The North Carolina Museum of Art Announces Fall 2023 Exhibit
FEATURING DUTCH ART IN A GLOBAL AGE: MASTERPIECES FROM THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON
Raleigh, NC–The North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) announces upcoming exhibitions of photography, painting, prints, and decorative arts for August 2023 through January 2024.
Opening August 12, 2023, exhibitions Luis Rey Velasco and The Surrealist Impulseexplore a variety of photography processes and subjects. Highlighted in Luis Rey Velasco are the artist’s pictures of children of North Carolina migrant farmworkers. In The Surrealist Impulse, artworks are brought together to illustrate a surrealist impulse that exists in contemporary art. Beginning September 16, 2023, Dutch Art in a Global Age: Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston explores how international travel and trade transformed Dutch art and society and features renowned works by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Gerrit Dou, Jacob van Ruisdael, Rachel Ruysch, and other celebrated artists.
The NCMA’s affiliate Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) hosts Kukuli Velarde: CORPUS, a ceramics and fabric works exhibition exploring colonialism, cultural identity, and performance of self, on view July 20, 2023, through October 15, 2023.
Luis Rey Velasco
August 12, 2023–January 28, 2024
East Building, Level B, Photography Gallery 1 (Julian T. Baker Jr. Gallery)
Free
Luis Rey Velasco (b. 1969) creates evocative photographs that capture labor histories, cultural traditions, and everyday people. He came of age in the San Joaquin Valley, a region of California where the history of Latinx farm labor is intrinsic to its identity. Mexican migrant workers arrived in the 1940s due to a set of agreements between the United States and Mexico. The program ended in 1964, but immigration to the region continued. Immersed in this history, Velasco moved to North Carolina in 1999 to photograph children of migrant farmworkers. Featured in this exhibition are a selection of photographs Velasco executed between 1998 and 2005, many portraying members of farmworker communities in California and North Carolina. These compelling images emphasize his longtime focus on communities, histories, and regions that are largely hidden yet integral to the American economy.
The Surrealist Impulse
August 12, 2023–January 28, 2024
East Building, Level B, Photography Gallery 2 (Allen G. Thomas Jr. Gallery)
Free
The early 20th-century movement surrealism was groundbreaking for its time. Developed in response to the travesty of World War I, the art and literary phenomenon invigorated artists and thinkers to explore dreams, the irrational and uncanny, and the poetic in their works. Works like Carolyn Janssen’s large-scale ~*{G.O.E.D.}*~ depict fantastical worlds that seem plucked from the chasms of the inner psyche. The black-and-white photographs of Kristina Rogers adopt techniques of cropping and layering to blur reality and subtly serve as societal critiques. From these specific qualities and others, the artworks on view exhibit surrealist tendencies and demonstrate how many contemporary artists revel—whether discreetly or not—in the movement’s legacy.
Dutch Art in a Global Age: Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
September 16, 2023–January 7, 2024
East Building, Level B, Meymandi Exhibition Gallery
Ticket purchase required
Dutch Art in a Global Age presents highlights from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, with an innovative focus. Arranged thematically, the exhibition explores the intersections among Dutch art, commercial networks, and colonial expansion in the seventeenth century. The show concludes with beautiful objects in silver and ceramic and depictions of daily life, demonstrating the coexistence of the familiar and the foreign—a world we still inhabit. The presentation features paintings by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Gerrit Dou, Jacob van Ruisdael, Rachel Ruysch, and other celebrated artists. These artworks are complemented by five paintings from the NCMA’s Dutch collection, as well as decorative arts and important prints from the MFA Boston’s world-renowned collection. This exhibition also celebrates the remarkable 2017 gift of Dutch art from Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo, which elevated the Dutch holdings of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to among the finest in the world.
"Dutch Art in a Global Age: Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Both Luis Rey Velasco and The Surrealist Impulse are organized by the North Carolina Museum of Art.
