Ackland Events

Virtual Art Adventures AM Session: Found Object Portrait Collage
2020-11-14 10:30 - 11:15 (America/New_York) | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
Join us as the Ackland takes our popular Art Adventures class online with instructor Allison Tierney! Registration will open in late October.

Class sessions will be limited to 15 participants*. A supply list, printable template, and Zoom meeting link will be distributed to registrants prior to the class session. To use Zoom, students will need access to an internet-connected computer, smartphone, or tablet with a built-in microphone; caregiver assistance may be needed. Art Adventures is geared towards children aged 6-9.
*Families with more than one child can participate together and should only register once.
During this time, we want to make sure price isn’t an added burden for families – please select the ticket price that you feel comfortable with ($0.00 or $5.00).
If you encounter registration issues, please email us at acklandRSVP@unc.edu. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Artist Conversation with Shanequa Gay
2020-11-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
This event has now passed. Watch a recording of the talk below!
Join us for a conversation between artist Shanequa Gay and Lauren Turner, the Ackland’s assistant curator for the collection. They will discuss Gay’s commissioned installation holding space for nobility: a memorial for Breonna Taylor, which is now on view in the Ackland’s ART& gallery.
holding space for nobility: a memorial for Breonna Taylor is a site-specific installation that features monumental chimeric figures rendered in oil and acrylic. Gay merges Breonna Taylor’s likeness with deer and zebra features in a technique of juxtaposition that she employs throughout her artmaking practice. The resulting hybrid guardians incorporate multiple characteristics of the natural world to facilitate healing and empowerment. An altar-like display of vintage Tiara black glassware and salt water transforms the gallery into a space for collective mourning while the monochromatic installation starkly reminds viewers that Taylor’s death resulted from forces that shape the lives of countless Black Americans.
Shanequa Gay, an Atlanta native, has exhibited at the Zuckerman Museum (Kennesaw, GA), the Hammonds House Museum (Atlanta, GA), the Hayti Heritage Center (Durham, NC), the McColl Center for Art + Innovation (Charlotte, NC), and the Chattanooga African American Museum (Chattanooga, TN). For more information about her work, please go to www.shanequagay.com.
This installation and related programming have been made possible by the generous support of James Keith Brown and Eric Diefenbach.

Recording of our “Artist Conversation with Shanequa Gay” held Friday, Nov 13, 2020. Also available on the Ackland’s YouTube channel.

Close Looks at Cocktail Hour: Willie Cole
2020-11-11 17:00 - 17:45 | 101 South Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Join the Ackland’s Object Based Teaching Fellow, Erin Dickey, for an informal conversation focused on one work of art from the Ackland’s new Close Looks digital feature. Plan to look closely and think collectively—and bring a drink of your choosing.
On November 11, we’ll look at Willie Cole’s Saphire. Registration is limited. RSVP below!
After RSVPing, you will receive a separate email with the Zoom link before the virtual tour.
Please email acklandRSVP@unc.edu if you have any questions!
Close Looks at Cocktail Hour is sponsored in part by the Laughing Gull Foundation.

Ackland Film Forum: "In The Family" Watch Party and Panel
2020-11-10 18:00 - 22:00 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
This fall, in collaboration with the Film Studies Programs in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at UNC-Chapel Hill, the Ackland Film Forum presents an all virtual series on Queer Cinema. View the selected films on your own or join us for a watch party with the filmmaker. Watch parties will be followed by a live post-film panel discussion with the filmmaker and area scholars.
The second film in our Queer Cinema series will be In the Family (Patrick Wang, 2011, 169 minutes). The Independent Spirit Award-nominated debut of acclaimed filmmaker Patrick Wang (A Bread Factory, The Grief of Others), In The Family is a heartfelt story woven around child custody, two-Dad families, loss, interracial relations, the American South, and the nature of what it means to be in a family, all explored with ambitious and rewarding nuance.
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
In the Family Watch Party and Panel
Links to both the streaming film (available Nov 6-12) and panel are provided with registration. Register here.
6 p.m.
Watch In the Family along with filmmaker Patrick Wang and share your thoughts and questions for the filmmaker on Twitter. #AcklandFilmForum
9 p.m.
Following the watch party, join director Patrick Wang, Heidi Kim (English and Comparative Literature and Director of the Asian American Center, UNC-Chapel Hill), and Martin Louis Johnson (English and Comparative Literature, UNC-Chapel Hill) for a virtual post-film discussion.
This event is co-sponsored by the Asian American Center at UNC-Chapel Hill and the UNC University Libraries.

