Ackland Events

2nd Friday ArtWalk: Georgie Nakima Installation Reception
2023-08-11 18:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Join the Ackland in celebrating Georgie Nakima’s new installation, Pantheress, in our ART& space.
Georgie Nakima is a North Carolina-based multi-disciplinary artist with a focus on public art and the relationship between 2D and 3D space. Georgie’s formal background in life sciences and research inspires her to bridge the network of ecosystems into her work both literally and figuratively, reminding us of the intersectionality of our shared world. This work is rooted in Afrofuturism as an offering to affirm the intergenerational connection and testimony of the Black Diaspora.
During tonight’s 2nd Friday ArtWalk, we will be celebrating with colorful summer drinks, and an assortment of playful popcorn flavors from The Mad Popper. Nakima will be onsite at 7 p.m. to meet and greet.
Join us for a fun and vibrant evening honoring Georgie Nakima and welcoming the the installation to our community.
RSVP is required. Each person RSVPing may claim a drink ticket (non-alcoholic or alcoholic); ID will be checked at the bar.

WOW Sip 'n' Vision
2023-08-21 17:30 - 20:30 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Join UNC WOW for an immersive exploration of Ackland Art Museum after-hours, exclusive to UNC students. Create your own art with friends and discover campus performance groups while exploring this campus treasure, and the treasures found within.
There will be materials for memory boxes and friendship bracelets, as well as music and refreshments. The Ackland will also have resources for touring the art collection and information about their student membership program.
RSVP with Heel Life here!

2nd Friday ArtWalk: Student Edition!
2023-09-08 17:00 - 21:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Curious about what your campus art museum offers? Join the Ackland for an evening highlighting the ways students at UNC-Chapel Hill can get involved at the Museum.
The Ackland will be open until 9 p.m. for tonight’s 2nd Friday ArtWalk. With information on the various resources available to students at the Ackland, an opportunity to sign up for our free student membership, a button-making station, and guided gallery tours led by the Ackland Student Guides, there are many ways to engage! Visitors are also encouraged to explore the Ackland’s special exhibition, Reform to Restoration: French Drawings from Louis XVI to Louis XVIII (1770-1830).

The 9th Annual Symposium of the Art Student Graduate Organization - “The Ways We Attach Ourselves”: Affect, Agency, and Emotion in the Visual Arts
2023-09-15 17:30 - 2023-09-16 16:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Please reserve your space at the event here.
The symposium will be held in-person at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on
Friday, September 15th at 5:30 – 7:30 PM and Saturday, September 16th from 9:00 AM-
4:00 PM. Presentations will be followed by a Q&A session and are open to a general audience.
Affect theory in art highlights the power of art to evoke intense emotions and bodily sensations
influenced by social, cultural, and historical factors. It recognizes that our bodies actively
participate in the affective encounter with art, generating physical responses that contribute to the
experience. This approach explores how art can transform emotions, challenge interpretations,
and provoke new perspectives, examining the aesthetic strategies artists employ to evoke
affective responses in viewers.
Drawing inspiration from the insightful work of Lauren Berlant and Sarah Ahmed, this year’s
symposium delves into the captivating realm of affect, agency, and emotion within the visual
arts. Our objective is to embrace an affective approach that illuminates the emotional and sensory
dimensions of art, showcasing the profound transformative potential inherent in encounters with
artworks. ASGO cordially invites you to immerse yourself in art on a deeply visceral and embodied
level, transcending mere intellectual analysis and embarking on an exploration of the boundless
affective possibilities offered by artistic experiences.
Please reserve your space at the event here.

2nd Friday ArtWalk: Acktoberfest
2023-10-13 18:00 - 21:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Join us for a special Friday the 13th edition of Acktoberfest, our second annual celebration of the arts and tastes of the season. Spend a lighthearted evening kicking off spooky season with friends — look for “haunting” art, take part in mini writing workshops, and sample a selection of ciders and specialty cheeses from local makers.
Food and Drinks
Cheese and art pairings from The Cheese Shop (Carrboro, NC) and ciders on tap from Bull City Ciderworks (Durham, NC), both priced a la carte.
Experimental Writing
Visiting Writer A. Kendra Greene leads three mini writing workshops exploring ideas of shadow texts and erasure at 6, 6:30, and 7 p.m. Drop in to explore ideas of invisibility and the unknown during these interactive sessions. Read an excerpt aloud — if you dare?? — at our outdoor open mic at 7:30 p.m.
Art Exploration
Explore the galleries with guided looking prompts for the spooky season and a chance to see what’s new on view at the Ackland.
Library Pop-Up
How do authors represent the invisible? Leaf through a collection of books from UNC Libraries that explore ideas of invisibility, erasure, and ephemerality.

