Things to Do in Durham this Week

Weekly Events in Durham

(November 10 - November 16)

Welcome to a comprehensive guide of weekly events in Durham – from Broadway shows to intimate performances, serene river paddles to art exhibits, dance parties, food tours and more. Start here to plan your perfect week.

If you’d like to add an event to our calendar, submit an event here. Please check with the event organizers to see if events change due to weather. Have a great week!

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Noteworthy Events in Durham this Week

Walker Hayes: Unplugged at DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center

• A native of Mobile, Alabama, Walker Hayes broke into the mainstream in 2021 with his smash hit “Fancy Like” which topped every country music sales and streaming chart, spent more than six months at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart, hit the top 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Songs, and hit No. 1 at country radio. “Fancy Like” became a bonafide phenomenon; the six-time Platinum-selling single propelled Hayes to a GRAMMY Award nomination and anchored his breakout 2022 full-length, Country Stuff The Album.
• He's continued to build a hitmaking career behind singles “AA,” “ Y’all Life,” “U Gurl,” and “Good With Me.” His latest releases include his 2023 follow-up New Money and 2024 EP Sober Thoughts. Hayes is one of the top selling and streamed artists in country music and has performed his music to amphitheaters and arenas on headlining tours. Additionally, he’s performed to national audiences on Good Morning America, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and TODAY. He’s also been profiled for CBS Sunday Morning.
• Wednesday, Nov. 12
• 7 pm

Duke Football vs Virginia at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium

• Saturday, Nov. 15
• 3:30 pm

The 2025 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Football Championship at Durham County Memorial Stadium

• The road to the championship ends here! The top teams in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) battle for the 2025 CIAA Football Championship title. Experience the excitement of HBCU football at its finest, complete with high-energy performances, spirited fans, and unforgettable gameday traditions. From the roar of the crowd to the pageantry of halftime, the CIAA Football Championship delivers a one of a kind atmosphere celebrating culture, competition, and community. The game will kickoff at 3:00pm EST, with gates opening at 1:00pm and the tailgate opening to the public at 10:00am.
• Saturday, Nov. 15
• Admission: Ranges between $26 - $254

Multi-Day Events

Water for Elephants - the North Carolina High School Premiere by Jordan High School Theatre at Jordan High School Theatre Auditorium

• Jordan High School Theatre is proud to announce its fall production of Water for Elephants. Adapted from Sara Gruen’s acclaimed novel and the celebrated Broadway musical, this marks the first-ever high school staging of Water for Elephants in the nation.
• Set against the backdrop of a traveling circus during the Great Depression, Water for Elephants tells a tale of love, resilience, and hope in the face of hardship. The story follows Jacob Jankowski, a young man who finds himself working among circus performers and animals, discovering both the beauty and the heartbreak of life under the big top.
• Jordan High School’s theatre program was selected for this honor following a meeting between the show’s writers, PigPen Theatre Company, and Jordan’s theatre director, Olivia Bellido, at the EdTA Awards. At the event, where Bellido was honored as the ASCAP Steven Schwartz Musical Theatre Teacher of the Year, the writers had the opportunity to view footage of her acclaimed productions. Impressed by her vision and the caliber of her students’ work, they enthusiastically agreed to collaborate on adapting their Broadway production for the high school stage.
• November 13-22
• Admission: $20+

TINA - The Tina Turner Musical at DPAC, Durham Performng Arts Center

• An uplifting comeback story like no other, TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock n’ Roll. Set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits, this electrifying sensation will send you soaring to the rafters.
• One of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, Tina Turner won 12 Grammy Awards and her live shows were seen by millions, with more concert tickets sold than any other solo performer in music history.
• Featuring her much loved songs, TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL is written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall.
• Friday, November 14 from 7:30 PM-9:30 PM
  Saturday, November 15 from 2:00 PM-4:00 PM
  Saturday, November 15 from 7:30 PM-9:30 PM
  Sunday, November 16 from 1:00 PM-3:00 PM
  Sunday, November 16 from 6:30 PM-8:30 PM

Anniversary Weekend at Ment Beverage Co.

