Ackland Events

The Lost World: The Art of Minnie Evans
2025-11-20 17:30 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | 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.

Acclaimed American artist Minnie Evans (1892–1987) once described her drawings, filled with human, botanical, and animal forms, as coming from “the lost world,” referring to “the nations destroyed before the Flood.” After her grandmother died in 1934 and the dreams and visions she had been experiencing since childhood became stronger, Evans went on to produce a large and celebrated body of work and in 1975 became one of the first Black artists to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Katherine Jentleson, PhD, is Senior Curator of American Art and the Merrie and Dan Boone Curator of Folk and Self-Taught Art at the High Museum of Art. In this talk, Jentleson will pay tribute to her mentor, Dr. Bernard L. Herman—a tireless advocate for the legacies of self-taught artists like Evans—and share insights into her current exhibition, “The Lost World: The Art of Minnie Evans,” opening at the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, on November 14.
Register for your free ticket below as space is limited.

Sponsored by the UNC Department of American Studies through the generosity of the Maness Fund.

TOUR: A Closer Look at "Color Triumphant"
2025-11-21 13:00 - 13:30, 2025-11-22 13:00 - 13:30, 2025-11-28 13:00 - 13:30, 2025-12-05 13:00 - 13:30, 2025-12-06 13:00 - 13:30, 2025-12-12 13:00 - 13:30, 2025-12-13 13:00 - 13:30, 2025-12-14 13:00 - 13:30 and 6 more dates
Join Ackland educators for a lively half-hour look at a small handful of artworks. These engaging conversational tours offer a closer look at and new perspectives on works on view at the Museum. Today’s tour looks at Color Triumphant: Modern Art from the Collection of Julian and Josie Robertson.
This is a free, walk-in event – no RSVP required.

This event is part of UNC–Chapel Hill’s Campus Life Experience (CLE) program. Students who attend can scan the QR code provided at the event to receive CLE credit.

Drawing in the Galleries
2025-11-22 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-06 10:00 - 12:00
Join us for our popular Drawing in the Galleries program this month during Studio Saturday! Amanda Hughes leads participants in a creative exploration of a particular object in the Ackland’s collection.
Participants all draw from one object using their own gallery-safe materials (paper/notebooks and dry media like crayons and pencils), then discuss what they’ve noticed through the process of drawing.
This is a free public program. No registration required; all skill levels are welcome.

TOUR: A Closer Look at the Collection
2025-11-23 13:00 - 13:30, 2025-12-07 13:00 - 13:30
Join Ackland educators for a lively half-hour look at a small handful of artworks. These engaging conversational tours offer a closer look at and new perspectives on works on view at the Museum.
This is a free, walk-in event – no RSVP required.

This event is part of UNC–Chapel Hill’s Campus Life Experience (CLE) program. Students who attend can scan the QR code provided at the event to receive CLE credit.

A Closer Look at One Work of Art: “Color Triumphant”
2025-12-03 13:00 - 13:30
This program is now FULL. To be added to our WAITLIST, please email acklandRSVP@unc.edu.

Look closely and carefully at a single work of art in Color Triumphant: Modern Art from the Collection of Julian and Josie Robertson with Andrea Bolland, Professor Emerita of art history at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Please register for a free ticket below, as space is limited.

This event is part of UNC–Chapel Hill’s Campus Life Experience (CLE) program. Students who attend can scan the QR code provided at the event to receive CLE credit.

Semester Revue: Student Research & Responses to the Collection
2025-12-04 15:00 - 16:00
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.

Art Adventures (Morning Session)
2025-12-06 10:30 - 12:00
This session is now FULL. Keep an eye on the Ackland Events Calendar – January and February Art Adventures will be added soon!

In this art-inspired, hands-on art-making class for six- to nine-year-olds, participants will create their own artwork inspired by the art on view in the Ackland’s permanent collection.
Space is limited; registration required. Free for Ackland Members at the Household Level and above; $5 per child for all others.

Art Adventures (Afternoon Session)
2025-12-06 13:00 - 14:30
In this art-inspired, hands-on art-making class for six- to nine-year-olds, participants will create their own artwork inspired by the art on view in the Ackland’s permanent collection.
Space is limited; registration required. Free for Ackland Members at the Household Level and above; $5 per child for all others.

2nd Friday ArtWalk: Holiday Market
2025-12-12 17:00 - 21:00
Looking for some artsy holiday gifts? Stop by the Ackland Art Museum on Friday, December 12 from 5-9 p.m. for a holiday art and craft market featuring local artists. Browse handmade goods, support local creativity, and explore the exhibition Color Triumphant: Modern Art from the Collection of Julian and Josie Robertson before it closes on January 4th!
As always, admission to the Ackland is a free. No RSVP required.

2nd Friday ArtWalk: Extended Museum Hours
2026-01-09 17:00 - 21:00
Join us for extended hours at the Ackland Art Museum during the Carrboro-Chapel Hill 2nd Friday ArtWalk! Each month, we stay open from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. to give visitors more time to explore.
Stroll through our galleries featuring highlights from a collection of over 21,000 works of art, browse the Museum Store, and sketch in the galleries using art supplies from our lobby’s art cart.
Admission to the Ackland is always free; no prior registration needed. Whether you’re stopping by solo or bringing friends, come be inspired during our extended open hours!

A Closer Look at One Work of Art
2026-01-21 13:00 - 13:30
Look closely and carefully at a single work of art in the Ackland collection with Lilly Rodriguez, Head of Interpretive Resources at the Ackland.
Please register for a free ticket below, as space is limited.
This event is part of UNC–Chapel Hill’s Campus Life Experience (CLE) program. Students who attend can scan the QR code provided at the event to receive CLE credit.

Drawing in the Galleries
2026-01-24 10:00 - 12:00
The Ackland Art Museum will be closed Saturday, Jan. 24th and Sunday, Jan. 25th due to winter weather. This session has been canceled. Please email acklandlearn@unc.edu with any questions.

Join us for our popular Drawing in the Galleries program this month during Studio Saturday! Amanda Hughes leads participants in a creative exploration of a particular object in the Ackland’s collection.
Participants all draw from one object using their own gallery-safe materials (paper/notebooks and dry media like crayons and pencils), then discuss what they’ve noticed through the process of drawing.
This is a free public program. No registration required; all skill levels are welcome.

Art Adventures (Morning Session)
2026-01-24 10:30 - 12:00
The Ackland Art Museum will be closed Saturday, Jan. 24th and Sunday, Jan. 25th due to winter weather. This session has been canceled. Please email acklandlearn@unc.edu with any questions.

In this art-inspired, hands-on art-making class for six- to nine-year-olds, participants will create their own artwork inspired by the art on view in the Ackland galleries.

Space is limited; registration required. Free for Ackland Members at the Household Level and above; $5 per child for all others.

Art Adventures (Afternoon Session)
2026-01-24 13:00 - 14:30

Curator’s Tour of “Bill Bamberger: Boys Will Be Men”
2026-01-30 15:30 - 16:30
This program is now FULL. To be added to our WAITLIST, please email acklandRSVP@unc.edu.

A guided look at Bill Bamberger: Boys Will Be Men with exhibition curator Lauren Turner, associate curator for contemporary art.
This event is free, but space is limited; register for your free ticket below.
This event is part of UNC–Chapel Hill’s Campus Life Experience (CLE) program. Students who attend can scan the QR code provided at the event to receive CLE credit.
