State News

The North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation Announces Public Phase of $75M Comprehensive Campaign, Reimagining the Possible

Dawn Mikayla

Raleigh, N.C. — The North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation announces the public phase of its comprehensive fundraising campaign in support of the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA), a division of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. With an overall fundraising goal of $75M, the Foundation’s campaign, Reimagining the Possible, seeks to widen access to the arts for all North Carolinians, furthering the Museum’s direct impact across the state. To date, the campaign has raised over $64M during the quiet phase since launching in 2022.

NCMA Director and CEO Dr. Valerie Hillings states, “This campaign reflects one of the most ambitious fundraising campaigns ever undertaken by the NCMA Foundation. It will support the Museum’s efforts to make connections between art and people on our campuses and in communities across NC. Through the generous support of individuals, corporations, and foundations,” says Hillings, “we are at 85% of our ambitious goal. Our capital projects and programs represent an exciting next chapter for the Museum, one in which physical spaces expand to host more dynamic programming, foster social connections, and invite community engagement around the arts.” 

Fundraising directly supports the Museum’s educational and outreach programming, art acquisitions, artist commissions, Museum operations, and capital improvement projects at the NCMA’s campuses in Raleigh and Winston-Salem. 

Reimagining the Possible is centered on four key fundraising objectives:  

  • Art: To expand excellence, innovation, and multiple perspectives in the People’s Collection, programs, and initiatives, prioritizing North Carolina–based artists, art acquisitions, and temporary site-specific works. 
     
  • Connection: To cultivate experiences that engage a broad arts audience and enrich in-person and digital opportunities for schoolchildren and educators across all 100 North Carolina counties.
     
  • Campus: To advance an ambitious campus plan that prioritizes the visitor experience, widens accessibility, and leads with environmental sustainability.
     
  • Sustaining: To sustain the NCMArts Fund, an unrestricted gift fund that finances operational and mission-based projects at the Museum.

Chair of the NCMA Foundation Board of Directors and Museum donor Diane Bastian states, “As we look ahead to the future of the NCMA, we see incredible opportunities to deepen our engagement with the communities we serve. Reimagining the Possible invites our audiences to experience the Museum in new ways, extend our offerings to even more North Carolina citizens, and sustain our cultural and natural resources for generations to come.” 

Launching this spring, the North Carolina Museum of Art’s capital projects will reflect an ambitious expansion plan to increase accessibility, bridge indoor and outdoor Museum spaces, and create flexible learning experiences. Improvements to the NCMA will be made thanks to combined funding from the state of North Carolina and private philanthropic support. Spanning the next two to three years, construction at the Raleigh campus will begin in late June 2025 and at the North Carolina Museum of Art, Winston-Salem (NCMA W-S), in summer 2026. The Raleigh campus and galleries will remain open during construction.

To learn more about Reimagining the Possible, visit ncartmuseum.com/campaign. To learn more about the capital projects, visit ncartmuseum.com.