• Ment is celebrating ONE YEAR on American Tobacco Campus with a weekend packed with events!
• Friday: Pickle Party Night. Taste multiple pickle snacks, try your hand at the pickle toss game, enjoy pickle-inspired cocktails & mocktails, pickle pairings and so much more!
• Saturday: Canned Food Drive - all day
• Noon - Cider Making Class
• 2pm - Flower Arranging Class
• 4pm - Chili Cookoff Winner will receive a prize pack AND a one year FREE membership to the new Ferment Club!
• 7pm - Late night giveaways - FREE Lutra cookies with each drink purchase
• NEW Ferment Club Launch
• Sign their Anniversary Barrel!
• “Community Day” - community-based events all day with a canned food drive, FREE chili cook off, DIY Cider classes, Serenity Flower Class 2pm
• Sunday, Nov. 16: Family Day The celebration concludes with family-friendly activities including face painting (2-4pm), balloon animals(2-4pm), a kids' corner with games and a scavenger hunt, hot non-alcoholic apple cider and craft activities.
• Don’t forget to snag a limited-edition pint glass! Multiple ways to get one!
• First 10 drinks ordered - served in pint anniversary party pint glass.
• For an extra $5 you can have your drink served in an anniversary glass and take it home.
• Bring in 5 canned foods - get a free anniversary glass (while supplies last)

Is It Thursday Yet? at Reynolds Industries Theater

• Is It Thursday Yet? is a stunning tapestry of dance, live music, and home video footage that invites audiences into the unique complexities of dancer and choreographer Jenn Freeman’s life following her Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis at age 33. Since then, she has navigated an endless sea of epiphanies, examining childhood memories through this new lens.
• Scored with original live music from composer and vocalist Holland Andrews with a set by Rachel Hauck (Tony Award® winner, Hadestown), this engrossing new work is co-created and co-choreographed by Freeman and the electrifying Sonya Tayeh (Tony Award winner, Moulin Rouge!) as Director.
• November 14-15

Scrap Paper Shakespeare presents: Titus Andronicus at Shadowbox Studio

• The earliest tragedy and the earliest Roman play attributed to Shakespeare.
• October 31- November 9
• Admission: $30+, $20+ for seniors, students, & artists

Thanksgiving: History & Legacy Tours at Bennett Place

• The modern Thanksgiving holiday stems from a mid-19th century campaign by Sara Josepha Hale for the adoption of a national thanksgiving holiday. President Abraham Lincoln created the federal holiday in 1863 during the American Civil War.
• So how did our Thanksgiving narrative come to focus on a fantastical meal shared between colonists and American Indians? What messages did Americans hope to convey with the Thanksgiving holiday? What were some popular Thanksgiving foods of generations past?
• Most Saturdays in November, Bennett Place staff lead guided tours that explore the history & legacy of this Civil War era federal holiday. These tours include a living history component, preparing a 19th-century dish within the Bennett's kitchen.
• November 1-29
• Admission: $8 adults, $6 seniors, military/veterans, children

Lutra Brunch Pop-up at Cheeni

• Lutra Cafe and Bakery, the popular Durham-based bakery known for its sweet and savory buns, will host a weekly Sunday brunch at Durham's Cheeni restaurant. The brunch pop-up at Cheeni will give diners a chance to taste Lutra's expanded cafe menu months before chef-owner Chris McLaurin opens Lutra's counter-service restaurant at American Tobacco Campus by the end of 2025. Sunday brunch will be offered from 8-11 a.m. The brunch menu includes the sweet and savory buns, breakfast sandwich, biscuits and gravy, bread pudding, granola bowl, 100-layer hash browns and more.
• Sunday Brunch | June 8-September 28
• 8am-11am

Guided Spirits Tasting Tour at Liberty & Plenty Distillery

• Join a brand ambassador from Liberty & Plenty Distillery for a guided tour of the production facility and Rickhouse in Downtown Durham to learn the basics of how spirits are made. Every tour includes a tasting of Liberty & Plenty Distillery's rums, vodkas, gins and whiskies.
• Every Friday at 5:00 PM and 6:30 PM and every Saturday at 2:00 PM and 3:30 PM
• Admission: $20

$1.50 Oysters at Alley Twenty Six

• Durham’s Alley Twenty Six is now offering $1.50 raw oyster special from 4-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays. A selection of oysters are sourced from North Carolina and often Canada, Virginia or elsewhere along the East Coast and served with cocktail sauce, Mignonette sauce and lemon. Bar seats are available first come, first serve or make a reservation at alleytwentysix.com.
• July 26-Sept 30