The Ackland Film Forum series on Queer Cinema is sponsored in part by the Laughing Gull Foundation.

NEA Big Read at the Ackland: Book Discussion #4
2020-11-06 15:30 - 17:00 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
NEA Big Read at the Ackland will focus on Advice from the Lights by author Stephanie Burt. Events reflecting LGBTQ+ lives and experiences — including a keynote conversation with the author, a series of book discussions, and Drag Storytime for children will take place virtually on ackland.org from Oct.11 – Dec. 4.
The Ackland and its partners will host six book discussions of Burt’s Advice from the Lights with discussion facilitators from our community.
This book discussion will be facilitated by Lauren Turner, the Ackland’s Assistant Curator for the Collection, and CJ Suitt, Chapel Hill’s first poet laureate.
To use Zoom, registrants will need access to an internet-connected computer, smartphone, or tablet with a built-in microphone.
Registration is free and includes copy of Advice from the Lights. Program is capped at 20 individuals.
Participants will be able to have their copy mailed to their address or pick up a copy at the Chapel Hill Public Library on designated dates prior to the book discussion.
Online registration has now closed. Please email acklandRSVP@unc.edu to register and arrange a book pickup.
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

Odd Couples: Objects in Conversation
2020-11-06 12:00 - 13:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Join Ackland Graduate Intern Sarah Farkas and Object Based Teaching Fellow Erin Dickey for a guided look at artwork from opposite corners of the Ackland’s collection. See how unexpected pairings can lead to exciting new insights!
This program will be held virtually, via Zoom. Registered participants will receive a link to join the program in a separate email.
Registration is limited. RSVP below!

NEA Big Read at the Ackland: Book Discussion #3
2020-11-05 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
NEA Big Read at the Ackland will focus on Advice from the Lights by author Stephanie Burt. Events reflecting LGBTQ+ lives and experiences — including a keynote conversation with the author, a series of book discussions, and Drag Storytime for children will take place virtually on ackland.org from Oct.11 – Dec. 4.
The Ackland and its partners will host six book discussions of Burt’s Advice from the Lights with discussion facilitators from our community.
This discussion will be facilitated by Carolyn Allmendinger, the Ackland’s Director of Education and Interpretation, and Sarah Bloesch, UNC Department of Women and Gender Studies.
To use Zoom, registrants will need access to an internet-connected computer, smartphone, or tablet with a built-in microphone.
Registration is free and includes copy of Advice from the Lights. Program is capped at 20 individuals.
Participants will be able to have their copy mailed to their address or pick up a copy at the Chapel Hill Public Library on designated dates prior to the book discussion.
Online registration has now closed. Please email acklandRSVP@unc.edu to register and arrange a book pickup.
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

Virtual Art for Lunch: Suzanne Lye
2020-10-29 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
Featuring Suzanne Lye (UNC Department of Classics) and Elizabeth Manekin (Ackland Head of University Programs and Academic Projects)
Join us for a virtual version of Art for Lunch, our interview-style talk with the Ackland’s Elizabeth Manekin to discuss how Lye’s “Ancient Magic and Religion” class utilizes the Ackland’s collection.
Bring your lunch–and questions of your own–for this lively, conversational program.
Free, register here.

Close Looks at Cocktail Hour: Nelson Morales
2020-10-28 17:00 - 17:45 | 101 South Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Join the Ackland’s Object Based Teaching Fellow, Erin Dickey, for an informal conversation focused on one work of art from the Ackland’s new Close Looks online installation. Plan to look closely and think collectively—and bring a drink of your choosing.
On October 28, we’ll look at Nelson Morales’s Queen on Board. Registration is limited. RSVP below!
After RSVPing, you will receive a separate email with the Zoom link before the virtual tour.
Please email acklandRSVP@unc.edu if you have any questions!
Close Looks at Cocktail Hour is sponsored in part by the Laughing Gull Foundation.