All exhibitions are made possible, in part, by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources; the North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation, Inc.; and the William R. Kenan Jr. Endowment for Educational Exhibitions. Research for this exhibition was made possible by Ann and Jim Goodnight/The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fund for Curatorial and Conservation Research and Travel."
Ella West Gallery Opens August 19 with Inaugural Exhibition
Exhibition Return to Parrish Street: A Dream Realized on View August 19–October 21, 2023
Ella West Gallery Opens August 19 with Inaugural Exhibition Celebrating Black Artistic Expression and Honoring Historic Location
Exhibition Return to Parrish Street: A Dream Realized on View August 19–October 21, 2023
Durham, North Carolina – Ella West Gallery will open in downtown Durham with the launch of its inaugural exhibition Return to Parrish Street: A Dream Realized. The gallery will proudly showcase extraordinary new works from North Carolina artists Kennedi Carter and Clarence Heyward and North Carolina native Ransome, and honor the legacy of its location in the heart of Durham’s Black Wall Street.
Dedicated to the memory of iconic artist and Durham native Ernie Barnes (American, 1938– 2009), the exhibition will open with works on view by the celebrated late artist in conversation with new photography and paintings available for purchase by Carter and Heyward; portraiture by Ransome will be added September 11. These works probe perception, identity, and vulnerability, creating a visual dialogue around dreams and destiny.
Ella West Gallery invites collectors and community members to join in the celebration of its grand opening on Saturday, August 19, from 11 am to 6 pm, at 104 W. Parrish Street in Durham. The gallery will then be open to the public Wednesday through Saturday, 11 am to 6 pm, with private appointments available upon request. Return to Parrish Street: A Dream Realized is on view through October 21, 2023, offering budding and established art collectors and enthusiasts a unique opportunity to access these internationally acclaimed artists.
This exhibition marks a significant milestone for Ella West Gallery as it endeavors to create a vibrant artistic space that champions underrepresented artists and cultivates a new era in the world of art. Nestled within the heart of Black Wall Street’s Parrish Street in the building that once housed the printing presses of The Durham Reformer, a 1920s-era Black newspaper, the gallery is poised to act again as a destination for raising marginalized voices.
Ella West Gallery Opens August 19 with Inaugural Exhibition Celebrating Black Artistic Expression and Honoring Historic Location
Return to Parrish Street: A Dream Realized reflects gallery founder Linda Shropshire’s mission to amplify diverse voices and provide a platform for emerging and established regional, national, and international artists.
“Return to Parrish Street: A Dream Realized looks both backward and forward, celebrating generations of Black achievement while working to nurture the artistic growth of a new class of artists poised to shape the future of art history,” said Shropshire, a longtime collector and arts advocate. “Through their distinct art practices, Ernie Barnes, Kennedi Carter, Clarence Heyward, and Ransome express a sense of agency and autonomy that embodies the spirit of Ella West Gallery and more importantly, the neighborhood the gallery calls home.”
Photographer Kennedi Carter (American, b.1998) creates lush images that celebrate beauty, the body, and Blackness. After honing her skills as a celebrated editorial fashion photographer working with British Vogue, Essence, Vanity Fair, and The New York Times, Carter’s fine art practice explores the aesthetics of the Black quotidian, capturing the unexpected, unknown, and unimaginable slices of life that she finds tucked away in the corners of society often overlooked, and aims to reinvent notions of creativity and confidence in the realm of Blackness. She lives in Durham.
Clarence Heyward (American, b.1983) is a painter and collagist whose work explores notions of the Black American experience through his dynamic and fresh take on figurative art, investigating cultural truths, challenging stereotypes, and questioning identity. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Heyward relocated to North Carolina to study art education at North Carolina Central University.
He has shown his work at venues including the 21c Museum of Durham, the Harvey B. Gantt Center for Cultural Arts, the Block Gallery in Raleigh, North Carolina, the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, and (CAM) the Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh. Heyward was the recipient of The Brightwork Fellowship residency at Anchorlight, Raleigh in 2020, the Emerging Artist in Residence at Artspace, Raleigh in 2021, and was the 2022 Artist in Residence at North Carolina State University. His work is in the collections of several notable private and public institutions, including a recent acquisition by the North Carolina Museum of Art. He currently lives and works in Raleigh.
