NCMA Winston-Salem Returns Downtown with New Gallery and Program Space

The North Carolina Museum of Art, Winston-Salem (formerly SECCA) is pleased to announce a new downtown exhibition and program space, opening this July at 400 W Fourth Street, suite #130, in the heart of downtown Winston-Salem. The new space marks a return to the Museum’s downtown roots, as the gallery will open just a few blocks away from where it all began in 1956 as an artist-run gallery on Trade Street. NCMA Winston-Salem is part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

As construction improvements move forward at the Museum’s campus on Marguerite Drive, NCMA Winston-Salem will open a downtown space committed to fostering creativity and collaboration among visitors, artists, and community groups. The Museum will partner with practicing artists to present exhibitions and experiences that encourage living with and through art. The space will invite visitors to interact with art and artists, generate ideas and connections, and support North Carolina’s creative ecosystem. NCMA Winston-Salem Downtown will be free to visit.

“Our return to downtown Winston-Salem puts us in the heart of the city’s entertainment and business district,” said Bill Carpenter, NCMA Winston-Salem executive director. “Visitors will experience museum quality exhibitions and unique opportunities to connect with artists and each other. We’re excited to participate so directly in the cultural and economic growth of downtown.”

More details and opening dates will be shared in the coming weeks.

EXHIBITIONS

The inaugural exhibition series at the new downtown space will explore the processes, practices, and natural materials of artists working across the mountains, Piedmont, and low-country regions of North Carolina. Featuring contemporary fiber art, woodworking, multimedia, and pottery, exhibitions will celebrate the breadth of lived experiences and creative processes that continually shape the art of North Carolina and the Southeast. In contrast to typical museum exhibitions, many works on view will be available for purchase.

Opening in mid-July, “Unboxed: Art beyond the Museum” will launch the NCMA Winston-Salem downtown space by bringing together artists who have contributed to the Museum’s Portable Gallery. Developed as an education outreach initiative, the Portable Gallery provides students access to contemporary art by bringing original works by North Carolina artists directly into schools. Last year, more than 2,000 students across regional school districts experienced the Portable Gallery.