2nd Friday ArtWalk: "Step This Way" Interactive Performance
2023-11-10 19:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
“Step This Way” is a site-specific performance featuring live music and dance by Mark Gabriel Little and Maura García. The performance takes place on and around the pARC, an interactive playful installation designed and created by The Urban Conga on the Ackland’s Terrace. Throughout the performance, elements of the composition and choreography will shift based on a predetermined pattern and depending on how audience members interact with the space. The performance will loop and restart throughout the evening, with new sets beginning at 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m., and 8:30 p.m.
“Step This Way” transforms the seemingly unrelated elements of the Museum and the surrounding areas into a unifying performance experience, with music and choreography that change as the environment and the people within it change throughout the duration of the piece. “Step This Way” celebrates place, the arts, and the capacity that we have to listen to, relate to, and beautifully respond to one another.
Free and open to the public. No tickets needed.
“Step This Way” is supported by a Grassroots grant from the Orange County Arts Commission and a gift from Allen Anderson and Tama Hochbaum. Technical support has been given by PlayMakers Repertory Company. The program is presented as part of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro 2nd Friday ArtWalk.
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UNC-Chapel Hill Students can receive CLE credit for attending this performance. Scan the QR code at the event.
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ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Maura García (non-enrolled Cherokee/Mattamuskeet) is a dancer, dancemaker, entertainer, facilitator, thought leader and artistic director. From theater stages, to nightclubs, to museums, to conferences, to universities, to private events, to site-specific outdoor performances, Maura’s powerful work transforms time and space. At the root of all of her endeavors is the desire to heal and create more space for joy in the world.
As an artistic director, Maura collaborates with Indigenous and POC artists to realize multi-media performances, interactive dance experiences and community arts projects. Her narrative driven work uncovers stories hidden by colonialism and reflects the power they have to change our realities. As a human and as a creator, Maura works to uplift Indigenous cultural values, perpetuate ancestral knowledge and actively respect the living earth.
Maura is an international touring artist and shares her work with the world via specially-designed commissions, repertoire performances, multi-day residencies and longer-term community programs. Her performances have been presented throughout North America. Learn more on her website.
Mark Gabriel Little is a composer, singer, and musician based in Chapel Hill, NC. His work builds on a deep foundation in Negro musical traditions and incorporates elements from many other musical traditions including Indigenous southeastern woodlands of North America, Caribbean, West Africa, Classical European, and East Asia. Throughout his career, he has balanced producing boundary-breaking compositions with live performances as a solo act, in a band, or accompanying other performing artists. Commissions include a choral piece for the Maura Garcia Dance Company (Charleston, South Carolina) and an experimental symphony, “Fracking Music!” for the Ackland Art Museum (Chapel Hill, North Carolina). In his collaborations, MGL bridges visual and performing arts with an unconventional sound and music vocabulary. In addition to his portfolio of commissioned work, MGL writes and performs electric soul songs as MGL & The Rev. Hear some of Mark’s music on his website.