Ella West Gallery Opens August 19 with Inaugural Exhibition Celebrating Black Artistic Expression and Honoring Historic Location
colored and richly layered; household names like Harriet Tubman and Serena Williams share focus with everyday working heroes, intertwining the narratives and references of Black history across the canvas with every stroke.
The Rich Square, North Carolina native graduated from the Pratt Institute in addition to receiving a Master of Fine Arts from Lesley University. He is a recipient of The Hudson Valley Artists Annual Purchase Award from the Dorsky Museum and has exhibited his work in the Katonah Museum of Art, The Sigal Museum of Easton, Pennsylvania, The Southeastern Center for Contemporary
Art (SECCA) Museum of Art in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and the Visual Art Center of New Jersey. The View from Here was his first solo exhibit which opened in 2020 at the historic Barrett Art Center. Say It Loud at the Elaine Bailey Augustine Gallery at the University of North Alabama, Alabama, and Harmony of Difference at the Alpha Gallery in Boston, Massachusetts, both opened in 2022. He was awarded the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration and IBBY Honor Award for children’s books The Creation and Uncle Jed’s Barbershop. Ransome lives in Rhinebeck, New York.
For more information about Ella West Gallery, the upcoming exhibition, or to inquire about available works for purchase, visit www.ellawestgallery.com or call (919) 485-9602.
NEW ERA OF FILMMAKING IN Begins in NORTH CAROLINA
GROUNDBREAKING OF MASSIVE EXPANSION AT DARK HORSE STUDIOS
WILMINGTON, NC, AUGUST 4, 2023 – A new era of filmmaking in North Carolina began Thursday with the first ceremonial dig of shovels at a groundbreaking at Dark Horse Studios in Wilmington. Dark Horse Studios has made a remarkable impact on the North Carolina film industry since 2020, and three years later, it’s embarking on a new endeavor – constructing the first purpose-built studio North Carolina has seen in more than 40 years.
“This expansion has always been integral to our vision for Dark Horse Studios,” said Kirk Englebright, Founder and CEO of Dark Horse. “We’ve been fortunate enough to have our existing stages fully booked for the past two years except for the writers’ strike, and it’s a privilege to be at the forefront of the local industry’s growth.”
Wilmington has been an unsuspecting hub of production for nearly half a century, fostering a robust crew base and thriving filmmaking community. With the introduction of Dark Horse in 2020, the area saw enormous growth in local production – enough to make 2021 the most prosperous year the North Carolina film industry has ever seen, with an estimated $416 million direct in-state spend.
“Dark Horse Studios is helping to lead the film industry into the future and this expansion will help our state attract even more exciting productions and good-paying jobs,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “While today is a day for celebration, the ongoing writers and actors strike is highlighting critical issues that need to be resolved in a way that respects and values the hardworking people in the entertainment industry. North Carolina stands ready to provide a beautiful stage for film projects of all sizes once a fair agreement has been reached, and Dark Horse Studios will help us continue to stand out as the film destination of the South.”
Dark Horse has played host to big-budget productions, most notably, the Golden Globe Award-nominated Showtime original limited series George & Tammy, starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain. The expansion, doubling the studio’s size, will enable it to accommodate twice as many productions annually and surpass the quality standards set by prominent production companies.
The expansion will feature two meticulously designed sound stages, boasting a footprint of over 40,000 square feet and an impressive height of 45 feet to the grid. These state-of-the-art stages will be column-free and equipped with soundproofing and climate control, ensuring an immersive and conducive filmmaking environment.
