View art in a museum that is itself a masterpiece

When visitors experience the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, the “art” isn’t just what is hanging on the walls — it includes the walls themselves. The recently developed West Building at the North Carolina Museum of Art, the nation’s first state-owned art museum, has won 11 awards and was the only North American new building honored by the AIA Institute in 2011. One of the premier visual arts museums in the Southeast, NCMA’s dramatic new gallery building literally places the collection in a new light. The building’s design, by Thomas Phifer and Partners, allows natural light to filter into all galleries through 360 custom-made skylights. Light in the museum subtly changes with the time of day, season, and each passing cloud. These changes cast unique reflections on the art itself. The museum is home to a world-class collection including more than 30 Rodin sculptures and a center for special exhibitions, plus a 164-acre Museum Park. The combination of art and nature makes the museum a popular site for visitors to the North Carolina Piedmont.