Ackland Events

Curator-Led Tour of "The Outwin: American Portraiture Today"
2023-11-03 15:30 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Join Lauren Turner, Associate Curator for Contemporary Art and Special Projects, for a first look at The Outwin: American Portraiture Today. Explore how the 2022 winners of the triennial competition held at the National Portrait Gallery have pushed the boundaries of contemporary portraiture, producing moving works that engage with the social and political landscape of our time.
Space is limited. Register for a free ticket 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:

TOUR: A Closer Look at the Collection
2023-11-04 13:00 - 13:30, 2023-11-18 13:00 - 13:30, 2023-11-19 13:00 - 13:30 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Join Ackland educators for a lively half-hour look at two works of art. These engaging conversational tours offer a closer look at and new perspectives on works on view from the Ackland’s collection.

A Closer Look at the Ackland Collection
2023-11-05 13:00 - 13:30, 2023-11-12 13:00 - 13:30 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States

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.

A Closer Look at the Ackland Collection
2023-11-11 13:00 - 13:30 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Join Ackland educators for a lively half-hour at two works of art. These engaging conversational tours offer a closer look at and new perspectives on works on view from the Ackland’s collection.

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.

Drawing in the Galleries
2023-11-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Ackland Art Museum, 101 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
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. All levels are welcome.

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:
