Since 1958, the Ackland Art Museum has been one of North Carolina's most important cultural resources. With free admission to all, the Ackland Art Museum presents more than a dozen exhibitions every year, offering a wide stylistic range of art, from contemporary American photography to European master paintings, video installations to Early Modern portraits. The Ackland’s holdings – over 18,000 works of art – include significant collections of European masterworks, twentieth-century and contemporary art, African art, North Carolina pottery, and folk art. In addition, the Ackland has North Carolina’s premier collections of Asian art and works on paper (drawings, prints, and photographs). The Museum's second floor Ackland Upstairs gallery is a dynamic space that exhibits art installed specifically for use by University classes. The Ackland has a vibrant and active program and event schedule offering music, films, gallery talks, and other activities on weekends and during the Museum's extended hours every second Friday of the month.