Pre-Theatre Menu at Alley Twenty Six

• Durham’s Alley Twenty Six offers a Pre-Theatre Menu from 4-5:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. The three-course menu includes appetizer, entree, and dessert. An example menu includes a mandatory green salad or chicken-fried cauliflower for the first course; farro risotto or steamed mussels for the second course; and for dessert, Mexican chocolate pot de crème or St. Angel Triple Crème Cheese. The menu and prices change based on season and ingredient availability.
• July 26-Sept 30

Studio Ghibli Film Series at Carolina Theatre

• For decades, Studio Ghibli has created breathtakingly beautiful movies that have captivated and inspired audiences for generations through masterful storytelling and stunning visuals. Experience the wonder of these groundbreaking, beloved animated films.
• July 30 -Dec 13

Monday, November 10

8:30 a.m.

RTP Evolve at Research Triangle Park Frontier

5 p.m.

Arts & Drafts at Beer Study Durham

6 p.m.

FREE - Mead & Hobbits at Ment Beverage Co.

Disc Golf Putting League at The Glass Jug Beer Lab - RTP

6:30 p.m.

Trivia Night at Ponysaurus Brewing Co.

Crunk Club DRM presents: Crank Arm Durham RUN at Crank Arm Brewing Durham

7 p.m.

Not Rocket Science Trivia at Fizzwerks

Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery

7:30 p.m.

The MOST Open Mic (Monday Moans) at West End Wine Bar

The Devines Intervention Comedy Open Mic at Devine's Restaurant and Bar

Tuesday, November 11

7 a.m.

Pancake Jamboree at Durham Armory

10 a.m.

Forest Bathing Walk at Sarah P. Duke Gardens

12 p.m.

Native Plant Solutions: Add Life Under Trees (virtual) at Virtual, Zoom hosted by Sarah P. Duke Gardens

5 p.m.

Yaki Tuesday at Dashi

Free Wine Tasting at Wine Authorities

6 p.m.

2025 Lynn W. Day Lectureship at Forest History Society

The Glass Jog Run Club - Winter Series at The Glass Jug Beer Lab - RTP

Silent Book Club at Letters Community Bookshop

Vinyl Night with DJ Deckades at Gizmo Brew Works

Adult Coloring Night at Hi-Wire Brewing

Gentle Yoga Flow at ReCity Network

Music Bingo Night at Glass Jug Downtown

Glass Jog Run Club - Spring Series at The Glass Jug Beer Lab

Women on the Wall at Triangle Rock Club - Durham

BYOV w/ Jaffar (Bring Your Own Vinyl Night) at Rubies on Five Points

7 p.m.

Cosmic Rays Touring Program 2025 | Experimental Film Lab at Rubenstein Arts Center, Film Theater

Karaoke Night at the bar @DBCo

Trivia at Beer Study Durham (back room)

Not Rocket Science Trivia at DSSOLVR Durham

Video Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery

7:30 p.m.

BEERthoven: Evren Ozel, piano at Atomic Clock Brewing

andmoreagain presents -- saturdays at Motorco Music Hall

Wednesday, November 12

3 p.m.

Durham Farmers’ Market at Pavilion at Durham Central Park

5 p.m.

Art & Craft supply swap at Ment Beverage Co.

Wine Wednesday! Free Wine Tasting at Beer Study Durham

5:30 p.m.

Duke Football Radio Show and Tailgate Dinner at Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

6:30 p.m.

Paint & Sip at The Goat at LC Brier Creek

Crank Arm DURHAM Wednesday Night Ride at Crank Arm Brewing Durham

Trivia Night at The Glass Jug Beer Lab - RTP

7 p.m.

NCCU Men's Basketball v. Bluefield State at NCCU

Duke Women's Basketball v. Norfolk State at Cameron Indoor Stadium

ADF at The Fruit

Walker Hayes: Unplugged at DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center

Hammered Trivia at Hi Wire brewing

Signature Wine Tasting at Zinc House Winery & Brewery

Trivia Night at Mystic Farm & Distillery

Music Bingo at Ponysaurus Brewing Co.

Music Bingo at the bar @DBCo

Brett Chambers Open Mic at The Blue Note Grill

Old School Bingo Night – Every Wednesday Night at DSSOLVR

Music Mashup Trivia at Fizzwerks

7:30 p.m.

English Country Dance at Reality Center

8 p.m.

Air Hockey Tournament at Boxcar Arcade

Karaoke at Moon Dog Meadery

Thursday, November 13

5:30 p.m.

