Wildlife and nature

Animal shelters and rescues

Theater and dance

Rivers, parks and trails

Hunger and food

Schools and learning

Housing and homelessness

Community health

Mental health

Mentoring and foster care

Legal help and rights

Jobs and money help

Atlanta

The Triangle

Everywhere

The Collective Workshop

Royal Animal Refuge

Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta

Georgia Advancing Communities Together

Atlanta Writers Club

Cobb Collaborative

Bosleys Place

Jewish Fertility Foundation

The Durham Art Guild is a tax-exempt nonprofit, recognized since 1952, that runs Artist in Residence, Art@Work and Creative Mentorship.

Give

Artful Evenings: A Live Painting+ Series

Art Swap & Artist Mingle at Ment Beverage Co.

Events — The Durham Art Guild

Annual Queer Arts Festival! (Not DAG facilitated, but We Love It!)

The Living Room Open Mic + Craft Space

Again: As They See Us.

Closing Reception for Ancient Relics

Triangle Artworks Happy Hour in Pittsboro

Michael Gianakos

Dara Baldwin

Anthony Patterson

McKayla Walker

Karen Cantor

Laura Jury

Delayna Robbins

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO OCT. 30! DAG’s 72nd Juried Exhibition Application closes at midnight on Wednesday, October 28! Submit your work now and be considered for $1,400 in cash prizes. Link in bio for more info an to apply.

Now open in DAG Gallery at Golden Belt, “Breath of the Dusk” by Iris Moyan Wang. Breath of the Dusk features ink paintings and ceramic sculptures of sensual plant-body hybrids, inspired by traditional Chinese Qi patterns and the colors of sunsets the artist has walked through. These botanical cyborgs challenge the perceived passivity of Chinese ornaments under the Orientalist gaze, as well as Confucian patriarchy, which categorizes beings into hierarchical orders. The coiling Qi patterns of ancient China imagine a fluid, ever-transforming way of existence, while the transient colors of dusk offer a liminal state of tranquility beyond geographical boundaries. Informed by both heritage and nature, the exhibition invites boundless growth, dancing between the dualities of softness and violence, tranquility and decadence. Join us for the Third Friday reception on November 20 from 7-9PM

Meet the curators for “Holding Space: The Art of Care”, on view in the Truist Gallery until November 27: Ash Lorusso (@ash_lorusso) is a visual artist from Raleigh, NC who currently lives in Chapel Hill. She left the state for about a decade to complete her MFA in painting at Parsons School of Design in New York. Ash returned to the area in 2015 to raise her three children, and to care for her mother during her battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Ash’s work is heavily influenced by this period of transition and intense care-giving; exploring ideas of personal identity, memory, grief, and the unseen pathways of daily life. Paget Marion Blythe (@blythe.creative) is a self-taught artist who works in acrylic, mixed media and collage. Her recent focus is on how the mindful practice of art can be therapeutic and transformative for individuals and communities experiencing life transitions and during times of intense societal change. She is particularly interested in how iconography of women and the feminine can be employed to question traditional and prescriptive narratives. Paget lives in Pittsboro, North Carolina with her two young children who inspire and challenge her creative expression on the daily. See you all for Third Friday (that’s this Friday!) from 6-8PM to celebrate Ash, Paget, and over 60 artist caregivers in this showcase.

Art Hustle is TONIGHT! Join us at 6PM every first Tuesday of the month to chat about all things art. What are you struggling with? What are you working on? Where could you use some support? We’re all in this creative journey together, so come out and meet new artists to grow your practice and your confidence!

Call for Art! Apply by October 28. For 72 years, The Guild’s Juried Exhibition has created space for local artists to be seen, heard, and celebrated. Rooted in a long-standing commitment to supporting artists, this annual tradition exists to reflect the creativity, perspectives, and lived experiences of our creative community. So, we invite you to boldly take up space in the gallery by submitting up to 3 pieces for our juror to review. Meet our Juror: Ellen Cassily is the founder of Ellen Cassily Architects and along with her husband Frank Konhaus of Cassilhaus. Ellen has participated in multiple public art projects, taught numerous design studios, sustainability seminars and summer design/build studios in the architecture department at NCSU over the last 30 years. We would be honored to have you join us for the ride, a 72nd time. Apply at the link in our bio.

