The Nasher Museum of Art, founded in 1969, is part of Duke University, and one of the preeminent art institutions in the region. Its permanent collection features more than 13,000 works from the ancient to the contemporary. It has strong holdings in medieval and Renaissance art, African art, Greek and Roman antiquities, and ancient American art, but is currently building its contemporary art collection.
The museum puts on several exhibitions each year that draw from that collection and from works borrowed from other institutions. Those have included Picasso and the Allure of Language; El Greco and Velazquez: Art during the reign of Phillip III; Taste of the Modern: Rothko, Rauschenberg, Oldenburg, Kline; and Barkley L. Hendricks: Birth of the Cool.
Nasher Museum of Art (Durham, NC) Information
- Public Transportation : Poor
- Handicapped Accessibility : Good
- Hours: Tues, Weds, Fri & Sat, 10 am-5 pm; Thurs 10 am-9 pm; Sun, noon-5 pm.
- Free Day: Thursday 5-9 pm, open to the public.
- Admission: General admission $5, Seniors/alumni $4, non-Duke students $3. Free admission to museum members, Duke students, faculty and staff, & children under 16.
- Tours: Guided tours are approximately one hour long and are free with price of admission. Tours take place Thursday at 6:30 pm, Saturday & Sunday at 2 pm.
- Membership/Subscriptions: Individual membership is $50 (Students $20) and includes free admission for one year, invitations to exhibition previews, lectures and other special events, and discounts at the Museum store and cafe.