Walking Club with Bull City Strollers at Glass Jug Downtown

6 p.m.

Date Night DIY at Nailed It DIY Studio Durham

Vinyl Night with DJ Deckades at Gizmo Brew Works

Dungeons n' Drafts at DSSOLVR Durham

6:30 p.m.

Duke Women's Basketball v. UNC Asheville at NCCU

Duke Volleyball v. Virginia Tech at Cameron Indoor Stadium

Grief Ceremony hosted by Circle of Healing at People's Solidarity Hub (white building)

Decolonizing Yoga at Duke Park

Sapphic Happy Hour at Zeitgeist Gallery & Bar

Boulders & Brews Meetup at Triangle Rock Club - Durham

7 p.m.

Film Screening — Luo Luo’s Future | Memory Project: 'Living the Pandemic' series at Rubenstein Arts Center, Film Theater

Six More Miles at The Blue Note Grill

Thursday Trivia at Baryo

Crank Arm Durham Presents: Level up and Sip at Crank Arm Brewing Durham

Trivia Night at Beer Tooth Taproom

Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery

Eagles Nest Jam featuring NCCU Jazz at Missy Lanes

Hammered Trivia at Durty Bull Brewing

7:30 p.m.

Neil deGrasse Tyson An Astrophysicist Goes to the Movies – Part III at DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center

Trivia Night w/Big Slow Tom at Clouds Brewing Brightleaf Square

8 p.m.

andmoreagain presents -- Shwayze at Motorco Music Hall

Music Trivia Bingo with Stormie Daie! at The Velvet Hippo

Queer-Eoke at Club ERA

Friday, November 14

Events at Club Era

• 7-10 p.m. - Pregame Fridays!
  
  
• 10 p.m. - 2 a.m. - Freaky Fridays

10 a.m.

Tasting at Counter Culture Coffee

12 p.m.

Friday Co-Working Social at The Glass Jug Downtown

5:30 p.m.

Kids Night Out at Museum of Life and Science

6 p.m.

The Duke Street Dogs at The Blue Note Grill

Friday Night Live Music on the Lawn at Bull McCabe's Irish Pub

7 p.m.

Duke Men's Basketball v. Indiana State at Cameron Indoor Stadium

7:30 p.m.

Greylan Hall & the Nasty Kings, Jackson Slater, & Red Dress Amy at The Blue Note Grill
9 p.m.

Hush Hush Improv Comedy at Mettlesome Theatre

Well Seasoned - comedy at Mettlesome Theatre

Karaoke at Flying Bull Beer Company Taproom

10 p.m.

The [Friday] Night Shift at The Velvet Hippo

Saturday, November 15

Guided Walking Tours with Triangle Adventures

• 2 p.m. - Historic Downtown Durham Walking Tour
• 4 p.m. - Durham African American History Tour
• 6 p.m. - Downtown Durham True Crime Tour

8 a.m.

South Durham Farmer's Market at Hub RTP

Durham Farmers’ Market at Pavilion at Durham Central Park

parkrun Durham at Southern Boundaries Park

9 a.m.

South Durham Farmer's Market at Hub RTP

10 a.m.

Durham Grown: The Durham County Library Garden Club at Durham County Main Library Auditorium

Made by You: Scratch Art at MAA Nixie

Jazz Brunch at Lula & Sadie's

11 a.m.

Storytime at Barnes and Noble New Hope Commons: Kids Stage

Drop-In Make Your Own Body Fragrance at Bright Black.

12 p.m.

North Durham Farmers' Market at Soul Sanctuary

Crafternoons at Gizmo Brew Works

Free Wine Tasting at Wine Authorities

1 p.m.

Lower Eno River Discovery Paddle at Eno River Durham

3 p.m.

The 2025 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Football Championship at Durham County Memorial Stadium

3:30 p.m.

Duke Football vs Virginia at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium

4 p.m.

The 9th Annual Liberty Arts Iron Pour at Durham Central Park

Batala Durham 10 Year Anniversary Event at 9th Annual Liberty Arts Iron Pour Durham Central Park

Chili Cook Off at Ment Beverage Co.

5 p.m.

Lightning Strikes XVI ProAm Kickboxing & Muay Thai Fight Night at Durham Armory

5:30 p.m.

NCCU Football v. South Carolina State at NCCU

6 p.m.

*FREE* Music on Mangum @ Durham Beer Garden at Durham Beer Garden

7 p.m.