Anticipating increased utilization of its campus, Dark Horse Studios will expand filmmakers’ access to an array of attractive amenities, including lighting and grip rental services from industry gold standard Cinelease, and heavy equipment from specialty provider Herc Entertainment Services. This comprehensive support system will assure filmmakers have an efficient and comfortable production journey throughout Dark Horse Studios including its annex, just 10 minutes from the main campus.
“This location fills a void we have in local offerings,” said Englebright. “There are small-scale productions that don’t need a full-size soundstage and may feel like they’re being overshadowed by larger-scale productions. But at our annex, these shoots can have privacy and access to the space and tools they need to reach their vision.”
The annex is also thoughtfully equipped with office space suitable for pre-and post-production and with flex space that caters to small shoots.
Beyond its premium sound stages, amenities, and top-notch service, North Carolina’s 25% rebate on qualifying spend has proven a significant draw for filmmakers. Since 2018, the rebate has attracted acclaimed productions like Scream 5, Halloween Kills, Hightown, and The Summer I Turned Pretty. In 2021 alone, productions filmed in North Carolina generated more than 28,500 new job opportunities including 5,700 crew and 1,400 talent.
Dark Horse Studio’s expansion is made possible through the work of Citadel Contractors and the support of Southern Bank. Scheduled for a grand opening in fall 2024, stage bookings are already underway, paving the way for a dynamic and thriving future in the North Carolina film industry.
Learn More about Dark Horse Studios
And the Winner is....NCMA!
NCMA Spring Exhibitions Celebrate Artist Michael Richards and Award-Winning Ruth E. Carter
Raleigh, NC (December 6, 2022)—This spring, the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) will host a pair of exhibitions celebrating the accomplishments of two African American artists, Michael Richards, and Ruth E. Carter. Presented March 4 to July 23, 2023, Michael Richards: Are You Down? is this artist's largest solo exhibition and first touring museum retrospective, whose career was tragically cut short when he died in the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Richards’s moving tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, Tar Baby vs. St. Sebastian (1999), is currently on view in the Global Contemporary galleries at the NCMA and has been a visitor favorite, on continuous display since 2003. This retrospective will feature another version of the sculpture, and will also present several recently conserved artworks, including the exhibition’s namesake Are You Down? (2000).
Fresh off of her second Academy win, costume designer Ruth E. Carter's exhibit opens at North Carolina Museum of Art, Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design, open from April 1 to August 6, 2023, presents intricately designed costumes from popular movies, including Amistad, Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, Selma, and Black Panther. The exhibition dives into the Academy Award winner’s research, process, and incredible craft.
“We are excited to present these two exhibitions highlighting the work of these trailblazing artists,” said Valerie Hillings, museum director. “Tar Baby vs. St. Sebastian (1999) has been an NCMA favorite for years, and we cannot wait to introduce visitors to more of Michael Richards’s powerful and diverse body of work. Ruth E. Carter’s influence cannot be understated. It is fortuitous that we can share with our visitors her iconic work near the release of her latest project, the costumes for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; seeing her artistry go from the big screen to the museum galleries.”
Michael Richards: Are You Down?
Michael Richards Are You Down? is the first museum retrospective of Michael Richards’s artwork, exhibiting his extensive sculpture and drawing practice. Of Jamaican and Costa Rican lineage, Michael Richards was born in Brooklyn in 1963, raised in Kingston, and came of age between post-independence Jamaica and post–civil rights era America. Richards used the language of metaphor in his art to investigate racial inequity and the tension between assimilation and exclusion. Flight and aviation were central themes for Richards, who explored the concepts of freedom andescapede in his work. His artwork gestures toward both repression and reprieve from social injustices, and the simultaneous possibilities of uplift and downfall, often in the context of the historic and ongoing oppression of Black people.