Lecture-Demonstration with Maura García and Mark Gabriel Little
2023-11-12 14:00 - 15:30 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Join choreographer/dancer Maura García and composer/musician Mark Gabriel Little for an interactive lecture-demonstration that extends the creative experience of their commissioned immersive performance Step This Way, which will be performed on Friday, November 10, 2023 from 7-9 p.m. during the 2nd Friday ArtWalk. On Sunday, November 12, Dancer-musician duo García and Little will return to the Ackland to lead an interactive event that looks at their creative process, discusses their artistic practices, and encourages participants to ask questions and try out elements of their techniques.
Free and open to all ages. No experience necessary. Space is limited, so please register for a free ticket.
“Step This Way” is supported by a Grassroots grant from the Orange County Arts Commission and a gift from Allen Anderson and Tama Hochbaum. Technical support has been given by PlayMakers Repertory Company. The program is presented as part of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro 2nd Friday ArtWalk.
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ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Maura García (non-enrolled Cherokee/Mattamuskeet) is a dancer, dancemaker, entertainer, facilitator, thought leader and artistic director. From theater stages, to nightclubs, to museums, to conferences, to universities, to private events, to site-specific outdoor performances, Maura’s powerful work transforms time and space. At the root of all of her endeavors is the desire to heal and create more space for joy in the world.
As an artistic director, Maura collaborates with Indigenous and POC artists to realize multi-media performances, interactive dance experiences and community arts projects. Her narrative driven work uncovers stories hidden by colonialism and reflects the power they have to change our realities. As a human and as a creator, Maura works to uplift Indigenous cultural values, perpetuate ancestral knowledge and actively respect the living earth.
Maura is an international touring artist and shares her work with the world via specially-designed commissions, repertoire performances, multi-day residencies and longer-term community programs. Her performances have been presented throughout North America. Learn more on her website.
Mark Gabriel Little is a composer, singer, and musician based in Chapel Hill, NC. His work builds on a deep foundation in Negro musical traditions and incorporates elements from many other musical traditions including Indigenous southeastern woodlands of North America, Caribbean, West Africa, Classical European, and East Asia. Throughout his career, he has balanced producing boundary-breaking compositions with live performances as a solo act, in a band, or accompanying other performing artists. Commissions include a choral piece for the Maura Garcia Dance Company (Charleston, South Carolina) and an experimental symphony, “Fracking Music!” for the Ackland Art Museum (Chapel Hill, North Carolina). In his collaborations, MGL bridges visual and performing arts with an unconventional sound and music vocabulary. In addition to his portfolio of commissioned work, MGL writes and performs electric soul songs as MGL & The Rev. Hear some of Mark’s music on his website.

Crafty Hour: Paired Portraits at Craftboro Brewing
2023-11-30 18:00 - 20:00 | Craftboro Brewing, 101 Two Hills Dr. Unit 180, Carrboro, NC, 27510, United States
Head to Carrboro’s Craftboro Brewing for an evening of art-inspired fun and local beer. Bring a partner for a lesson in making Paired Portraits, presented in connection with the Ackland’s current exhibition The Outwin: American Portraiture Today.
You and your partner — could be a spouse, a friend, or even a first date! — will take turns making portraits of one another as Ackland teaching artist Allison Tierney (MFA ’15) shares techniques for successful portraits. No experience necessary!
Tickets are on a sliding scale: $0 – $15 per person/$0 – $30 per pair. Please register for both participants in the pair when purchasing your Ticket for Two below! All materials included with ticket price; Craftboro beers and non-alcoholic craft beverages sold separately at the event.
The Outwin: American Portraiture Today has been organized by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. The competition and exhibition are made possible by the Virginia Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition Endowment, established by Virginia Outwin Boochever and sustained by her family. The Ackland’s presentation is supported in part by Caroline and Arthur Rogers.
Organized by:

Holiday Arts Market
2023-12-08 17:00 - 21:00, 2023-12-09 10:00 - 16:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
The Ackland’s Holiday Arts Market, presented in partnership with Downtown Chapel Hill, will be held Friday, December 8 from 5-9 p.m. during the 2nd Friday ArtWalk and Saturday, December 9 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Purchase handmade holiday gifts both Friday and Saturday. Come for the gifts and enjoy music from Chapel Hill School of Musical Arts at 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday.
Handmade gifts from local artists include statement jewelry from Bold Standard (shown in bottom left of image); upcycled bags and jewelry from Calico Creates; jewelry from Pflora Metal Arts (shown in top right of image); prints, cards, and calendars from Ellie Snow (shown in bottom right of image); gemstone and wire jewelry from Creations by Guido; cyanotype nature prints on paper and textiles from Legacy Prints and Paper (shown in top left of image); colorful jewelry from Suijin Li, and fused art glass from Jennifer Strickland. While you’re here, explore The Outwin: American Portraiture Today.