2025 Silent Auction Fundraiser at Provident1898

JZM Brazilian Jazz at Succotash Southern & Creole Kitchen

7:30 p.m.

8-Track Minds at The Blue Note Grill

8 p.m.

Moon Dog Comedy Night at Moon Dog Meadery
Durham Ghost Walk at Fate & Folklore

9:30 p.m.

Saturday Night Dance Party at The Velvet Hippo

10 p.m.

Drink, Drag, Dance, Repeat! at Club ERA

Sunday, November 16

8 a.m.

Civil War: Part 2 Airsoft Event at Xtreme Park Adventures

10 a.m.

Teddy Bear Hospital at Museum of Life and Science

Durham Community Day at Museum of Life and Science

Jazz Brunch at Lula & Sadie's

11:30 a.m.

Yoga @ The Winery at Zinc House Winery & Brewer

12 p.m.

Dungeons & Drafts at Glass Jug Downtown

Sunday Dollar Bin Sale for Charity at Rumors Durham

12:15 p.m.

Public Tour of Duke Chapel at Duke University Chapel

1 p.m

Duke Volleyball v. Virginia at Cameron Indoor Stadium

Mahjong Lessons and Assisted Play at Casa Bella Market

Botanical Scent Storytelling: Pauli Murray at Bright Black Creators Studio

Black Farmers Market at Durham Tech Community College

Savory Sunday - Bloody Marys with ALL the Fixins at Liberty & Plenty Distillery

2 p.m.

Chocolate & Bourbon Pairing at Mystic Farm and Distillery

Hot Wax on Tap at Bright Black.

Hammered Trivia at Durty Bull Brewing Company

4:30 p.m.

Sunday Supper at The Durham

5 p.m.

Organ Recital Series: Maxine Thévenot at Duke Chapel

8 p.m.

Po' Ramblin' Boys Concert Benefiting the Breweries of Western NC at Motorco Music Hall

Running Art Exhibits

Art Exhibition - Sam van Strien: Traces of Displacement at Golden Belt Gallery

• Durham Art Guild presents Traces of Displacement, an exhibition of works by Sam van Strien, developed during his 2024–25 residency at Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in East Tennessee.
• Through rubbings, drawings, laser-cut engravings, and archival texts, van Strien examines the architectural and historical legacy of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). His work reflects on how displacement—of buildings, landscapes, and communities—became a precondition for the accumulation of capital and the reshaping of regional identity.
• A New Deal program that transformed the Tennessee Valley through dams and electrification, the TVA brought both progress and profound loss. Entire towns were submerged, thousands displaced, and vernacular structures uprooted in the name of modernization. Van Strien’s works trace these tensions between infrastructural power and local resilience. Rubbings and engravings of cabins from the Museum of Appalachia, many themselves displaced by flooding, become tactile witnesses to layered histories.
• Screen-printed maps and testimonies appear alongside drawings inspired by Arrowmont’s historic weaving collection, opening dialogues between grids, textures, and material culture in Appalachia. The resulting works interlace architectural impressions, archival fragments, and woven patterns, reflecting on how histories of place are remembered and reimagined.
• Sam van Strien is a visual artist exploring how architecture and capitalism shape urban space. He holds an MFA from Ohio State University and a BA from Central Saint Martins, London. His work has been exhibited internationally, and he will join Indiana University in 2026 as Assistant Professor of Architecture.
• October 26- November 13
• Free

Art Exhibition — Southern Grammar at Ella West Gallery

• A compelling new group exhibition curated by Raleigh-based painter Clarence Heyward featuring work by Jō Baskerville, Jeremy Biggers, and Sam Lao, Southern Grammar explores the legacy, evolution, and unapologetic spirit of the Black South through powerful visual storytelling.
• From Baskerville’s cinematic black-and-white silhouettes, to Biggers’ hyperreal portraits of defiance and dignity, to Lao’s joy-filled tufted works bursting with color and texture—each artist brings a distinct voice to the conversation. Together, their work offers a multifaceted look at identity, memory, and the cultural truths of the American South.
• The exhibition marks Heyward’s curatorial debut and reflects both his eye for emerging excellence and his deep roots in Southern artistic practice.
• Gallery Hours: Thursday–Saturday, 12PM–5PM and by appointment
• August 17-November 15
• Free