NEA Big Read at the Ackland: Drag Story Time with Dustin Reams and Stormie Daie
2020-10-25 14:30 - 15:15 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
An Arts Endowment initiative in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. The Ackland is one of 84 nonprofit organizations selected to receive an NEA Big Read grant to support a community reading program.
As part of the NEA Big Read at the Ackland, we are honored to host a special free story time with the Chapel Hill Public Library as part of our Virtual Family & Friends Sunday on October 25th! All ages are welcome.
Schedule:
2:30 PM | Story Time with Dustin Reams
3:00 PM | Story Time with Stormie Daie
Registration is required; please click here to register.
Stormie Daie

If you encounter registration issues, please email us at acklandRSVP@unc.edu. We apologize for any inconvenience.
About Dustin and Stormie
Dustin Reams is a Durham NC based Drag King and Stormie Daie is a Durham NC based Drag Queen. They are both members of the prestigious House Of Coxx family.
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

Virtual Family & Friends Sunday: LGBTQ Art at the Ackland
2020-10-25 14:00 - 17:00 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
In conjunction with the NEA Big Read at the Ackland, enjoy a live story time, crafts, and a closer look at works by LGBTQ artists in the Ackland’s collection for our October Virtual Family & Friends Sunday!
Each month, the Ackland hosts a free program for families, kids, and the young at heart featuring hands-on art activities, live performances, tours, and more. Although the Museum’s doors are closed for our community’s safety, you can still explore the art virtually!
A mix of D.I.Y. and live interactive activities await you, all inspired by the Ackland’s collection.
Drag Story Time Double Feature
2:30 PM | Virtual Story Time on Zoom
As part of the NEA Big Read at the Ackland, we are honored to host a special free story time with the Chapel Hill Public Library as part of our Virtual Family & Friends Sunday on October 25th! All ages are welcome.
Registration is required; please click here to register.
If you encounter registration issues, please email us at acklandRSVP@unc.edu. We apologize for any inconvenience.
About Dustin Reams and Stormie Daie
Both Dustin and Stormie are members of the prestigious House Of Coxx family.
Art Making: Make Your Mark
Join Public Programming intern Katie Brandao as she leads you through a video tutorial to make your own stamps! Made out of foam sheets and wood blocks, these DIY stamps will help you make your personalized mark, inspired by Stacey L. Kirby’s Bronze VALIDity (2019). Please reference the supply list below for materials you will need during this activity.
Make Your Mark Stamp Activity
VIDEO TUTORIAL (YouTube)
Artist Spotlight: Nelson Morales
Photographs from Nelson Morales’ series “Muxes” are on loan to the Ackland. While the galleries are closed, you can visit the Ackland’s Close Looks page to learn more about his works.
Using Your Photographic Eye
Inspired by Nelson Morales, Public Programs intern Katie Brandao adapted a UNC photography class assignment for Ackland families. All you need is a cardboard box, a camera or phone, and creativity!
Using Your Photographic Eye Activity

Virtual Family & Friends Sunday is supported in part by the Laughing Gull Foundation.

NEA Big Read at the Ackland: Book Discussion #2
2020-10-23 15:30 - 17:00 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
NEA Big Read at the Ackland will focus on Advice from the Lights by author Stephanie Burt. Events reflecting LGBTQ+ lives and experiences — including a keynote conversation with the author, a series of book discussions, and Drag Storytime for children will take place virtually on ackland.org from Oct. 11 – Dec. 4.
The Ackland and its partners will host six book discussions of Burt’s Advice from the Lights with discussion facilitators from our community.
This discussion will be facilitated by UNC Professor Tyler Curtain, English and Comparative Literature and the Ackland’s Elizabeth Manekin, Head of University Programs and Academic Projects.
To use Zoom, registrants will need access to an internet-connected computer, smartphone, or tablet with a built-in microphone.
Registration is free and includes copy of Advice from the Lights. Program is capped at 20 individuals.
Participants will be able to have their copy mailed to their address or pick up a copy at the Chapel Hill Public Library on designated dates prior to the book discussion.
Online registration has now closed. Please email acklandRSVP@unc.edu to register and arrange a book pickup.
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