Artist Talk: Alison Elizabeth Taylor
2024-01-11 18:00 - 19:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Join us as we welcome Outwin first-prize-winning artist Alison Elizabeth Taylor to the Ackland for an artist talk about her fascinating body of work, which uses a technique she describes as “marquetry hybrid” and can be seen in her prize-winning portrait titled Anthony Cuts under the Williamsburg Bridge, Morning (2020) (right).
Alison Elizabeth Taylor depicted hair groomer Anthony Payne after encountering him in their Brooklyn neighborhood. Taylor used her marquetry hybrid technique to create the piece, combining vivid paints, inkjet prints and the natural grains of over 100 wood veneers. Her multilayered portrait began as sketches she made of Payne from life as well as photographs. With his workplace shuttered as a result of the pandemic, Payne was offering donation-based haircuts to support Black Lives Matter, and Taylor was struck by the way he embodied perseverance and solidarity.
This program is presented in connection with The Outwin: American Portraiture Today. Tickets are free, but space is limited. Please register below!
The Outwin: American Portraiture Today has been organized by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. The competition and exhibition are made possible by the Virginia Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition Endowment, established by Virginia Outwin Boochever and sustained by her family. The Ackland’s presentation is supported in part by Caroline and Arthur Rogers.
Organized by:

WAITLIST ONLY: Defining a "We": Parsing the Potentialities of Poetry and Portraiture
2024-01-21 13:00 - 15:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
This program is now FULL. To be added to our WAITLIST, please email acklandRSVP@unc.edu!
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Join us for a special ekphrastic poetry and portraiture discourse event curated by Chapel Hill Poet Laureate Cortland Gilliam and inspired by The Outwin: American Portraiture Today. Hear readings of ekphrastic poems written in response to The Outwin, as well as poems representative of the portraiture, from Gilliam and local poets. This reading will be followed by a panel bringing together poets, visual artists, and literary/art scholars for a multidisciplinary conversation about the potential of poetry and portraiture to convey personal and collective stories and help us define a “we” today.
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This program is now FULL. To be added to our WAITLIST, please email acklandRSVP@unc.edu!
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The Outwin: American Portraiture Today has been organized by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. The competition and exhibition are made possible by the Virginia Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition Endowment, established by Virginia Outwin Boochever and sustained by her family. The Ackland’s presentation is supported in part by Caroline and Arthur Rogers.
Organized by:

2nd Friday ArtWalk: Sustainable Strut
2024-02-09 18:00 - 21:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
The UNC Undergraduate Student Government’s Department of Environmental Affairs is bringing the Sustainable Strut to the Ackland Art Museum this year!
The Sustainable Strut is a student-based fashion show that showcases clothing that has been cultivated sustainably and ethically. The show will feature a large group of student fashion organizations and designers. The mission is to bring awareness to the environmental degradation that textile pollution brings about by means of a diverse and inclusive fashion show.
Bringing together students of different perspectives and backgrounds, the Sustainable Strut was first launched in March 2023 and served as an epicenter of creativity and community. Student Government is pleased to be revamping the show this year and bringing it to life in the Ackland’s galleries during the 2nd Friday ArtWalk.
TICKETS
There will be two show times for the Sustainable Strut: 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Please reserve your ticket for the specific show time. Seating will begin 30 minutes before each show time and close 10 minutes before the start of the show. Seats that remain unfilled 10 minutes before the show risk being released to stand-by guests.

Semester Revue: Student Research & Responses to the Collection
2024-05-01 14:00 - 16:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Each semester, the Ackland Art Museum works with thousands of UNC-Chapel Hill students through courses and fellowships. The Semester Revue offers a glimpse into the quality and variety of the students’ research, projects, and performances. Come learn about the collection and see it anew through their short, dynamic presentations. Light refreshments will be served.
The Ackland Semester Revue is part of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Campus Life Experience program. Scan the QR code at the event for CLE credit.

2nd Friday ArtWalk: Twilights on the Terrace
2024-06-14 18:00 - 21:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Spend a summer evening making art at the Ackland’s 2nd Friday ArtWalk: Twilights on the Terrace.
Drop in to create pen and watercolor paintings inspired by Charlotte-based artist Georgie Nakima, whose installation Pantheress is on view through July 21 in the Ackland’s ART& space. This event is free, all ages, and all materials will be provided. NOTE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, Georgie will no longer be able to attend the event.
Throughout the evening, Thirsty Skull Brewing (Siler City and Pittsboro, NC) will sell their local craft beer and a selection of snacks. The Museum galleries will remain open until 9 p.m.
This event is part of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro 2nd Friday ArtWalk.