Significant points of reference for Richards include the Tuskegee Airmen—the first African American pilots in United States military history who served in World War II—and the complexity of their triumphs in the face of segregation. Other important influences include cultural, religious, and ritual stories from African, African American, Jamaican, and Judeo-Christian traditions, as well as Greek mythology. Richards merged worlds in his art, bringing together spiritual and historical references with popular culture. His recurring interest was in both the every day and the transcendent, and how to bring them into conversation with each other. Centering his own experience, Richards also used his body to cast the figures for his sculptures, which often appear as pilots, saints, or both. Inextricably connected to the moment of its making in the 1990s, Richards’s work—engaging Blackness, flight, diaspora, spirituality, police brutality, and monuments—remains timely and resonant decades after its creation.
Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design
An Academy Award–winning costume designer, Ruth E. Carter has dressed film and TV actors in ways that have defined generations. Her art adds dimensionality, flair, and culture to the characters she helps envision. Her vibrancy and attention to detail in costuming are integral to translating stories of race, politics, and culture to the big screen. From humble roots in Massachusetts, Ruth E. Carter has been helping style the Afrofuturism movement, an aesthetic movement connecting African diaspora culture with science and technology, for almost 40 years.
"Ruth E. Carter describes Afrofuturism as the “African culture and diaspora using technology and intertwining it with imagination, self-expression, and an entrepreneurial spirit.” Often the word technology is used to describe something that is “high-tech,” but it actually means the application of knowledge."
Designing pieces for films such as Black Panther, Malcolm X, Selma, and Do the Right Thing, Carter has created costumes for legends Oprah Winfrey, Denzel Washington, Chadwick Boseman, Eddie Murphy, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and more. The exhibition features more than 60 of Carter’s original garments while also showcasing her immersive process and extensive historical research that imbues every project she brings to life.
"In 2019, Carter was the subject of an episode of Abstract, a Netflix documentary series highlighting artists working in the field of design. The same year, she was honored by the Costume Designers Guild with a Career Achievement Award and by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science who awarded her the Academy Award for Best Costume Design."
The North Carolina Museum of Art is thrilled to announce the lineup for the 2023 Outdoor Performing Arts and Film season
Summer Jazz Series at NCMA, learn more HERE.
- June 1
Kirk Whalum and Chanté Moore - June 8
Lalah Hathaway and PJ Morton - June 22
Robert Glasper and Samara Joy - June 29 Sheila E and Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Ban
- July 13
An Evening with Kenny G - July 20
Take 6 and Chrisette Michele
A Celebration of Freedom and Gospel Music.
This special event features:
The Clark Sisters,
John P. Kee,
Pastor Shirley Caesar,
and Special guest Charles Jenkins,
NCMA film programming consists of classic and contemporary short and feature-length films across genres, countries, and languages.
JUNE 17:
Rissi Palmer: Still Here (2022). Directed by Dilsey Davis, 42 min., documentary, NR
About the film
In this documentary Grammy-nominated country artist and radio host Rissi Palmer redefines success as she works on her latest album while uplifting other artists of
Art in Bloom SPring '23
Art in Bloom at the North Carolina Museum of Art: March 15-19
"Raleigh, NC – The North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) will again host its popular floral fundraiser Art in Bloom, presented by PNC Bank, March 15–19, 2023. The five-day event will feature more than 30 imaginative floral arrangements, offering visitors a unique way to connect with art through floral interpretations of the Museum’s latest acquisitions and visitor-favorite works from the newly reimagined People’s Collection in Building. Guests will be greeted by a large welcome installation by Heather Ann Miller of Eclectic Sage and several large-platform floral displays based on the theme Cinematic, highlighting representations of music, theater, dance, and film featured in the People’s Collection.
Beyond the scope of the disputee disp in the West Building, the five-day fundraiser will blue floral-inspiredd workshops, lectures, and special surprises in the Museum Store. The Museum will offer extended hours and expanded food options. Visitors may enjoy inventive small bites Southern-inspiredpired entrées from Chef Rick Sloan at the newly remodeled NCMA Café in West Building.
In the days leading up to Art in Bloom, presented by PNC Bank, the Museum will organize floral installations and a scavenger hunt. Additional information regarding the scavenger hunt and floral installations is forthcoming.