NEA Big Read at the Ackland: Keynote Conversation with Author Stephanie Burt
2020-10-21 19:30 - 20:30 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
NEA Big Read at the Ackland will focus on Advice from the Lights by author Stephanie Burt. Events reflecting LGBTQ+ lives and experiences — including a keynote conversation with the author, a series of book discussions, and Drag Storytime for children will take place virtually on ackland.org from Oct.11 – Dec. 4.
Join the Ackland for the NEA Big Read Kickoff event – an evening conversation with author Stephanie Burt and Dr. Jacob Lau, Women’s and Gender Studies, UNC-Chapel Hill.
Stephanie Burt is the author of Advice from the Lights and a Professor of English at Harvard University.
[From Greywolf Press] Advice from the Lights is a part nostalgia, part confusion, and part an ongoing wondering: How do any of us achieve adulthood? And why would we want to, if we had the choice?
Free.
Registration is required. Click here to register.
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

NEA Big Read at the Ackland: Drag Storytime with Shasta Kola
2020-10-18 14:30 - 15:30 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
An Arts Endowment initiative in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. The Ackland is one of 84 nonprofit organizations selected to receive an NEA Big Read grant to support a community reading program.
As part of the NEA Big Read at the Ackland, we are honored to host a special free story time with the Chapel Hill Public Library on Sunday, October 18! All ages are welcome.
Registration is required; please click here to register.
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment of the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

Ackland Film Forum: "Queer Genius" Watch Party & Panel
2020-10-13 19:00 - 22:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
This fall, in collaboration with the Film Studies Programs in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at UNC-Chapel Hill, the Ackland Film Forum presents an all virtual series on Queer Cinema. View the selected films on your own or join us for a watch party with the filmmaker. Watch parties will be followed by a live post-film panel discussion with the filmmaker and area scholars.
The first film in the series, Queer Genius, explores the remarkable lives of five queer female artists: Barbara Hammer, Eileen Myles, Black Quantum Futurism, Moor Mother, and Dynasty Handbag / Jibz Cameron. Queer Genius will be available to stream for Ackland Film Forum audiences October 9-15, 2020, with a watch party and panel on Tuesday, October 13.
October 13, 2020 | Queer Genius Watch Party and Panel
7 p.m.
Watch Queer Genius along with filmmaker Chet Pancake and share your thoughts and questions for the filmmaker on Twitter. #AcklandFilmForum
9 p.m.
Following the watch party, join Chet Pancake, film scholars Franklin D. Cason Jr. (North Carolina State University) and Sarah Keller (University of Massachusetts Boston), and special guest Florrie Burke for a virtual post-film discussion. The panel will be moderated by Martin Louis Johnson (UNC-Chapel Hill).
Links to both the streaming film and panel are provided with registration. Register below.
—
About the Panelists:
Chet H. Pancake is an award-winning filmmaker and sound artist. Chet’s work has been presented nationally and internationally in a wide variety of venues, including the Museum of Modern Art, Royal Ontario Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art, Academy of Fine Arts Prague and Big Screen Plaza, Herald Square NYC. Pancake’s awards include the Paul Robeson Independent Media Award, Jack Spadaro Documentary Award, Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award, the Silver Chris, and Edes Foundation Emerging Artist Fellowship at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage “No Idea Too Ridiculous” grant. Chet’s films have been broadcast in the U.S.A. and Great Britain (Sundance Channel, PBS, FreeSpeech TV, CommunityChannelUK) and are distributed by Bullfrog Films and the Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre. Sound art releases can be found on Ehse Records and Recorded in Baltimore. Pancake completed an MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in May 2012. Chet is currently a member of the Vox Populi Gallery in Philadelphia, PA.. Pancake was recently commissioned by Goldsmiths at University of London to provide creative work for “Citizen Sense”, a 1.5M (EUR) multi-year project directed by Dr. Jennifer Gabrys.
Dr. Franklin D. Cason Jr. is a filmmaker and film scholar, who has taught courses in film theory, history, aesthetics, criticism, and analysis. His research interests have been primarily concerned with film, modern visual culture, and media studies. As such, his writing and artistic practice reaches across the disciplines of art history, film studies, digital multimedia, graphic novels, philosophy, sociology, literature, musicology, aesthetic theory, visual studies, and historical poetics. His most recent essay, “Symbiopsychotaxiplasticity: Some Takes on William Greaves,” co-authored with Tsitsi Jaji, was recently published in Cultural Studies (28:4, 2014), in a special issue on Theorizing Production, edited by John Jackson. Currently, he is at work on an intellectual biographical documentary on African American Philosopher Alain Locke, and completing a book on the institutional context of the politics and aesthetics of African American films.
Dr. Sarah Keller is Associate Professor of English and Director of Cinema Studies at University of Massachusetts Boston. She has lectured and published extensively on women and film history and aesthetics. Her book Maya Deren: Incomplete Control examines the role of unfinished work through Maya Deren oeuvre (Columbia University Press, 2014), and her book Anxious Cinephilia was published in 2020 by Columbia University Press. Her current project, Barbara Hammer: Pushing Out of the Frame, is a study of the career of visual artist and experimental filmmaker Barbara Hammer for Wayne State University Press’s Queer Screens Series, edited by David Gerstner.
Dr. Martin L. Johnson is assistant professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His first book, Main Street Movies: The History of Local Film in the United States, was published by Indiana University Press in 2018. He is currently working on two projects—a history of advertising film in the U.S., and a history of early (pre-1923) educational cinema.

