Susan Q.
Yelp
I decided that for my Birthday in Raleigh I wanted to start the day with a little culture. Visiting museums is something that I really enjoy, and when I saw that this one has ever changing exhibits, I was really into that. This is also a totally free space to come and experience art, which honestly can't be beat. We did pay for parking, but I am sure if you drive around a bit, you wouldn't have to. When you walk into the space you are on the top floor, so that can be deceiving at first, but we were told this at the front desk when we walked in. This floor is large and open with very high ceilings that show the original ductwork and elevator of the building. All exposed and white walls..it begs for interesting pieces. The exhibits here were not my taste, but we enjoyed walking around to see each one, regardless. When we turned the corner to walk down the stairs we were practically transported into the next exhibit. It was entitled The Nature of Things. Vivid colors and animals and landscapes make you want to take it all in slowly, and enjoy every single mural, painting, and vase. In a room all to itself was the exhibit that I enjoyed the most, it was called Unstable. The artist is using horses escaping a carousel to depict political upheaval that she feels in the country, and to show that the peaceful World we once lived in is no longer the norm. The bright colors are moored down by the room being dark and small. There is no fanfare, no whimsy, and it really does make you feel a bit unstable. When you walk back out into the brightly colored nature scapes, it takes a minute to readjust, and you really appreciate the stark differences between them. When we came back up from that floor, I saw there was a small seating area with couches and decided to just sit and discuss the art with Husband. He admittedly doesn't always understand art or like going to museums with me, but it was nice to take a moment there to talk about what we both liked the best. While we were sitting there, I began to notice a grouping of people gathering. The next thing I knew...a flash mob of mimes was performing right in front of us. I had the feeling that if I hadn't wanted to take that small little moment together, we would have missed it entirely. It felt like a special little bit of magic just for us. After watching for a while, I stopped into the bathroom, and we headed out. I really enjoyed my visit to CAM Raleigh, and I will keep tabs on some of the upcoming exhibits here. They also host events throughout each month to raise funds and awareness of causes. It is not to be missed if you are in the Raleigh area.