School Tours

Reimagining Student Tour Experiences

These guided tours encourage young learners to uncover the many stories in our galleries through shared looking, discussion, and close-looking experiences. Select themes support the North Carolina curriculum or are docent generated and intended to ignite young minds and caregivers alike. The NCMA looks forward to facilitating engaging, welcoming, and joyful visits for your students all year long. Click here for pre-visit reminders.

For public schools that need assistance of any kind to make a field-trip to the NCMA a reality, please consider applying for the Learning Happens Here Field Trip Fund.

Eye Spy, East Building, K–2

Building on young learners’ ability to identify elements of art, such as color, form, and shape, Eye Spy builds confidence and curiosity around the “art of seeing” to describe and interpret a variety of works of art.

Looking for the Story, West Building, Grades 3–5

Students are led through the rigors of close-looking to describe stories depicted in works from the NCMA’s collection. Investigation of various cultures and art movements encourages learning from others and helps build articulation of students’ own perspectives.

Finding Red, West Building, Grades 3–8
This tour focuses on our deep relationship with red and the most important red substances we have found to create art, revealing hidden relationships with nature, technology, history, and culture. We explore evidence and examples of these dynamics within the NCMA’s collection.

Art of NC, West Building, Grades 3–12

The Art of NC tour encompasses painting, textiles, ceramics, sculpture, and photography—works as varied as the state is wide. Each object inspires and teaches, just as many of the artists who led local and national art movements. Come explore new connections about NC’s cultural history.

The Power of Portraits, East Building, Grades 6–12

How do you define a portrait? Students explore how portraits have both upheld and challenged systems of power throughout history.

Ancient Cultures, West Building, Grades 6–8

Dive into ancient worlds by exploring stories behind the makers and purposes of objects from these ancient civilizations. Students explore how cultural expressions reflect the values of civilizations, societies, and regions across four continents.

Women Artists as Influencers, East Building, Grades 6–12

Explore the innovation and influence of women artists from 19th-century art movements to contemporary art exploration. Students learn the names, techniques, and intent of women across time and place. 

Tips for requesting a tour at the NCMA:

1. Log-in or Register with your personal NCMA account
2. Request Portal is time sensitive: 10 minute
3. Request one tour per order (No overall limit)
4. 3-week advance notice required