Nasher Museum of Art
About the Nasher
The Nasher Museum has celebrated its first decade as a major center for the arts on Duke’s campus and in the surrounding Research Triangle area. The museum organizes and presents leading-edge, original exhibitions that travel to institutions worldwide. More than 1 million people have visited the museum since it opened in 2005.
Mission
The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University promotes engagement with the visual arts for the Duke and Durham communities. The museum is dedicated to presenting innovative and accessible collections, exhibitions, publications and programs that stimulate intellectual discourse, enrich individual lives and generate new knowledge. Drawing on the resources of a leading research university, the museum serves as a laboratory for interdisciplinary approaches.
Visit the Nasher
This season, the museum presents its progressive contemporary collection—including a 6-foot-tall sterling silver surf board, works by presidential portraitists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald and much more. Other highlights: an exhibition of photography by 39 North Carolina artists, works of art by Duke faculty Pedro Lasch, Tom Rankin and MJ Sharp, and such historical treasures as a 400-year-old astrolabe. Admission is always free for Duke students, faculty and staff with DukeCard or Duke Medicine ID, and free to Duke alumni with alumni card or app.
For Duke Students
The Nasher Museum is located at Campus Drive and Anderson Street, across from the Ruby and a short walk from the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. The Nasher Museum Café always accepts FOOD AND FLEX POINTS, with a seasonal menu featuring fresh, local ingredients. Visit the Nasher calendar for exhibition opening events, performances, live music, lectures, films, exclusive student parties and more. Explore the galleries, learn about art, meet artists from around the world, apply for a student internship or job, find a project, get involved! Admission to the museum is always free for Duke students.
Nasher Collections
The Nasher Museum’s growing collection includes some of today’s best contemporary art, with a focus on work by artists of African descent. The collection features a growing list of artists: Nina Chanel Abney, Nick Cave, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Barkley L. Hendricks, Christian Marclay, Ebony G. Patterson, Dario Robleto, Hank Willis Thomas, Wangechi Mutu, Amy Sherald, Carrie Mae Weems, Ai Weiwei, Kehinde Wiley, Fred Wilson and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye. For the first time, contemporary art creates new conversations among historical works of art in the African, Medieval European, and Art of the Americas galleries.
Amy Sherald at the Nasher
Amy Sherald, who painted the official portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama for the National Portrait Gallery, delivered the Annual Rothschild Lecture at the Nasher Museum on October 20. Listen to the audio transcript paired with images she presented in her talk about her exceptional portraits of African American subjects.
Pop América Course Portfolio
A new, three-course portfolio that will contribute to a 2019 Nasher Museum of Art exhibition.