2nd Friday ArtWalk: "Processing Systems: Bonding by Sherrill Roland" Opening Reception
2024-08-09 18:00 - 21:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Join the Ackland in celebrating the newest installation in our ART& space, Processing Systems: Bonding by Sherrill Roland, on view from August 9, 2024, through July 13, 2025.
Sherrill Roland (born 1984) is a North Carolina-based interdisciplinary artist whose practice deals with ideas of innocence, identity, and community; his works reimagine those notions’ social and political implications in the context of the American criminal justice system. In Processing Systems: Bonding by Sherrill Roland, he repurposes the United States Federal and State Correctional Identification Numbers into a set of artmaking parameters through drawing with system-based materials, including sudoku puzzles and number place games. By combining groups of correctional IDs of individuals and their family members, he presents conceptual numerical portraits and family trees.
During the 2nd Friday ArtWalk, we will be celebrating with drinks and snacks. Roland will be onsite to talk with attendees, as well as make some informal remarks and answer the crowd’s questions about his artwork around 7PM.
Join us for an evening honoring Sherrill Roland and welcoming the installation to our community.
RSVP is required. Each person RSVPing may claim a drink ticket (non-alcoholic or alcoholic); ID will be checked at the bar.

UNC Week of Welcome (WOW): Night at the Museum
2024-08-19 17:00 - 19:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Calling all new Carolina students! Meet at the Ackland Art Museum for a great opportunity to experience the arts on FDOC! You’ll be able to walk through the galleries and make your own color-by-number and Ackland-inspired coloring pages. Snap a picture with new friends on the Museum Terrace and enjoy Alsies Ice Cream.
First years and transfer at UNC-Chapel Hill are all welcome at this free event. RSVP on Heellife or in person at the event.
Part of UNC WOW (Weeks of Welcome). Co-hosted by the Ackland Art Museum and UNC’s New Student & Family Programs.

Pop-Up PhotoVoice Exhibition
2024-09-28 14:00 - 16:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Join UNC Global Affairs at the Ackland Art Museum for a showcase of student work from Jordan and North Carolina exploring the role of women in society. Student photos from their time in Jordan and North Carolina will be on display throughout the afternoon from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Students will also be present to discuss their experience in the program and their work. Learn more: https://tarheels.live/raiseyourvoice/.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM:
In 2024, students from the American University of Madaba (AUM), the Sijal Institute and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill participated in a two-way exchange. They bridged cultural, linguistic, and geographical divides through digital storytelling.
Carolina students traveled to Jordan in the summer, and Jordanian students traveled to North Carolina in the fall.
In Jordan, students explored the role of women in society. In North Carolina, the focus shifted to the experience of women in the American South, where students examined how women have used creative expression to advocate for gender justice.
As part of the PhotoVoice project, students captured photographs that depict the experiences of women in both Jordan and the U.S. Some of these images can be viewed in the gallery on this site.

2nd Friday ArtWalk: Acktoberfest
2024-10-11 18:00 - 20:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
The Ackland’s third annual evening of art-inspired cheese and drink pairings. This year’s Acktoberfest will feature cheese pairings curated by The Cheese Shop, beers by Steel String Brewery, mini tours of Dürer to Matisse, and more.
Art-inspired cheese plates and paired craft beers available to purchase on site at the event. Admission and mini-tours are free to attend.
Public programs for Dürer to Matisse: 400 Years of European Prints are supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Music in the Galleries: Music & Print
2024-11-03 13:00 - 17:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
A pop-up print and music expo exploring poster archives and artist-printed books from UNC’s Southern Folklife Collection and the Sloane Art Library, with live music by Tacoma Park (2 p.m.) and DJs Misty Touch and Karina S. (3 p.m.). Presented in connection with Dürer to Matisse: 400 Years of European Prints.
Free; no registration required.
Public programs for Dürer to Matisse: 400 Years of European Prints are supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The Art of Conversation
2024-11-07 15:30 - 17:30 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Join Carolina Public Humanities and the Ackland Art Museum for an interactive workshop focused on observing, describing, questioning, and celebrating diverse perspectives on art. Ackland experts will highlight pieces from the permanent collection in hands-on activities designed to spark vibrant dialogue and an exchange of ideas. Immerse yourself in an engaging experience of art, conversation, community, and snacks!
Required tickets are $20 and are only available for purchase on Carolina Public Humanities’ website: https://humanities.unc.edu/event/the-art-of-conversation/