Ackland Film Forum is sponsored in part by the Laughing Gull Foundation.

NEA Big Read at the Ackland: Drag Storytime with Naomi Dix
2020-10-11 14:30 - 15:30 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
An Arts Endowment initiative in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. The Ackland is one of 84 nonprofit organizations selected to receive an NEA Big Read grant to support a community reading program.
As part of the NEA Big Read at the Ackland, we are honored to host a special free storytime with the Chapel Hill Public Library on National Coming Out Day! All ages are welcome.
Registration is required; please click here to register.
If you encounter registration issues, please email us at acklandRSVP@unc.edu. We apologize for any inconvenience.
About Naomi
Naomi Dix is an Afro Latinx Durham NC based Drag Queen that got her start in March of 2014 at Durham’s Pinhook. After joining prestigious House Of Coxx family, she quickly became a force to reckon with through her drag performances. When it comes to sheer innovation, showmanship and creativity, Naomi Dix is the one and only. She never disappoints with her high energy boundary pushing. She is risqué and provocative but always drizzles a touch of class in her performances.

Naomi Dix is your former Miss Latinx Hispanidad NC 2017, runner up of Miss Raleigh EOY 2018 and runner up of Miss Gay Raleigh Pride 2019. She also shares her love of the Latin and Latinx community as well as her love and respect of her queer community by working with organizations and charities that help, support and stand for the advancements and rights of the LGBTQ+ and minority communities.

She continues to use her platform to bring joy to audiences wherever she may be, by creating safe spaces for creativity and expressing oneself no matter their age, sexual identity or views. She lives by the quote:

“I am because we are. We all bleed the same color. We all want to love and be loved.” “I am the result of the good choices I’ve made and the bad choices.”

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

NEA Big Read at the Ackland: Full List of Programs
2020-10-11 - 2020-12-04 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
An Arts Endowment initiative in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. The Ackland is one of 84 nonprofit organizations selected to receive an NEA Big Read grant to support a community reading program.
NEA Big Read at the Ackland will focus on Advice from the Lights by author Stephanie Burt. Events reflecting LGBTQ+ lives and experiences — including a keynote conversation with the author, a series of book discussions, and Drag Storytime for children — will take place virtually on ackland.org from Oct. 11 – Dec. 4. The NEA Big Read at the Ackland has been organized in partnership with the Chapel Hill Public Library and Carolina Public Humanities at UNC-Chapel Hill.
The programming will kick off with a free conversational program with the author Stephanie Burt in conversation with Jacob Lau (Women’s and Gender Studies, UNC-Chapel Hill) on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. Following the kick-off event, the Ackland and its partners will host six book discussions of Burt’s Advice from the Lights with discussion facilitators from our community and three Drag Storytimes featuring local performers. The NEA Big Read at the Ackland is presented in connection with an ongoing installation of art by LGBTQ artists at the Ackland and several related programs, including a “Queer Cinema” virtual film series and artist talks.

