The Durham Art Gallery is a rural, public gallery that is dedicated to being an inclusive organization that facilitates dialogue through gathering, sharing, and exchanging ideas. Our mandate is to exhibit, interpret and promote contemporary art and visual culture that inspires creativity, curiosity, and community engagement. Research shows that both creating and appreciating art, in all its forms, can boost mood, lower anxiety, improve immune strength, and thereby improve quality of life. Art can also help to communicate, where words often fail, and in our increasingly complex world, art and creativity can stimulate empathy, creative problem solving and social connection across generations. 

In striving to maintain responsive engagement with our community, the Durham Art Gallery pursues innovative artistic, curatorial, and educational programming strategies that reflect the diverse nature of our society. We offer a variety of arts experiences and explorations to stimulate and expand public perceptions of the contemporary art experience, merging rural and urban sensibilities. With a focus on integrated programming, reciprocity and partnerships, the Durham Art Gallery is a rural headquarters for contemporary art, where curiosity and creativity build community.