Now open, “Holding Space: The Art of Care” A Group Exhibit featuring Artists Who are Also Caretakers Curated by Ash Lorusso and Paget Marion Blythe Truist Gallery from September 18th - November 27th Opening Reception: Friday, September 25th 6-8pm Holding Space is an exhibition that centers the creative practices of artists who are also caretakers —parents, children of aging parents, healthcare workers, teachers, and others whose daily lives are devoted to caring for others. The show explores how care work and creative work intertwine, focusing on the tenderness, exhaustion, devotion, and resilience that shape both art-making and caregiving. For many artists, the act of caring for others transforms not only the rhythms of their days but also the materials, gestures, and meaning of their work. Holding Space asks: What does it mean to create while caring? How does the invisible labor of care manifest in visual form? What new aesthetics, structures, or communal possibilities emerge when care itself becomes part of the creative process? This exhibition is meant to reflect the community in which it is held, as well as be inclusive of often underrepresented creators (those for whom it cannot be a full-time practice).

ART SWAP IS BACK THURSDAY 9/24! Join us for a free and exciting gathering for artists and art enthusiasts to come together, connect, and share their creativity. Art Swap is hosted at Ment Bev. Co, who will be donating a portion of drink sales to the Durham Art Guild - thank you to such a fabulous venue! What to Expect: Artist Mingle from 6PM to 6:30PM: This is a fantastic chance to network with other creatives, share ideas, and enjoy the vibrant artistic community of Durham. Art Swap at 6:30PM: Attendees are invited to bring one piece of original artwork they created (maximum size: 16” x 20”). Whether you’re a member of the Durham Art Guild or not, all are welcome to participate! Don’t have a piece of Art?: That’s okay! All are welcome who appreciate art, feel free to mingle and enjoy a beverage. But the only way to participate in the art swap is to bring something you have created. RSVP at the link in DAG bio.

Welcome Bailey Adkins and Brittany Fisher as the Durham Art Guild’s 2026 Artists in Residence! Over the next six months, Bailey and Brittany will deepen their practices, connect with the Durham community through the AIR program. With support from DAG, they will grow their careers with access to free studio space at Golden Belt, a stipend, mentorship, professional resources, and an end of residency exhibition. Bailey Adkins is a multidisciplinary artist working across painting, leatherwork, and object making, exploring power, identity, desire, and bodily autonomy. Brittany Fisher is a self taught mixed media artist creating vibrant, expressive work across traditional and digital mediums. We’ll be sharing their progression throughout this program along the way, stay tuned ✌️

Join us this Friday for the closing reception of Ancient Relics, featuring ceramic artist Sarah Coppola. Inspired by archaeology, nature, and the unpredictable marks of fire, Sarah’s work explores the beauty of objects that feel both ancient and newly discovered. Come see the exhibition, meet Sarah, and celebrate the final days of the show. Friday, September 11 6–8 PM Durham Art Guild | 800 Taylor Street

Call for Art! DAG Gallery at Golden Belt is now accepting proposals for solo/duo exhibitions until October 30. This is a members only opportunity. Learn more at the link in our bio. Not a Member? What are you doing?! Get your membership and get more opportunities! That’s also at the link in our bio ;)

Oh yeah, it’s happening. At the Durham Art Guild, we strive to create opportunity, access, and visibility to our artists. That’s why we’re making a change. Starting in the 2027 gallery exhibition season, we’re moving away from group proposals in the Truist Gallery, and offering calls for art that allows our Members more chances to show their art and have their stories told. The best part? Members will be able to vote for the prompts they want to be a part of. Vote now at the link in our bio by Aug. 31. But, there’s more. DAG Gallery at Golden Belt has always been limited to solo exhibitions. We’re now opening the opportunity for duo show proposals. Applications will open September 1. So now what? Stay notified and look out for more calls for art, proposals, and opportunities.

Congratulations to our awarded artists for the 2026 DAG Member’s Showcase! This exhibition is still on view in the Truist Gallery until September 7. You can also view and shop this gallery online at the link in our bio. Buy an awarded piece, or one of the other 130 incredible artworks on display this year, either way it’s a good decision ;)

We’re back with ANOTHER massive Third Friday Reception, THIS Friday, August 21! Join us at the Truist Gallery for award presentations for the DAG Members’ Showcase and special announcements as we celebrate artists and announce some big opportunities coming up 👀 6PM to 8PM, with announcements scheduled for 7PM! Over at DAG Golden Belt Gallery we’ll be having the opening for the beautiful “Ancient Relics” by Sarah Coppola from 6-9PM. Come celebrate art with us and enjoy drinks, food, and our incredible Members!

