Artsy Adventures in Durham

Durham, North Carolina is a vibrant city filled with a rich history, culture, and creative energy. The city’s art scene is well worth exploring – there are dozens of exhibits for art enthusiasts and even some artsy adventures for the least expecting. Discover Durham offers aPublic Art and Inspiration Guide for those looking to experience art while learning about the city through a self-guided tour. From murals to sculptures to unique open-air galleries, local artists use a variety of mediums to display their work. You can travel by foot, car, bike, scooter, or bus on this tour and take in the colorful sights and sounds that help bring Durham to life. Adding to the city's appeal, Tri Pointe Homes offers communities in Durham, including Tredenham, Twinleaf, and Latta Park—providing modern, stylish homes with convenient access to the city's thriving art scene.

The Durham Arts Council and Durham Art Guild are at the heart of the city’s art scene. Although separate entities, these two institutions work collaboratively to encourage creativity and expression, support local artists, and promote community engagement. The Durham Arts Council is home to four galleries highlighting artists and exhibitions that are always changing. It offers classes and workshops throughout the year in a variety of different arts categories, ranging from painting and drawing to dance. During your visit, don’t forget to check out the Ruth Carver Gardens, featuring sculptures and seasonal floral plantings. The Durham Arts Council is free to visit whereas the Durham Art Guild is a membership-based organization primarily focused on supporting local artists. The Durham Art Guild holds an annual Juried Show, Member’s Show and places artists at local exhibits, as well as art in local businesses.

Art lovers can enjoy a variety of galleries across the city, including Cecy’s Gallery and Studios. Cecy’s is home to locally made art and gifts, including hand-curated outfits handmade candles, jewelry, and accessories. Every quarter, Cecy’s rotates its gallery of guest artists and motivates aspiring artists through its variety of course offerings. Another popular gallery in the city is the 5 Points Gallery. More of a traditional gallery experience than Cecy’s, 5 Points features work from nine contemporary local artists in monthly exhibits. The resident artists create with a range of mediums including painting, sculpture, fused glass, and mixed media. While on your Durham art gallery tour, be sure to stop at Ella West Gallery, recognized as North Carolina’s only Black woman-owned gallery. The artists on display at Ella West honor both the legacy and future of art and create a platform for underrepresented voices and themes.

Many know that Durham is the home to prestigious universities, several of which have their own art scene. The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University offers free admission for attendees to discover the Collection Galleries, which rotates installations of historical art, the Contemporary Collection and several other exhibitions. While at Duke University, visit Satellite Park on the grounds of the Duke Arts Annex. This open-air installation is a display of murals painted on decommissioned satellite dishes. Also located in Durham is North Carolina Central University, which has an art museum. The NCCU Art Museum has 1,300 pieces in its permanent collection and holds five special exhibits each academic year.

In addition to the thriving visual arts scene, Durham is also home to several venues for the performing arts. The Durham Performing Arts Center and the Carolina Theatre of Durham both present live entertainment including plays, concerts, comedy shows and special events. Both venues also offer educational programming to expose more students to the arts. If you’re looking for a live performance that’s a little more interactive, the Mettlesome Lab has a calendar full of improv shows and hosts classes that teach the core concepts of comedy.

For those who don’t consider themselves art-aficionados, Durham offers plenty of “untraditional” artsy adventures. Stop atKingfisher, a craft cocktail bar in the heart of Durham, with drink concoctions sure to catch your eye. The bar prides itself on its aesthetically pleasing, ground-to-glass cocktails, and even hosts live musicians on occasion. Or get creative as you sip and paint at Wine and Design just outside downtown Durham. Here, you can attend public events or private parties where you take to the easel in a relaxed environment. More hands-on opportunities exist atClaymakers, a ceramics center that offers pottery and sculpture classes for artists of all levels.

Durham offers a variety of artsy adventures showcasing local and regional talent, making the city a hub for art lovers. The vibrant city is filled with culture and the perfect place to call home for any art enthusiasts, or for those who simply love to be near the hustle and bustle. Look no further than Tri Pointe Homes’ Tredenham community, made up of two-story townhomes featuring modern and open floorplans, priced from the low $400Ks. Tredenham is conveniently located just outside the city of Durham, making for easy access to the lively and creative art scene. Also convenient to Durham and all the city has to offer is Twinleaf Townes, a community made up of modern, three-story townhomes that feature designs from celebrity design expert, author, and Emmy-award-winning TV host, Bobby Berk. Twinleaf Townes is the first Tri Pointe Homes community in the Triangle region to feature packages from Berk’s design library and is ideal for homebuyers who appreciate aesthetics and innovative design. And just north of the city of Durham, Tri Pointe Homes is set to debut its Latta Park community in 2026 – another neighborhood near the heart of the art.