NC State’s Gregg Museum of Art & Design, at 1903 Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, is open to the public and free to visit. Free parking is available adjacent to the building.
Currently open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Read on to learn about Gregg Museum’s current exhibits and upcoming events. Or jump right to the events!
Current and Upcoming Exhibits
Material Messages: The Tales That Textiles Tell
March 21, 2024 to January 25, 2025
For thousands of years cultures around the world have used cloth as a means of visual communication—a way to document, celebrate, commemorate, and depict events large and small. Nonverbal tools play an important role in interactions within and between cultures, as verbal communication comprises only a small part of the ways that we, as human beings, share information and connect with each other. Material Messages features textiles created by a diversity of global artists that highlight this communication through cloth.
BABENGA – The Sacred Forest
May 16, 2024 to February 8, 2025
Cameroonian artist Jean Michel Dissake’s sculptural works use found and recycled materials to represent a balance between nature and technology by weaving natural objects such as wood, vines, termite dust, water hyacinths, and palm fronds together with computer boards, aluminum wire, license plates, and car parts. Informed by his cultural heritage as well as wisdom gained from living for nine years in the forest on the Mungo River, Dissake’s work invokes a dialogue on ecological and spiritual matters and speaks to timely issues of unity, peace, love, and oneness with nature.
BABENGA – The Sacred Forest is co-curated by Marriott Sheldon, a Raleigh artist and long-time curator of Dissake’s work, and Roger Manley, the recently-retired director of the Gregg. Dissake was invited to participate in this year’s Venice Biennale, the world’s most prestigious art expo.
Amazing Grace, Confronting the Enduring Legacy
February 6 to August 2, 2025
Amazing Grace, Confronting the Enduring Legacy is an immersive installation by Carl Joe Williams combining painting, video, and found objects to guide viewers through exploring humanity’s complexities and challenging the notion of race as a social construct. Amazing Grace, Confronting the Enduring Legacy emerges as a visionary art installation that seeks to bridge divides through collaborative creation. This transformative project, conceived as a partnership between students and faculty, aims to illuminate our shared humanity while catalyzing vital conversations about our collective future. Born and raised in New Orleans, Williams’ cultural heritage is reflected in his pieces, and his installations are celebrated for their dynamic blend of color, texture, and form.
Art2Wear: Through the Archives
March 1 to August 1, 2025
As part of its 2025 celebration, Art2Wear presents the exhibition Art2Wear: Through the Archives, showcasing archival garments that symbolize creativity, boldness, and innovation. These pieces reflect diverse themes from their eras, allowing visitors to appreciate the evolution of Art2Wear and the craftsmanship of NC State students.
Of Pleasure, Of Curiosity, Of Intelligence
April 5 to June 5, 2025
Of Pleasure, Of Curiosity, Of Intelligence is an outdoor textile installation by Danielle Hatch that is informed thematically by the Gregg Museum’s location as a junction of ‘town to gown’, where the NC State campus community meets the wider Raleigh community. Hatch explores the concept of ‘gown’ and its connection to NC State’s rich textile history, focusing on patterns and dressmaking as expressions of feminine identity. Hatch delves into the histories of dressmaker Willie Otey Kay and housekeeper Hattie Ruffin from NC State’s historic chancellor’s home that serves as the anchor for the Gregg Museum’s modern wing– both strong women icons of North Carolina, highlighting women’s labor and its connection to textiles and garment production. The installation’s shapes, colors and dimensions will be drawn from research on these women and the Gregg Museum’s diverse textile collection, such as the recent exhibition Material Messages.
Your Brain on Art: Reimagining the Gregg Museum’s Collection Through Neuroarts
March 20 to September 27, 2025
Your Brain on Art reimagines the Gregg Museum’s diverse collection to illuminate the profound insights of Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross’s best-selling book, Your Brain on Art, a groundbreaking work reshaping the realms of neuroscience and the arts. Visitors will embark on an enriching journey through the Gregg Museum’s collection, inspired by the transformative findings of the book. As the healthcare industry shifts towards whole health, medical professionals are now prescribing museum visits to combat feelings of loneliness and dementia. We invite you to experience Your Brain on Art and immerse yourself in meditation, drawing and sound activities curated by the Gregg Museum’s education team while discovering artworks in the gallery that punctuate the impact of art on sensory experiences, personal curation and holistic well-being. This exhibition has been co-created by a collaborative NC State faculty group, including Neurosciences, the College of Design and the College of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Meditation with sun Boxes — A Solar-powered sound art installation by Craig Colorusso
April 8 to 28, 2025
Meditation with Sun Boxes is a sound art installation by Craig Colorusso that peacefully nurtures NC State’s public spaces with a mesmerizing sound bath experience. The Meditation with Sun Boxes installation, in collaboration with Centennial Campus Placemaking, NC State University Libraries and the Department of Performing Arts and Technology, is an extension of the Your Brain on Art exhibition, curated by the Gregg Museum of Art & Design. Meditation with Sun Boxes will debut at Centennial Campus during State of the Sciences, and it will travel to various locations across Main campus, including the lawn and gardens of the Gregg Museum. This self-guided outdoor art experience invites participants to connect with public spaces in a new way through meditation and exploration, featuring 20 solar-powered speakers, each playing a distinct guitar note that converges to create the harmonious Bb6 chord. The soothing sounds form a perfect backdrop for mindfulness, encouraging wandering, pauses and reflection.
Upcoming Events
Opening Reception of Amazing Grace
Thursday, February 6, 2025
5 to 7 p.m.
Free, but RSVPs are appreciated
Come to the Gregg Museum for an opening reception of Amazing Grace. Amazing Grace is an immersive installation by Carl Joe Williams combining painting, video, and found objects to guide viewers through exploring humanity’s complexities and challenging the notion of race as a social construct. Amazing Grace aims to empower young people to create positive change through carefully crafted questions, videos, and abstractions of the American Flag. Born and raised in New Orleans, Williams’ cultural heritage is reflected in his pieces, and his installations are celebrated for their dynamic blend of color, texture, and form. Join us for refreshments and hear from Carl about his work.
Mindfulness in the Museum
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Free
The Mindfulness in the Museum series offers a place for attendees to experience relaxation, cultivate community and enjoy the beauty of art. For this session of the series, a YMCA instructor will lead a yoga class at the Gregg Museum of Art & Design. Bring a yoga mat, water bottle and dress comfortably. This monthly event is open to students and the general public.
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More Events
Check out our list of free and cheap events in Raleigh and the rest of the Triangle this weekend, or our full event calendar in the Triangle, or just look at few upcoming events here:
