The NCMA Winston-Salem’s Portable Gallery was launched in October 2021 with a clear goal to bring original artworks by North Carolina artists to students who might not otherwise have access to them. What began with two paintings by Winston-Salem artists has grown to 29 works representing 19 artists from across the state. Today, the Portable Gallery includes paintings, prints, photographs, ceramics, works on paper, and sculpture, offering students opportunities to engage with contemporary artistic voices that are actively shaping North Carolina’s culture.

Rather than asking schools to travel to the Museum, which can present a challenge for rural and under-resourced communities, the Portable Gallery delivers museum-quality art and educational experiences directly to classrooms throughout the Piedmont. For many students these encounters are their first experience with contemporary art and an all-too-rare opportunity to engage with art outside of screens and reproductions. Since its creation 273 classes and 7,428 students have participated in Portable Gallery programs. Behind each of those numbers is a conversation sparked by an abstract composition, a moment of joyful discovery born from looking slowly at a surrealist landscape, a thoughtful question about the subject of a bold cubist portrait, or a new connection between a student and their classmates.

Looking ahead, the next phase of the Portable Gallery will further deepen its educational impact. Beginning in the 2026–27 school year, the program is going to include longer-term exhibitions installed in school common areas for up to eight weeks at a time. Students will have daily access to contemporary art, and educators from all disciplines will have the chance to more fully integrate Portable Gallery artworks into their classroom instruction.

The success and expansion of the Portable Gallery have required more than paintings and a clear goal; they have depended on people behind the scenes who have helped build and refine the program. One of those individuals is Jeff Crawford, head of art services at the NCMA W-S, whose contributions continue to shape the Portable Gallery’s evolution.

“The core message of the Portable Gallery is that students deserve meaningful access to art,” Crawford says. “By bringing art into classrooms, this program transforms them into spaces where curiosity, creativity, and self-expression can flourish. Personally, I find this project highly commendable. From its community outreach to its focus on empowering young minds, it provides opportunities that many of us in the art world may not have had during our formative years, when access to museums and artistic experiences can shape perspectives and inspire lifelong engagement with art.”

Shortly after joining the NCMA W-S, Crawford was asked to help redesign the Portable Gallery cases to improve their ease of use and functionality. Each case holds two artworks, which can be interchanged to create different thematic pairings. Previously, the artwork had been mounted directly onto wooden panels, which were then bolted to the cases. Crawford relates, “This method worked, but it was cumbersome and made swapping out the artwork a time-consuming process requiring specialized tools. To address this, I developed a new mounting system that drastically improved interchangeability, is non-invasive, and meets museum standards.” Changing the artwork now requires no tools and can be completed in just a few minutes. Crawford redesigned and standardized the mounting panels, and each is now equipped with custom-built locking mechanisms that attach securely to the cases. A key is used to unlock the panels, allowing the artwork to be easily removed or swapped.

“Through this project I was able to directly support the Portable Gallery’s mission, ensuring that artworks can travel safely and continue to inspire students wherever they go,” says Crawford. “Contributing in this way reinforced for me how thoughtful design and careful planning behind the scenes can create meaningful access to art, fostering engagement with creativity.”

As the Portable Gallery grows, its success will be measured by more than the number of artworks in the program or number of students reached. Its true impact can be found in the moments of curiosity, connection, and serendipity it creates—a student seeing themselves reflected in an artwork, a classroom being challenged to think and communicate in new ways, a young person realizing that art is alive, not something static that’s observed passively. With each new artwork, school, and student, the Portable Gallery demonstrates that meaningful encounters with art belong everywhere.

North Carolina Museum of Art July 16, 2026