Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill, NC
There are few towns in America and few Universities that can boast of having an art museum of national reputation like the Ackland Museum in Chapel Hill on the campus of the University of North Carolina.
Founded
at the bequest of William Hayes Ackland (1855-1940) to the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Ackland Trust provided the
funds to construct the museum building, and continues to provide for
the purchase of works of art. Although Ackland was not a collector himself he
had a desire that the people of his native south would know and
love fine arts and believed the best place for such a museum was
in a university setting. His first choice had been Duke and in fact
when he died in 1940 his bequest was left to that school. Unfortunately
for Durham and fortunately for Chapel Hill, the Duke University
trustees objected to Mr Ackland being buried in the museum and that
they would not have control over the money. This began nine years
of litigation and in the end the museum was awarded to UNC-Chapel
Hill.
The Ackland Art Museum
has a permanent collection of over 15,000 objects including
the art of Asia, Africa, Europe and America, with works ranging from ancient
times to the 21st century. The Museum holds the most significant collection of
Asian art in North Carolina and one of the largest collections of works on paper in
the Southeast.
the Ackland has recently added to its
collection of twentieth-century and contemporary art to go along with the European painting and sculpture
which it is known for. The collection of ancient Greek artifacts
is impressive for a museum of its size and enough to make me
homesick. The Ackland's collection has exceeded the size of the
building though this does not keep them from hosting exhibits from
all over the world. The museum's conservation facility enables paintings
and sculptures in need of minor repairs to be treated in house while
at the same time serving as an educational facility, training and
supervising conservation interns.
The Ackland Art Museum is on South Columbia Street a few steps away from the intersection of Franklin in downtown Chapel Hill. Admission is Free and it is open Wednesday-Saturday from 10 to 5 and on Sunday from 1 to 5. It is closed most major holidays. The Museum is handicap accessable and tours can be provided by request. For more information you can call 919 966 5736 or by e-mail at ackland@email.unc.edu
Related Pages: North Carolina Artists , Chapel Hill, UNC, NC Museum of Art