NCMA: New Park Now Open!

The beautiful extension at the North Carolina Museum of Art is now open, and welcomes all in our community as it “encourage[s] creative experiences and human interactions.” The now-open park is so much more than simply an enhanced “grassy accent” to compliment the buildings. The Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Art Expansion Project includes features that are both inspiring and relaxing, and this new outdoor addition encourages visitors to engage in and define their own museum experience amidst natural surroundings.

Connecting people with culture in our local community, with its wide diversity of citizens from every walk of life, is a challenge the museum’s directors and planners are rising to meet. They seem to have recognized the need for today’s communities to share experiences, building a cohesiveness that will promote cultural kinship and conversation. Rather than only appealing to a specific segment of museum-goers, the new park is inclusive and inviting. Bike riders, joggers, strollers, wanderers, as well as art and nature enthusiasts, will find something to enjoy here.

Ample parking leads to lovely walkways to:

The Ellipse:

“a 600-foot elliptical wooden bench and a sparkling walkway with tables and chairs under red umbrellas overlooking the Park’s upper meadow. It is used for Museum and community programming, temporary public art installations, or just relaxing and playing.”

The Promenade:

“This wide path connects the Museum’s galleries and Park—winding from the Plaza to the Ellipse to the smokestack, past the Wave Gardens, works of art, and long views.”

Wave Gardens:

“Twenty mounded contemporary gardens are interlaced with paths and benches and are located along the Promenade and Blue Ridge parking. The mounds are planted with more than 150,000 varied plants, creating waves of color and texture.”

As a My Girl Friday nanny, it makes me smile every time I visit when I see children running or biking around and enjoying the open spaces, as well as the touch-friendly aspects. This is so much more than a play park; it provides an experience for children that they won’t get from a swing set or monkey bars. Their imaginations are ignited as they explore the different vistas and textures with no ceilings or walls to contain them-- just the open air and sunshine.

“We are purposefully putting design interventions into a space — high-quality, beautifully proportioned gardens and promenades designed with a level of care to stimulate the thoughts and feelings, the sense of connection and wonder that people experience in the galleries,” said Mark Johnson of Civitas, the Denver-based firm that designed the project.

At the grand opening, the Ellipse was home to five ginormous, illuminated bunnies (Intrude) who were here to help open the new expansion to the museum. This amazing exhibit has traveled to over 30 cities in countries around the world, including Australia, Portugal, England, and Canada.Although it has now moved on, the NC Museum of Art continues to attract a host of culturally and socially interesting exhibitions. Be sure to subscribe to NCMA’s email list so that you won’t miss out on any wonderful upcoming exhibits! Once you visit, let us know what you think!

By: Leanne Powell, 2016