NEA Big Read Events at the Ackland

OPENING EVENT
Wednesday, October 21, 2020 | 7:30 p.m. EST
Virtual Kick-Off Event with Author Stephanie Burt
In conversation with Jacob Lau
Registration required at ackland.org

BOOK DISCUSSIONS
Virtual Book Discussions | October through December
Free and includes copy of Advice from the Lights
Registration limited and required at ackland.org
Friday, October 23 | 3:30-5 p.m. EST
Thursday, November 5 | 7-8:30 p.m. EST
Friday, November 6 | 3:30-5 p.m. EST
Thursday, December 3 | 7-8:30 p.m. EST
Friday, December 4 | 3:30-5 p.m. EST

DRAG STORYTIMES
Sundays in October: 11, 18, 25 | 2:30 p.m. EST
Virtual story time with local drag performers
Free; Registration required at ackland.org.
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

Virtual Art Adventures PM Session: Paper Plate Art
2020-10-10 13:00 - 13:45 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
Join us as the Ackland takes our popular Art Adventures class online with instructor Allison Tierney! Registration will open in late September. We will be exploring decorative and symbolic motifs found in the Ackland’s newest exhibition, Clouding: Shape and Sign in Asian Art.

Class sessions will be limited to 15 participants*. A supply list, printable template, and Zoom meeting link will be distributed to registrants prior to the class session. To use Zoom, students will need access to an internet-connected computer, smartphone, or tablet with a built-in microphone; caregiver assistance may be needed. Art Adventures is geared towards children aged 6-9.
*Families with more than one child can participate together and should only register once.
During this time, we want to make sure price isn’t an added burden for families – please select the ticket price that you feel comfortable with ($0.00 or $5.00).
If you encounter registration issues, please email us at acklandRSVP@unc.edu. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Virtual Art Adventures AM Session: Paper Plate Art
2020-10-10 10:30 - 11:15 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States

Artist Conversation with Nelson Morales
2020-10-09 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
This program has passed, but a recording of the conversation can be viewed below or on our YouTube channel.
A free public conversation with photographer Nelson Morales, who will have select photographs from his series Musas Muxe on view at the Ackland. The photographs explore the everyday life of muxes—people who identify as a third gender—of the Oaxaca state of Mexico.
Nelson will be joined by Allen Blevins, collector of Morales’ work and lender of several to the Ackland, and Lauren Turner, the Ackland’s Assistant Curator for the Collection.
Artist Conversation with Nelson Morales has been supported in part by Laughing Gull Foundation.

Virtual Art for Lunch: Bernie Herman Discusses Folk and Outsider Arts
2020-09-30 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
Featuring Bernie Herman (UNC American Studies) and Elizabeth Manekin (Ackland Head of University Programs and Academic Projects)
Join us for a virtual version of Art for Lunch, our interview-style talk with the Ackland’s Elizabeth Manekin and a UNC faculty member whose classes engage with the Museum’s collection. This week, professor of American Studies Bernie Herman joins us to discuss how his class “ Folk and Outsider Arts” uses objects in the Ackland’s collection to explore ways of seeing and material transformations.
Bring your lunch–and questions of your own–for this lively, conversational program.
Free, register here.

Virtual Family & Friends Sunday: Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month
2020-09-27 14:00 - 17:00 | 101 South Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Celebrate Latinx Heritage Month with a live story time, crafts, and a closer look at works by Latinx artists in the Ackland’s collection for our September Virtual Family & Friends Sunday!
Our friends at the Smithsonian have compiled a video discussing the importance of this month. Check it out here!
Each month, the Ackland hosts a free program for families, kids, and the young at heart featuring hands-on art activities, live performances, tours, and more. Although the Museum’s doors are closed for our community’s safety, you can still explore the art virtually!
A mix of D.I.Y. and live interactive activities await you, all inspired by the Ackland’s collection.
Live Story Time: Frida Kahlo and her Animalitos by Monica Brown
2:30 P.M. | Live Zoom story time with Carrie Young, Public Programs Intern
Register here!