PNC Bank returns as the founding presenting sponsor of Art in Bloom. “As the NCMA’s largest annual fundraiser, Art in Bloom is vital to helping the Museum deliver programming and exhibitions that are both compelling and accessible throughout the year,” said Jim Hansen, PNC regional president for Eastern Carolinas. “All of us at PNC recognize the NCMA’s significant cultural and educational contributions to our local communities, and we are pleased to continue our support for this meaningful event.”
Tickets are available at ncartmuseum.org/bloom or by emailing help@ncartmuseum.org.
Related events, including select workshops, presentations, and other special programs, will be ticketed separately (see Related Events below).
East Building galleries are open 10 am–5 pm, Wednesday through Sunday. Michael Richards: Are You Down? in East Building will be on view and free to the public during this time.
Learn more about NCMA
For Women's History Month The Hayti Heritage Center Honors O
Award-Winning Artist Olivia Gatewood, hosted by Award-Winning host Camille Kauer
The Exhibit Will Highlight Abstract Artist, Olivia Gatewood
Durham, NC, (January 19, 2023) This Winter for Black History Month, award-winning artist Olivia Gatewood, will be on exhibit at Hayti Heritage Center. To kick off the exhibit, Olivia's daughter, the founder of The E-Spot with Camille, will host the Artist's Chat at Hayti Heritage Center this Friday.
Olivia Gatewood is a North Carolina native who exudes a vibrant passion for life and its simplistic beauty. Utilizing a multitude of media, Olivia creates abstract compositions of sensual, tactile colorations that epitomize artwork as a profusion of tactual expressions reflective of the beauty she finds in the natural world around her. She successfully translates blank canvases into visual experiences that resonate with brilliance.
Olivia received her BFA with honors from California State University in Turlock, CA. She went on to pursue graduate studies at Hacettepe and Middle Eastern Technical University in Ankara, Turkey.
Gaining inspiration from her love of world travel, Olivia lived for 14 years between Germany, Turkey, The Netherlands, and Hawaii. She taught art in the American Military Schools in Holland and Turkey and worked as an illustrator for the US Air Force while in Germany. She has gained inspiration from her underwater adventures as an advanced certified scuba diver and downhill skier. Olivia earned her Black Belt in Combat Shotokan and was the European Division Fighting Grand Champion for two years. Her fighting spirit contributes to her being an eight-year breast cancer survivor. Her enormous passion for life and adventure is reflected in her paintings. Olivia's paintings have been presented in national exhibits and have won numerous awards. In 2019, Olivia was one of the African- American artists honored by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.
Her work can be found in personal collections as diverse as those of talk show host, Oprah Winfrey, the late actress and singer, Suzzanne Douglas, the late Dr. John Hope Franklin, Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist, Nnenna Freelon, and corporations like Mitsubishi International in Tokyo, Japan, and SAS Institute. Her paintings have been shown in many feature films and nationally syndicated television shows including "New Jack City," "The Parent 'Hood" and the Oprah Winfrey Show. Her work was displayed on the cover of and featured in several issues of the North Carolina Literary Review.
Artist Statement:
"My art reflects my life and belief in experimental improvisation's essential purity. I work with various media and techniques to create unusual visual effects. Using an amorphous blend of color, I strive for new images that fit into my sense of the beautiful. These images often suggest biomorphic origins flowing from some subconsciously remembered or dreamed epoch. I utilize surface tensions to attract, refract and reflect light. I work with organic lines, forms, and richly textured shapes that glow with color. These elements sometimes become the subject matter of my paintings.
These paintings should be regarded as short stories in vision, full of life, color, and expression They are visual mysteries of the universe and cast a magical spell around a world full of romantic interest. My artwork is about stepping outside the boundaries of what people think art is supposed to be. It's about change, growth, and the evolution of one's self. I paint melodies to stimulate an awareness of the beauty surrounding us and integrate my life as a universal being."
-Olivia Gatewood
Artist, Actor, and Retired Stuntwoman Olivia Gatewood!
Alphonse Mucha