Art Exhibition — Beverly McIver’s “Notes to Self: Personal Work 1994-2025” at Craven Allen Gallery

• Notes to Self features a selection of new work, as well as seminal paintings, prints and collages on view for the first time. These works were created as part of Beverly Mclver’s personal practice, exploring themes and techniques that would later appear in some of her most recognizable paintings.
• Beverly McIver lives and works in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Known for her expressive self-portraits and intimate family narratives, her work is held in major collections including the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, the North Carolina Museum of Art, and the Baltimore Museum of Art. She has received numerous honors, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Rome Prize, and, most recently, election as a National Academician by the National Academy of Design. McIver was the subject of the Emmy®-nominated HBO documentary Raising Renee and in 2022 was celebrated with Full Circle, a traveling retrospective organized by the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. She is currently developing an artist residency program, Renny’s Place, in honor of her sister.
• Monday–Friday 9:30 – 6, Saturday 10 – 4
• Reception 9/3, 5-8 p.m.
• Sept. 3- Nov. 15

Jenny Blazing: Beyond at 5 Points Gallery

• 5 Points Gallery is pleased to present "Jenny Blazing: Beyond" an exhibition of abstract landscapes where edges become places of change, where light shifts, colors collide, and new possibilities open. These works push past the familiar, expanding horizons both outward and inward, and invite viewers to see transition not as an ending but as momentum. Rooted in her Carolina surroundings, Blazing’s paintings carry us into spaces of exploration and discovery beyond the known.
• Enjoy the varied works of ten Triangle-based artists in a range of media including painting, sculpture, fused glass, mixed media, and finely crafted furniture.
• Visit 5 Points Gallery in person or online. All work from the exhibition is available for shipping or pickup. Gallery hours: Thursdays & Fridays 5–9pm, Saturdays 1–9pm. Artists are available to talk about the works. For a private viewing, contact us at info@5pointsgallery.com.
• October 16-November 15
• Free

History Exhibit: Made in the Triangle: The Story of RTP at Museum of Durham History

• This exhibit explores Research Triangle Park’s evolution from its founding to future plans, highlighting key milestones, community perceptions, and global impact, delving into how RTP was built, how it was perceived by surrounding communities, its global influence, and its deep ties to Durham. As a global model for innovation ecosystems, it’s also a story of community impact and international replication.
• Explore the bold vision that gave birth to Research Triangle Park in the midst of North Carolina’s transformation from a struggling agricultural state to a hub of innovation.
• Discover how civic leaders, academics, and businesspeople came together to merge higher education and private enterprise in an unprecedented experiment in economic development.
• Trace how RTP matured, drawing global attention and becoming a magnet for corporations and innovators alike.
• See how today, RTP continues to evolve with the rise of urban tech, new headquarters, and smart growth.
• November 3-21
• Free

Miler Lagos: The Merx Tree at Rubenstein Arts Center Gallery

• This site-specific installation by Colombian artist and engineer Miler Lagos is made of cardboard boxes collected on Duke’s campus, stacked and carved to resemble the base of a Ceiba tree—an ancient and sacred symbol in Mesoamerican and Amazonian cultures. By reshaping discarded cardboard to its pre-processed arboreal form, Lagos confronts viewers with the hidden cost of commerce.
• With the title, Merx, Latin for “merchandise” and derived from the Roman god Mercury (patron of commerce and communication/divination), Lagos imbues his work with a multi-leveled significance. The reclaimed cardboard evokes global systems of trade and transformation. And the Cieba tree connects the shamanic practice of bridging realms by inserting tobacco leaves into its bark to Duke’s historical entanglement with tobacco as a commodity. In this context, The Merx Tree becomes both a reflection of the global impact of distribution, and a monument to the invisible, often spiritual, networks embedded within it.
• Sept 7- Nov 25
• Free

