Nasher Museum of Art

Nasher Museum of Art is an art museum located in Durham, North Carolina, affiliated with Duke University and situated near Duke University's West Campus. The museum is known for its collections spanning American art, African art, European painting, contemporary art, and photography, and it hosts rotating exhibitions that bring works by artists such as Kara Walker, Kehinde Wiley, Ai Weiwei, Rembrandt, and Pablo Picasso to regional audiences. Since its founding in 2005, the institution has collaborated with organizations including the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Studio Museum in Harlem.

History

The museum was founded through philanthropic support from Raymond and Patsy Nasher and opened during the tenure of Duke presidents Richard H. Brodhead and Nannerl O. Keohane, reflecting priorities aligned with universities such as Yale University and Harvard University that expanded campus museums in the early 21st century. Its early leadership involved curators and directors with backgrounds at institutions like the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Art. Major exhibitions have featured loans or collaborations with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Tate Modern, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, while acquisitions benefited from partnerships with collectors and foundations including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Ford Foundation.

Architecture and Facilities

Designed by Rafael Viñoly, the building opened as part of a campus arts precinct that includes neighbors such as Duke Chapel and the Duke University Libraries. The museum’s galleries, education studios, conservation lab, and a sculpture garden were planned comparable to facilities at the Getty Center and the Broad Museum. Structural engineering firms and consultants with portfolios including the SOM (architectural firm) and Arup advised on climate-control systems to protect works similar to those in the Getty Conservation Institute. The campus location connects to transit corridors and cultural venues like the Durham Performing Arts Center.

Collections and Exhibitions

The museum’s permanent collection encompasses holdings in African American art, European Old Masters, modernism, and contemporary sculpture, with notable works by artists paralleling names in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery (United States), the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Walker Art Center. Exhibitions have showcased artists and movements including Faith Ringgold, Romare Bearden, Wolfgang Tillmans, Cindy Sherman, Jacob Lawrence, Betye Saar, Mark Bradford, and Mickalene Thomas, alongside thematic installations referencing periods like Renaissance art and 20th-century art. The museum organizes loan exhibitions drawn from repositories such as the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Hermitage Museum, and it circulates traveling shows to venues including the Carnegie Museum of Art.

Education and Public Programs

Educational initiatives align with university programs in departments like the Duke University Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies and collaborators such as Durham Public Schools and the North Carolina Museum of Art. The museum hosts artist talks, panels, and workshops featuring curators and artists associated with institutions such as the National Endowment for the Arts, the College Art Association, and the Association of Art Museum Curators. Public programs include family days, teen council activities, docent-led tours, and partnerships with community organizations including United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County and local universities like North Carolina Central University.

Governance and Funding

Governance is exercised through a board of trustees and advisory committees that include alumni and patrons connected to entities such as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and corporate supporters from the Duke University Health System and regional banks. Operational funding derives from a mix of endowment income, grants from funders like the Knight Foundation and the Kresge Foundation, exhibition sponsorships by corporations similar to Bank of America and AT&T, and annual giving campaigns that engage donors who also support arts institutions like the Philbrook Museum of Art and the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Category:Art museums and galleries in North Carolina Category:Duke University