Artist Talk: "Layers of History: Andrew Raftery Speaks about Art and Research"
2024-11-20 18:00 - 19:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
A free public talk by expert engraver and printmaker Andrew Raftery, a professor of printmaking at Rhode Island School of Design, whose prints highlight scenes of contemporary life while employing historically-informed techniques like copper plate engraving, as seen in Dürer to Matisse. Raftery’s talk is entitled, “Layers of History: Andrew Raftery Speaks About Art and Research.”
Space is limited; registration required. UNC-Chapel Hill students who attend may scan the QR code to apply for CLE credit.
Public programs for Dürer to Matisse: 400 Years of European Prints are supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
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About Andrew Raftery:
Andrew Raftery is a Rhode Island based artist who explores both observational and autobiographical narratives of contemporary American life. His artistic work combines deep expertise with an appreciation for antique methods of art-making, most notably copperplate engraving. His precise and labor-intensive works demonstrate the enduring relevance of this medium’s application to modern-day subjects in disseminating universally accessible images.
Raftery received his BFA from Boston University and his MFA from Yale University. Since 1991 he has been Professor of Printmaking at Rhode Island School of Design. Awards include the Winterthur Research Fellowship in 2022, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship in 2008 and the Louis Comfort Tiffany Award in 2003. He was elected to membership of the National Academy of Design in 2009 and Print Council of America in 2012.
His work can be found in the collections of Baltimore Museum of Art, British Museum, Cleveland Museum of Art, Detroit Institute of Arts, Fogg Art Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Whitney Museum of American Art and Yale University Art Gallery, among others.

Live-Streamed Artist Demonstration: Andrew Raftery
2024-11-21 11:00 - 12:30 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Visiting Artist Andrew Raftery will demonstrate elements of his copper plate engraving technique for students in the Art Department’s “Introduction to Printmaking” course and Ackland visitors will be able to see the demonstration through a live feed streamed in our ART& gallery. Stop by the Museum to catch the engraving demonstration and be sure to explore Dürer to Matisse while you’re at the Museum.
Free; no need to register.
Public programs for Dürer to Matisse: 400 Years of European Prints are supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

2nd Friday ArtWalk: Ackland Print Sale
2024-12-13 17:00 - 21:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
During the evening of December 13, the Ackland Art Museum will be open until 9 p.m. for the 2nd Friday ArtWalk. Mingle with local printmakers and buy original work at reasonable prices. This event is being held in conjunction with the exhibition Dürer to Matisse: 400 Years of European Prints. Printmakers Katie Hayes (New South Pattern House), Shady Kimzey, Jason DuPertuis, Eileen Hammond, Tyler Green, Antoinette Vogt, Mort O’Sullivan and Robby Poore will be in attendance.
There’s still time to apply to attend as a printmaker and sell your prints! Please apply here by December 6: https://ackland.org/ackland-print-sale-2024-application-form/.

Artist Talk & Panel with Sherrill Roland
2025-01-26 14:00 - 15:30 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
This program is now FULL. To be added to our WAITLIST, please email acklandRSVP@unc.edu.

Using Sherrill Roland’s piece Processing Systems: Bonding as a jumping off point, this artist talk and panel will explore artistic expression, the American carceral system, and the visualization of data. After a discussion of Roland’s monumental numerical portraits on view at the Ackland, Roland will be joined by panelists Bharati Zvara, Associate Professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) in the Gillings School of Global Public Health, and Kylie Seltzer, art historian and Carolina Public Humanities Zietlow Postdoctoral Fellow. The program will be moderated by Lauren Turner, associate curator for contemporary art and special projects at the Ackland.
Presented in partnership with Carolina Public Humanities.
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Sherrill Roland’s interdisciplinary practice deals with concepts of innocence, identity, and community; reimagining their social and political implications in the context of the American criminal justice system. For more than three years, Roland’s right to self-determination was lost to a wrongful incarceration. After spending ten months in prison for a crime he was later exonerated for, he returned to his artistic practice, which he now uses as a vehicle for self-reflection and an outlet for emotional release. Converting the haunting nuances of his experiences into drawings, sculptures, multimedia objects, performances, and participatory activities, Roland shares his story and creates space for others to do the same, illuminating the invisible costs, damages, and burdens of incarceration. Roland is an assistant professor of Studio Art in Sculpture at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. https://www.sherrillroland.com/
Kylie Seltzer is an architectural historian, educator, digital humanist, and community builder whose work focuses on dismantling white supremacy and creating a more equitable world. An award winning scholar and teacher, Kylie is committed to using her humanistic background and historical knowledge to solve today’s problems. Her doctoral research analyzed the ways that architecture and built forms were used to popularize race theory in the 19th century. This pseudoscience represents the foundation for white supremacist ideologies of the present day. Seltzer is currently the Zietlow Postdoctoral Fellow at Carolina Public Humanities. https://kylierjseltzer.com/
Dr. Bharathi Zvara is an Associate Professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) in the Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is a developmental psychologist whose main research interest is in the emotional and behavioral development in young children. A central focus of her research is to characterize the effects of early-life adversity and trauma and identify the biological and behavioral mechanisms through which early childhood experiences impact growth and development. Her work documents the key role of the family system, responsive caregiving practices, and the broader environment in which children live and develop. Her goal is to produce translatable knowledge to inform policies and programs that ultimately improve the lives of children and families. https://sph.unc.edu/adv_profile/bharathi-j-zvara-phd/

2nd Friday ArtWalk: Sustainable Strut
2025-02-14 18:00 - 21:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Both performances are now SOLD OUT. To have your name added to the waitlist, please email acklandRSVP@unc.edu and indicate whether you prefer the 6 p.m. show, the 7:30 p.m. show, or could attend either.
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The UNC Undergraduate Student Government’s Department of Environmental Affairs is returning to the Ackland for the Sustainable Strut!
The Sustainable Strut is a student-based fashion show that showcases clothing that has been cultivated sustainably and ethically. The show will feature a large group of student fashion organizations and designers. The mission is to bring awareness to the environmental degradation that textile pollution brings about by means of a diverse and inclusive fashion show.
TICKETS
There will be two show times for the Sustainable Strut: 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Please reserve your ticket for the specific show time. Seating will begin 30 minutes before each show time and close 10 minutes before the start of the show. Seats that remain unfilled 10 minutes before the show risk being released to stand-by guests. A limited number of Standing Room Only spaces will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis at each show.
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Both performances are now SOLD OUT. To have your name added to the waitlist, please email acklandRSVP@unc.edu and indicate whether you prefer the 6 p.m. show, the 7:30 p.m. show, or could attend either.

Bettie Allison Rand Lectures in Art History: Stephanie Porras, Tulane University
2025-03-26 17:30 - 19:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
The Ackland is pleased to host the UNC Department of Art and Art History’s Bettie Allison Rand Lecture in Art History featuring guest speaker Stephanie Porras (Tulane University) on “Ivory across Empires.”
The talk is free and open to the public. Seating is first come, first served. Read below for additional details about the talk and speaker.
Ivory across Empires
Considering a range of seventeenth-century ivory objects made in Manila, Goa, Ceylon and Mexico, this talk proposes a different narrative about empire. While these ivory sculptures certainly testify to the widespread use of imported European models, the range of ivory carvings done across Asia, also are part of a broader history of the creative agency of Asian makers in responding to European tastes and to the expanding global market for their work, via both the Manila galleon and circum-African sea trade. Foregrounding the material of ivory and its varied uses, and seeing these objects in dialogue with one another, also gestures towards an alternative history of Portuguese and Spanish imperial ambitions in Asia, as well as the motivations of different Asian empires, from the kingdom of Kotte in Sri Lanka to the Ming and later Qing dynasties in China. For ivory operated between and across empires, and this talk examines the various trade routes, as well as the mobility of materials, models and artists who produced ivories for an emerging global art market.
Stephanie Porras is Professor of Art History and Chair of the Newcomb Art Department at Tulane University. Her research interests include the visual and material culture of Northern Europe, the Spanish world, and the Dutch Atlantic from the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries. Her latest book, The First Viral Images: Maerten de Vos, Antwerp print and the early modern globe (PSU press, 2023) traces the complex production and reception histories of an illustrated book, a painting and an engraving, all made in Antwerp in the late sixteenth century, but copied by Venetian print publishers, Spanish and Latin American painters, Mughal miniaturists and by Filipino ivory carvers. Most recently, she is also the co-editor, along with Stephen Campbell, The Routledge Companion to the Global Renaissance, a volume of forty essays, introducing objects made across the early modern world; appearing later this year is another co-edited volume, The Dutch Americas: art histories of the Atlantic World, with Aaron Hyman.
Through a generous gift to the UNC Arts and Sciences Foundation, William G. Rand established this lecture series in memory of his late wife, Bettie Allison Rand. This funding allows the Department of Art and Art History to bring one or more eminent art historians to UNC-CH every other year for residencies of various lengths. While they are in Chapel Hill, these scholars present a series of lectures and interact with undergraduate and graduate art history and studio art students. Following the campus visit, the scholars prepare a manuscript, which is then published by the UNC Press as part of the Rand Series of art history publications.

