Name: Durham Arts Council, Inc.
Address: 120 Morris St, Durham, NC, 27701-3242, US
Telephone: (919) 560-2787

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Phone: (919) 560-2787

Directions 4.7

The Durham Arts Council, Inc. is a catalyst in the cultural development of Durham – it leads, inspires and promotes excellence in and access to the creation, experience and active support of the arts for all people of our community. A can’t-miss spot for art lovers includes the Durham Arts Council, a local hub for arts and culture. Stroll through award-winning exhibition galleries and their sculpture garden with seasonal floral plantings. Steps away, you’ll find the two-story Durham Civil Rights Mural painted by more than 30 community members.

The building that houses The Durham Arts Council was formerly city hall, and before that it was 1906 Central High School.

Adaron Hall

Area: 1,344

Configuration	Occupancy
Reception	80
Banquet	80

Allenton Gallery

Area: 1,026

Configuration	Occupancy
Reception	100
Banquet	80

Duke Power Rehearsal Studio

Area: 1,376

Configuration	Occupancy
Reception	80
Banquet	60

Graphic Arts Studio

Area: 1,696

Configuration	Occupancy
Reception	40
Banquet	20

GTE Fiber Arts Studio

Area: 1,050

Configuration	Occupancy
Reception	35
Banquet	16

Holmes Conference Room

Area: 196

Configuration	Occupancy
Reception	15
Banquet	8

IBM Rehearsal Hall

Area: 2,475

Configuration	Occupancy
Reception	150
Banquet	150

Kane Learning Center

Area: 1,050

Configuration	Occupancy
Reception	45
Banquet	30

Pavilion Gallery

Area: 1,470

Configuration	Occupancy
Reception	125
Banquet	100

People's Security Insurance Theater (PSI)

Area: 2,475

Configuration	Occupancy
Reception	185
Banquet	144

Qualex Photography Center

Area: 1,050

Configuration	Occupancy
Reception	35
Banquet	20

Rand Boardroom

Area: 450

Configuration	Occupancy
Reception	20
Banquet	15

Semans Gallery

Area: 1,026

Configuration	Occupancy
Reception	130
Banquet	100

SunTrust Gallery (not available)

Area: 3,024

Configuration	Occupancy
Reception	350
Banquet	280

WTVD Theater (not available)

Area: 1,050

Configuration	Occupancy
Reception	68
Banquet	50

Google Rating

4.7

Lucy Barber 2 years ago

The Durham Arts Council is truly a gem, and I’m so grateful that our city has such a wonderful facility! My husband and I hosted our rehearsal dinner here for ~120 guests, and we can’t say enough good things about the staff and the venue itself.

The location is fantastic—centrally located and easily walkable from where our guests were staying. One of the things we loved most was that DAC offers in-house rentals for tables, chairs, bar setups, and more, so we didn’t have to worry about coordinating with a third-party vendor for those (we did work with American Party Rentals for table cloths and plates).

I worked with McKayla, who was an absolute pleasure to communicate with. She was always positive and super helpful throughout the whole process. DAC also offers various options for which combination of rooms you want to rent depending on your guest size. Their pricing and rental information is clearly laid out on their website, which made planning that much easier.

The venue features a catering kitchen and allows you to bring in any caterer you want, which gave us great flexibility. Coordinating pick-ups and drop-offs for the items we brought in was seamless, and they were kind enough to let us store everything overnight, so we didn’t have to spend the end of our night shuttling things home.

We hosted our cocktail hour and toasts in the big atrium with the balcony—it was such a beautiful space, and the large glass windows provided a stunning backdrop. We also brought in a jazz band, and the acoustics in that space were fantastic.

One of the highlights for the kids was an art scavenger hunt we put together. DAC kindly allowed the kids to explore the art in the Truist Gallery, even though that wasn’t part of the space we had rented—such a generous touch!

On top of all that, DAC offers so much to the community, supporting local arts and providing spaces for events and activities. We’ve even rented out their dance rooms on multiple occasions to practice dance routines, which has always been easy and reasonably priced—definitely a great option if you’re looking for a dance floor!

Overall, I’m just so proud that this venue exists in our city, and I highly recommend it for anyone planning an event or looking for a space to support local arts.
Nila Hargreaves 6 months ago

Really lovely venue, my dance school has rented this place for a couple of years and the stage and seating is really great. The art they display is so ugly, but I guess that's not their fault 😂
Shanya a week ago

Amazing venue. I have come twice. One time this year and I want to say over 10 years ago for a different event. Once I came in today, I immediately remembered the previous event!

I love how people can use the space for different events. It also is nice that they allow it to be decorated and such. The walk from the parking deck was easy and while it was broke today, it seems to be free on weekends regardless. Less than a 5m week!

Would return just because though I have only come for events.
StarrG Publishing 2 months ago

The Durham Arts Council is one of my favorite places in Durham. I attended the Durham Arts Guild Member Showcase in the Truist Gallery. It was phenomenal. Pictured are Janice Withers, artist of the blue peaceful woman (with artist Candy Carver); Bre King, artist of the colorful light; and Julie Wolk, artist of the Zora Neale Huston-looking woman in the hat.
Victoria Alles a month ago

Gallery: 5⭐ Always worth a visit and you can go any time they are open - and no one is hovering wondering if you're going to buy a piece. I love how they are making viewing art so accessible to the masses.
Adult Classes: 5⭐ I have loved all (but 1) of the over a dozen classes I have taken at DAC. Don't hesitate with the clay classes, set your alarm and add to cart BEFORE they open enrollment of you're SOL. My favorite classes were embroidery, journal making, and Sashiko.
Kid Classes: 4⭐ Try one see if you and your kid like it. I definitely don't think they are for everybody. The clay classes are expensive now IMO but could be a fun parent-kid date or birthday present. We did several classes and now have several fragile shrines of sorts that need an altar...
Camps: 5⭐ Kids loved and I felt like they learned a lot and got to be themselves and felt seen. This was a few years back now, but my experience was excellent.
Parking: 3⭐ Arrive earlier than you think (+5m to find and get to your class), plan to walk a distance, or take public transit because the free lot is small and often full. You do get lucky though.
Pricing: 2.5⭐ *sigh* You had to ask...
The prices are fair for the quality of the instruction and (hopefully) going to pay for real talent in artists that also are good teachers. However, I would like to see more done to make the price more accessible to masses like the gallery is. The classes are overwhelming white women in instructors and students. That is not because only white women want to take art classes...
The enrollment process, pricing, and marketing need to be reevaluated for equity and inclusion.