Art Exhibit — The Disobedient Ones at Frederic Jameson Gallery, Friedl Bldg

• Cornelio Campos and Rodrigo Dorfman, two consolidated visual Latino artists living in North Carolina, come together for their first collaborative exhibit. The exhibit will also feature a forum about art and mobility, guided tours, and a film screening as part of the 2025 North Carolina Latin American Film Festival.
• Campos and Dorfman will be exhibiting new paintings created at the intersection of emerging AI technologies and the ongoing challenges of bearing witness to the (im)migrant Latino experience in the Nuevo South. The Disobedient Ones/Los Desobedientes is an attempt to break the rules, challenge assumptions, and search for new definitions of our humanity in a world whose axis and paradigms appear to be disintegrating before our eyes.
• On view Weekdays 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Cornelio Campos is a self-trained painter and muralist from Mexico who has resided in Durham, North Carolina, since 1990. His paintings and murals reflect on his indigenous Purépecha roots and his immigrant experience in the United States. Campos has exhibited throughout North Carolina, Colombia, Italy, and Mexico, and his work is part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Museum. He is the first Latino to receive a North Carolina Heritage Award.
• Opening: September 20, 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
  Film Screening: October 4, 6:00 PM
  Forum: October 11 and 12 (TBA)
  Guided Tour: November 7th (TBA)
  Closing Party: December 12. 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
• September 29- December 12

Art Exhibit — Sherman Fleming: Unsettled at Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

• Known for his provocative performances, Sherman Fleming (b. 1953), is an influential multimedia artist based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This focused survey gathers works spanning forty years of Fleming’s career, presenting paintings, drawings, ephemera, and documentation of his performances made between 1978–2019.
• Fleming’s works are demonstrations of perseverance, self-control, and conviction. The artist’s main medium is his body, which he uses in myriad ways. His endurance performances span hours and even months and include walking through Philadelphia for a day while carrying an eight-foot-tall wooden phallus along with spending a year wearing a noose—objects purposely chosen as material reminders of racial and sexual stereotypes of Black masculinity as well as the ongoing trauma of racialized terrorism in the United States.
• The unsettling nature of his work pushes the boundaries of discomfort as the imagery features both difficult subjects and unresolved compositions. Overall, Fleming’s complex practice is connected through his relentless processes that consistently expand the horizons of what art can be and how it may be experienced on paper, canvas, in a gallery, in a theatre, or even live on the street. Through his innovative explorations of identity, the artist’s messaging continues to resonate in profound ways, many years after its making.
• Tu-Sa 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Su 12-5 p.m.
  
• September 29- January 18

Art Exhibition — Human Landscapes, the Mystery of the Mark at NCCU Art Museum

• North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and the Eric Kelly Museum are proud to announce a major exhibition celebrating the extraordinary work of NCCU alumnus Dr. Eric A.W. Kelly III, founder of the Kelly Worldwide advertising and marketing Agency and Director of Eric Kelly III Museum, and one of the most transformative abstract expressive artists of our time. Running from October 23, 2025, through January 4, 2026, the exhibition, Human Landscapes: The Mystery of the mark, presents a groundbreaking fusion of color, sound, and emotional storytelling through more than 50 paintings spanning seven decades of artistic mastery. In this groundbreaking exhibit, Dr. Kelly will be showing some of his early masterpieces from his days at NCCU, leading up to his present style called neo-abstract expressive.
• Dr. Eric Kelly III’s visionary style—marked by bold black lines, synesthetic color experiences, and deeply expressive portraiture—has shaped a new visual language that bridges abstraction and identity. A 1982 graduate of NCCU’s Visual Communications program and the university’s first Art Scholarship recipient, Dr. Kelly returns to his alma mater to debut a multisensory journey that explores the human condition through dynamic compositions, vivid colors, original music scores, and shares his new movie documentary “Human Landscapes” during the exhibition.
• This event is free and open to the public. RSVP FOR ART TOURS 919-308-9090
• October 22- January 4

Coming into Focus: A Snapshot of Photography at Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

• Recently the Nasher has added over 2,000 photographs to its collection, including works by the best-known practitioners from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, such as Edouard Baldus, Ilse Bing, Henri Cartier-Bresson, André Kertész, Arthur Rothstein, Nadar, and Edward Weston. Coming into Focus: A Snapshot of Photography at the Nasher celebrates these gifts and other acquisitions, highlighting a sampling of gems and
  illuminating a bright future of continued collecting and presenting of photography in innovative and ambitious ways.
• July 28- January 1
• Free

Art Exhibition — Labor&Materials and The Intuitionist at 21c Museum Hotel Durham

• 21c Durham is unveiling two new exhibitions with Labor & Materials and The Intuitionist. The exhibitions feature a thematic group exhibition of 67 multi-media artworks by 40 artists from across the globe exploring the evolution of industry and labor in the 21st century and a two-person exhibition of paintings by Atlanta-based artist Xavier Daniels and Toronto-based artist Natia Lemay.
  
• June 12- May 31
• Free