary amphitheatres