Public Opening of "Phantom Limb: Selected Works by the MFA Class of 2025"
2025-03-27 17:30 - 19:30 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Join the Ackland in celebrating the opening of Phantom Limb: Selected Works by the MFA Class of 2025!
A phantom limb is the sensation of a part of one’s body still being present when it has been removed. In science and philosophy, the phenomenon has been used to understand how we link the mind and body, localize pain, and exhibit the lasting effects of trauma. In this exhibition, the artists of the graduating Master of Fine Arts in studio art class of 2025 examine the ways in which something can be missing, through erasure, force, trickery, chance, or misfortune; nevertheless, a legacy, aura, or presence can still be felt. Rebecca Pempek depicts fantastical images of the body in an effort to make sense of pain. John Felix Arnold reimagines landscapes of the American South to consider the ways they hold onto legacies of labor and violence. Dominique Muñoz’s installation uses personal family archives to simultaneously conjure and erase the presence of loved and lost ones. Carson Whitmore builds on utilitarian objects that are rendered useless, lead to nowhere, and are missing parts. Together, all four artists address loss, whether personal or environmental, and how we cope with its lingering effects.
We will be celebrating the opening with light refreshments. Brief remarks will be made at 6:15 p.m. and the MFA students will be onsite to meet and greet throughout the course of the event.
RSVP is required. Each person RSVPing may claim a drink ticket (non-alcoholic or alcoholic); ID will be checked at the bar.
Join us for a fun and vibrant evening honoring the MFA students’ work and welcoming the exhibition to our community.
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Phantom Limb: Selected Works by the MFA Class of 2025 is curated by Julianne Miao, curatorial associate at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.
This exhibition is made possible by the generous support of Carol Cole Levin, Vincent Joseph Kopp and Katherine Craft Kopp, and Maryanna and Will Johnson.

2nd Friday ArtWalk: "Phantom Limb" Artist Workshops and Tours
2025-04-11 17:00 - 21:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Join us for a special 2nd Friday ArtWalk focused on the newly-opened exhibition Phantom Limb: Selected Works by the MFA Class of 2025! Drop in throughout the night for hands-on workshops with two of the artists whose work is on view or hop on a mini tour of the exhibition by its curator.
The Museum is open until 9 p.m. tonight and, as always, offers free admission.

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About Phantom Limb: Selected Works by the MFA Class of 2025
A phantom limb is the sensation of a part of one’s body still being present when it has been removed. In science and philosophy, the phenomenon has been used to understand how we link the mind and body, localize pain, and exhibit the lasting effects of trauma. In this exhibition, the artists of the graduating Master of Fine Arts in studio art class of 2025 examine the ways in which something can be missing, through erasure, force, trickery, chance, or misfortune; nevertheless, a legacy, aura, or presence can still be felt. Rebecca Pempek depicts fantastical images of the body in an effort to make sense of pain. John Felix Arnold reimagines landscapes of the American South to consider the ways they hold onto legacies of labor and violence. Dominique Muñoz’s installation uses personal family archives to simultaneously conjure and erase the presence of loved and lost ones. Carson Whitmore builds on utilitarian objects that are rendered useless, lead to nowhere, and are missing parts. Together, all four artists address loss, whether personal or environmental, and how we cope with its lingering effects.

Phantom Limb: Selected Works by the MFA Class of 2025 is curated by Julianne Miao, curatorial associate at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.

This exhibition is made possible by the generous support of Carol Cole Levin, Vincent Joseph Kopp and Katherine Craft Kopp, and Maryanna and Will Johnson.

https://ackland.org/exhibition/phantom-limb-selected-works-by-the-mfa-class-of-2025/

Semester Revue: Student Research & Responses to the Collection
2025-04-30 13:30 - 16:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Each semester, the Ackland Art Museum works with thousands of UNC-Chapel Hill students through courses and internships. The Semester Revue offers a glimpse into the quality and variety of the students’ research, projects, and performances. Come learn about the collection and see it anew through their short, dynamic presentations. Free; no registration required.
The Ackland Semester Revue is part of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Campus Life Experience program. Scan the QR code at the event for CLE credit.
