The Dude Abides

North Carolina was the first state to establish an art museum using state funds when they opened The North Carolina Museum of Art in their first established home on Morgan Street in downtown Raleigh in 1956, thanks to the idea brought forth by a collective group of arts-minded citizens that came together to form the North Carolina State Arts Society in 1924.Almost 100 years later and now ensconced in their Blue Ridge Road home, the NCMA continues to grow. By the end of this year their expansion is set to bring a new streetscape, dynamic water elements, and landscaping designed to be experienced as art.The staff of event planners make sure their programs reach all ages, engage with visitors, and are accessible. It is one of the foremost destination museums in the Southeast.We visited for one of their summer movie nights for the screening of “The Big Lebowski” and The Dude Abides party—complete with White Russians, local food trucks, life-size bowling, and a costume contest.