We’re so excited to have ceramic artist Sarah Coppola next in DAG’s Golden Belt Gallery! Sarah’s ceramic work explores the connection between art, nature, and archaeology. Join us as her exhibition opens this Friday, August 14, with a Third Friday reception on August 21 from 6–9 PM. Sarah’s work explores the quiet dialogue between earth, fire, and the prehistoric and innate human drive to make art. Each pit-fired ceramic piece emerges from the ground transformed, carrying the unpredictable marks of flame, ash, and smoke - echoes of ancient artifacts unearthed after centuries. She is inspired by the beauty of the natural world - breathtaking rocks and weathered wood - as well as archaeology and the traces of human hands left on the natural world; worn shards and ancient relics that once served both functional and spiritual roles. By combining ceramic forms with driftwood and fused glass, Sarah aims to create modern relics that feel discovered rather than made, bridging the space between past and present. Rooted in the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, her process embraces imperfection and chance. The smoke patterns, cracks, and variations in texture reflect nature’s hand as much as her own. Her work celebrates the beauty found in what is weathered, incomplete, and enduring. Each piece stands as both artifact and offering - a meditation on what remains when nature, fire, and the human hand collaborate.

See a favorite? Our Annual Members’ Showcase is the largest exhibition in Durham featuring over 130 DAG artists. Shop online and vote Citizen’s Choice now, link in bio.

AND THEY WONT STOP COMING 👏👏 👏 DAG’s Members’ Showcase showcases over 130 artworks with prices for every budget. Don’t think there’s a piece for you?? Check out our online store or even stop by the gallery, you’d be amazed at the work our member artists are able to create! 🔗 Link in bio to shop

The Members Showcase is more than just Durham’s largest exhibition of the year; it’s an opportunity for our members to showcase their creative talents, connect with the community, and celebrate artists. Now’s your chance to spread the love, and here’s how: • Visit our gallery or check it out online and purchase a piece of original artwork. • Vote for Citizen’s choice and help your fav artist win! • Join us for our next reception, August 21st at 6PM and watch the awards be presented to our artists in person Special thanks to @matt.hughes.photos for capturing these incredible moments from our opening ❤️

You guys really showed up!! Over 350 of you!! Thank you to over 130 DAG Members for creating this beautiful exhibition, bringing your friends, family, and community to gather and celebrate the incredible art that makes Durham so cool. Our opening reception was filled with laughter, joy, art buying, and wine sipping, and we wouldn’t want it any other way. We hope to see you all at the next one 👋

Durham’s Largest exhibition is now open!!! See over 130 artists featured in this year’s DAG Member’s Showcase! With many new artists this year, this is our largest and most exciting show yet. Don’t forget to join us for the Third Friday Artists Reception on Friday, July 17 from 6PM-8PM to meet many of the participating artists! We can’t wait to see you.

Join us for the opening reception this Friday from 6PM-9PM for Renzo Ortega’s “Fish Tank”, a solo exhibition presenting a metaphorical ecosystem and refuge that welcomes its audience to engage with political and expressionistic paintings. Acompáñenos este viernes, de 6:00 pm a 9:00 pm, en la inauguración de la exposición individual de Renzo Ortega «Fish Tank». Esta exposición presenta un ecosistema metafórico y refugio, invitando al público a interactuar con pinturas de carácter político y expresionista. DAG Golden Belt Gallery (800 Taylor St)

Up next in DAG’s Golden Belt Gallery, “FISH TANK” Paintings by Renzo Ortega. In this solo exhibition, Renzo Ortega presents new oil paintings on canvas, a series of acrylic paintings on reclaimed jute coffee sacks, and, for the first time in North Carolina, a couple of past works from the early 2000’s. All these artworks together form a large site-specific installation that interacts with the exhibition space, creating a unified whole. A visual journey that shows fighting spirits in the current socio-political context, which, for Renzo Ortega, is crucial to express through his artwork. As well as the hard but true realities of human existence, such as death, war, and personal and communal struggle. But at the same time, use painting as a space to channel emotions and find shelter during rough times, not only in the country but worldwide. In FISH TANK, the gallery is a metaphorical ecosystem, a container, and, of course, a refuge that welcomes people to engage with paintings made with expressionistic gesture and political attitude. FISH TANK is a space to move freely, while through the eyes we feed ourselves with powerful narratives, and reflect on them. On a recent painting pilgrimage to Rome, Renzo Ortega focused on visiting Churches to experience how paintings coexist in sacred spaces, feel the energy generated by the artworks in the temples, and how that energy influences us; furthermore, how, through depicted suffering, we find paths of light and liberation. With FISH TANK, in the way paintings are displayed, Renzo Ortega aims to achieve the same through a formal artistic strategy and as a representation of his cultural background. FISH TANK is a must-see exhibition, open to the public, and will be on view from July 8th to August 8th at the Durham Art Guild Gallery at Golden Belt. Join us for the opening reception on July 10th from 6PM to 9PM!

It’s happening. Featuring over 130 artists, the Durham Art Guild is proud to present the 2026 Members’ Showcase. In celebration of DAG’s 78th year, we honor our members that create the foundation of a culturally diverse and creative Durham, as well as artists who are scattered around North Carolina and beyond. Join us for the opening Third Friday Reception to meet the artists, enjoy free bites and drinks, and share a moment with a work that speaks to you in Durham’s largest commercial gallery! Location: Truist Gallery (120 Morris St, Durham NC) Date: Friday, July 17, 2026 Time: 6PM - 8PM This free event welcomes you to dress in your most creative attire, talk about art, and be a part of something amazing alongside other artists and art lovers.

It’s always been about the artists… Don’t wait to become one of The 78. DAG needs your support now more than ever as we wrap up of fiscal year and start fresh with more opportunities, more learning, and creating more impact to our artists. For 78 years the Durham Art Guild has centered itself around artists, and now it’s time to give back. Support the guild and sustain our organization at the link in bio. We love y’all so much, thank you to those who have already made an impact with us ❤️

Check out the 2026 Creative Mentorship Program Exhibition in DAG’s Golden Belt Gallery! This inspiring showcase highlights the work created by student artists during the Durham Art Guild’s semester long Creative Mentorship Program, where participants worked one-on-one with artist mentors Sia Karamalegos and Myles Brown to develop new skills, experiment with new techniques, and grow their creative confidence. Visit the exhibition through June 30 and help us celebrate the accomplishments of our students and artists!!

We’re wrapping up our time with our Brightleaf location with two awesome workshops hosted by DAG Members! Register at the link in bio. June 2 from 6PM - 8PM, Blueprints of Nature: Botanical Sketchbooking with Cyanoprints with Ana Carolina Hurant! Celebrate your love of plants with friends and a sketchbook and create unique cyanotypes. June 4 from 6PM - 8PM, Wild Pigments: Creating Handmade Watercolors & Inks with Hannah Weaver! Dive into the alchemy of color in this hands-on workshop. Leave with natural pigments to use at home. Location: 905 W Main St, Suite 25b next to Emmy’s Squared!

For 78 years, the Durham Art Guild has made a difference to artists by providing exhibition space, art studios, art classes, and cultivated a safe community for artist to be themselves. We could not have done all this without our supporters, but we need you to act now! It’s time to join “The 78”, a group of 78 sustainers who make monthly contributions so we can keep supporting our artists and keep arts alive in our community. As a 78 member you will be: - recognized as a sponsor in our award winning galleries - receive exclusive behind-the-scenes newsletters - gain access to exclusive DAG donor events - we will send you exclusive artwork made by the artists you supported We can’t do this without you. Visit the link in our bio to keep the arts thriving in Durham and beyond.

DPAC Rising Stars and DAG united for another year of showcasing the best high school student art around NC ✨ The skill and talent from these teens are just incredible, and every year we continue to be amazed by the artwork they produce. Thank you @dpacnc for giving us this beautiful space for our pop-up yesterday ❤️

For 78 years, the Durham Art Guild has supported artists by providing free space to learn, connect, exhibit, and sell their work. As Durham continues to grow and change, sustaining that commitment has never been more important, or more challenging. To honor our legacy and invest in the future, we invite you to join The 78 , a community of monthly donors dedicated to keeping Durham’s creative spirit alive. With a goal of one sustainer for every year of our impact, members of The 78 play a vital role in ensuring artists always have access to space and support they need. Support now art the link in our bio.

ART SWAP WAS AMAZING!! We met so many new members, artists, and those who dabble in creativity. Thank you to everybody who brought work, talked about it, and swapped it for another to continue spreading the joy that is art making ❤️ Super special thanks to Mar and Ment Beverage Co., who generously give us the space for creators to connect with one another. Stay tuned for dates on the next art swap, and always check our Events page for more community art events (link in bio)!

WATCH UNTIL THE END, YOUR SUPPORT IS NEEDED! This year has been rough, and we need our community’s help to support our artists and keep our culture alive through the arts. Consider joining The 78 and making a monthly contribution to the Durham Art Guild, and help us continue the legacy of creativity, freedom of expression, and supporting the artists who make our voices heard. More information can be found at the link in our bio. If you cannot make a contribution because, well, things are obviously hard right now, you can help by sharing this post and interacting with it. Visiting our galleries, buy art online, and tell your friends about our story.

Our 2026 Exhibition schedule is LIVE! Prepare for a year with DAG featuring so many beloved artists in our community, meaningful projects, and extraordinary artwork in our Truist and Golden Belt Gallery! Congratulations to all of the artists who were selected to show with us this year, we can’t wait to see these exhibitions unfold 😍

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The Durham Art Guild staff