Learn More & Explore

Want to find out more about the art? At the Ackland, we encourage you to pose, ponder, and pursue your own questions. From music and games to informative guides, we offer a variety of ways to experience art, both in the galleries and online. Here is a selection of resources to get you started.

Close Looks
Join Ackland staff and members of our communities in investigating individual works of art through a variety of voices, perspectives, approaches, and resources.
3D Digital Models
Interact with virtual 3D models of Ackland objects. Zoom in, explore surface textures, and look at forms from every angle.
Ackland YouTube Channel
Watch videos of artist and curator talks, past programs, art-making activities, and behind-the-scenes clips from the Museum.
Look & Listen
Listen to music related to works of art on view with the Look & Listen Gallery Soundtrack.
Ackland Research Guide
Start your research on objects at the Ackland using this guide, created in collaboration with UNC-Chapel Hill’s Sloane Art Library.
Class Notes
Listen in and participate in UNC course visits to the Ackland! Our educators guide you through a range of topics.

About the Art

Discover information about every work of art on view from the Ackland’s permanent collection using the gallery guides below. They are also available in the galleries to consult during your visit.
gallery 15 object guide: art from the Ancient Mediterranean and Europe before 1850
gallery 16 object guide: Classical Art of Africa
gallery 17 object guide: Art from Europe and America, 1850-1950
gallery 12 object guide: Art Since 1950
gallery 13 object guide: Art from the Ancient Mediterranean and Europe before 1850
gallery 14 object guide: Art from Europe and America, 1850-1950

Close Looking Kits

At the Ackland, we encourage you to look closely and carefully at works of art. Our Close Looking Kits, designed for kids and families, include a magnifying glass, drawing materials and art cards with questions and prompts to search for and look closely at interesting details.

Try making your own Close Looking Kit to use at home. These art-making and sleuthing tools will help you explore the world around you in new ways.

little boy looks at the camera through a magnifying glass

Gather:

Something to see through:
Magnifying glass, binoculars, toilet paper tube, rolled up newspaper, index card with a square cutout
Learn more about viewfinders

Something that provides light:
Flashlight, caregiver’s phone (ask permission first!), camping lantern

Something to draw with:
Pencil, crayons, colored pencils, markers

Something to draw on:
Construction paper, notepad, printer paper
Create your own mini sketchbook!

Something to keep supplies in:
Shoebox, paper bag, tote bag. Feel free to decorate the container!

Downloads:

Ackland Art Cards

Look, Write, Draw! Activities