Art-Making
Learn how make flower crowns inspired by Emilio Amero’s Fiesta.
YouTube Instructions
Close Looking Activity
Spend time as a family looking deeply at Queen on Board, a 2015 work by Nelson Morales.
Close Looking Activity PDF
Artist Spotlight: Nelson Morales
Photographs from Nelson Morales’ series “Muxes” are on loan to the Ackland. While the galleries are closed, you can visit the artist’s website to learn more about his photography.
Nelson Morales: Compassion
Watch a 2017 Creative Mornings Charlotte talk by Nelson Morales. His presentation begins at 13:08 (full video length is 38:59).
Ten Questions with Nelson Morales
This 2018 PhotoVoice article dives deep into Morales’ choice of photography as his medium.
Related Virtual Events around the Triangle:
Artist Conversation with Nelson Morales | October 9, 12:00 p.m.
A free public conversation with photographer Nelson Morales, who will have select photographs from his series Musas Muxe on view at the Ackland. The photographs explore the everyday life of muxes—people who identify as a third gender—of the Oaxaca state of Mexico.
Registration is required. Click here to register.

Carolina Latinx Center Homepage: Learn about upcoming Latinx Heritage Month events at UNC. With Zumba, cooking classes, and film screenings, there is something for all ages!

Virtual Art Adventures PM Session: Tessellation Creation
2020-09-12 13:00 - 13:45 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
Join us as the Ackland takes our popular Art Adventures class online with instructor Allison Tierney! Registration will open in late August.

Class sessions will be limited to 15 participants*. A supply list, printable template, and Zoom meeting link will be distributed to registrants prior to the class session. To use Zoom, students will need access to an internet-connected computer, smartphone, or tablet with a built-in microphone; caregiver assistance may be needed. Art Adventures is geared towards children aged 6-9.
*Families with more than one child can participate together and should only register once.
During this time, we want to make sure price isn’t an added burden for families – please select the ticket price that you feel comfortable with ($0.00 or $5.00).
If you encounter registration issues, please email us at acklandRSVP@unc.edu. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Virtual Art Adventures AM Session: Tessellation Creation
2020-09-12 10:30 - 11:15 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States

Virtual Family & Friends Sunday: Ackland at Home
2020-08-23 14:00 - 17:00 | Ackland Art Museum
As your family embarks on a unique school year, know that the Ackland Art Museum has high-quality resources to support your child’s learning.
Although the museum’s doors are closed for our community’s safety, you can still explore the art virtually. A mix of live and D.I.Y art-based activities await you, all inspired by the Ackland’s collection!
LIVE Build your own Close Looking Kit
2:30 P.M. EDT | Zoom
Join intern Carrie Young on Zoom as she walks kids through steps to make your own paper sketchbook. You will need one piece of paper (8.5″ by 11″ or larger) and scissors. Then you’ll collect other common household items to create a Close Looking Kit. Sign up here!
Sketchbook Instructions
Ackland Art Cards
LIVE Sketchfabulous: 3D Models at the Ackland
3:30 P.M. EDT | Zoom
Explore the Ackland’s 3D Models on Sketchfab with two Ackland staff members. These nine models were created by Kelly Chandrapal, Learning Resource Coordinator, and Joel VanderKamp, Lead Preparator. Sign up here!
Drawing Activities:
Look, Write, Draw!
Drawing the Collection (monthly video series)
Art-Making Videos:
D.I.Y. Coil Pot Activity

Make a coil pot inspired by one of the Ackland’s. Learn how to make a Coil Pot with Salt Dough Clay at home.

Art Adventures Spotlight: Gratitude Quilts
In May 2020, kids aged 6-9 learned about Gee’s Bend quilter Irene Williams and made Gratitude Quilts in our Virtual Art Adventures program. This virtual program occurs on the second Saturday of each month and is led by instructor Allison Tierney. Find our fall 2020 dates on the calendar!
Virtual Scavenger Hunt:
Explore the Ackland’s Collection Search with over 19,000 objects. Can you find something red? Something beaded? An artwork with a triangle in it? Happy searching!

Virtual Art Adventures PM Session
2020-08-08 13:00 - 13:45 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
Join us as the Ackland takes our popular Art Adventures class online with instructor Allison Tierney! Registration is now open – we will be creating art with empowering words by looking at the work of local artist Stacey L. Kirby.
Class sessions will be limited to 15 participants*. A supply list, printable template, and Zoom meeting link will be distributed to registrants prior to the class session. To use Zoom, students will need access to an internet-connected computer, smartphone, or tablet with a built-in microphone; caregiver assistance may be needed. Art Adventures is geared towards children aged 6-9.
*Families with more than one child can participate together and should only register once.
During this time, we want to make sure price isn’t an added burden for families – please select the ticket price that you feel comfortable with ($0.00 or $5.00).
If you encounter registration issues, please email us at acklandRSVP@unc.edu. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Virtual Art Adventures AM Session
2020-08-08 10:30 - 11:15 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States

Virtual Family & Friends Sunday: Summer Daze
2020-07-26 14:00 - 17:00 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
Explore a Chapel Hill summer with a story time, crafts, and a closer look at the works on display at the Ackland for our July Virtual Family & Friends Sunday!
Each month, the Ackland hosts a free program for families, kids, and the young at heart featuring hands-on art activities, live performances, tours, and more. Although the Museum’s doors are closed for our community’s safety, you can still explore the art virtually!
A mix of D.I.Y. and live interactive activities await you, all inspired by the Ackland’s collection.
Activities include:
Live Story Time
2:30 pm | Live Zoom story time with Carrie Young, Public Programs Intern
Register here to hear Carrie read a summer time favorite!
#MuseumVacation
Communications Assistant Eileen Hammond created a Twitter trend in May 2020 to satisfy summer wanderlust. Follow along as the Ackland travels from Egypt to Cape Cod and more!
Be sure to click through each tweet to see the full itinerary. Thank you to all museums that participated.
Art-Making
Agamograph
Find the printable template here.
Op Art Paper Weaving
Learn how you can use lines, shape, and color to create movement and illusions in this paper-based activity.
Artist Spotlight Videos
Life Story of Artist Julian Stanczak
Learn more about Julian Stanczak’s early life, travels, and artistic influences.
Cleveland Institute of Art Interview with the Artist
Listen as Julian explores the influence of color and line in his works.
“What is Op Art?” – Tate Museum (UK)
Meet others in the Optical Art Movement, like Bridget Riley and Jesus Rafael Soto.

Virtual Art Adventures PM Session: Mobile Mania!
2020-07-11 13:00 - 13:45 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
Join us as the Ackland takes our popular Art Adventures class online with instructor Allison Tierney!
Class sessions will be limited to 15 participants*. A supply list and Zoom meeting link will be distributed to registrants prior to the class session. To use Zoom, students will need access to an internet-connected computer, smartphone, or tablet with a built-in microphone; caregiver assistance may be needed. Art Adventures is geared towards children aged 6-9.
*Families with more than one child can participate together and should only register once.
During this time, we want to make sure price isn’t an added burden for families – please select the ticket price that you feel comfortable with ($0.00 or $5.00).
If you encounter registration issues, please email us at acklandRSVP@unc.edu. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Virtual Art Adventures AM Session: Mobile Mania!
2020-07-11 10:30 - 11:15 | Zoom (Link Provided with Ticket), United States
Join us as the Ackland takes our popular Art Adventures class online with instructor Allison Tierney!
Class sessions will be limited to 15 participants*. A supply list and Zoom meeting link will be distributed to registrants prior to the class session. To use Zoom, students will need access to an internet-connected computer, smartphone, or tablet with a built-in microphone; caregiver assistance may be needed. Art Adventures is geared towards children aged 6-9. We will be making mobiles inspired by the Toriawase special exhibition.
*Families with more than one child can participate together and should only register once.
During this time, we want to make sure price isn’t an added burden for families – please select the ticket price that you feel comfortable with ($0.00 or $5.00).
If you encounter registration issues, please email us at acklandRSVP@unc.edu. We apologize for any inconvenience.
