Tours
In-person guided tours or self-guided tours are available by appointment. Tours must be scheduled 30 days in advance. In-person, guided gallery tours are being scheduled on a case-by-case basis, pending docent availability and group size. There is a mask requirement for in-person, guided tours.
Groups of 20 people or less are welcome to self-guide through the museum. To allow for physical distancing, capacity will be limited and some groups may be divided.
Request a Self-Guided Group tour.
Virtual School Group Tours
Virtual school group tours are $25 for 10–30 participants from one or multiple devices through Zoom. Virtual school group tours are available Tuesday through Friday from 9 AM–1 PM, and last 40–45 minutes. At least two weeks’ advanced notice is required.
On the request form, teachers may choose a topic from two curriculum-based virtual tours. School group virtual tours are led by museum staff and docents via Zoom. After scheduling a tour, teachers will be asked to create a Zoom meeting with their classroom account and send an invite to the Tour Coordinator.
Grades 6-12: African American Art & Identity
Explore works of art from the Mint’s collection by African American artists Kehinde Wiley and Ken West. This virtual experience integrates the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, as well as the North Carolina Visual Arts Standards.
Grades 4-8: Places & Spaces
Explore American and Contemporary works of art from the Mint’s collection that depict places
and spaces. This virtual experience integrates the Common Core Standards for English Language
Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, as well as the North Carolina Visual Arts Standards.
Tour Objectives and Curriculum connections
• Critical thinking- students gain confidence in developing personal interpretations about works of art and learn to recognize that people may view or interpret art differently
• Communication- students engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led), building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly
North Carolina English Language Arts Standards
CCR Anchor Standard RL.1 – Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
CCR Anchor Standard SL.1 – Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
North Carolina Visual Arts Essential Standards
Critical Response
“Use critical analysis to generate responses to a variety of prompts.”
Virtual Adult Tours: Take Your Pick!
Engage remotely with the Mint’s diverse collections through Virtual Adult Tours led by Mint Docents. For more information, contact Molly Humphries, molly.humphries@mintmuseum.org
Virtual Adult Tours are $30 for all participants visiting from one or multiple devices via Zoom.
African American Art & Identity
How do Black artists express ideas about identity and contemporary culture? This tour looks at works of art from the Mint’s collection by African American artists Kehinde Wiley and Ken West. Both artists challenge us to consider different viewpoints and come to a broader understanding of what it means to be Black and male in America. This tour is 45 minutes.
Asian Aesthetics/Southern Sensibility
This is a great idea for a new fusion restaurant, but what does it mean for pottery and ceramics. This tour traces the paths that Asian Ceramics traditions took to become an influence in modern art pottery in the South and especially in North Carolina and sees why this is a such great combination for food as well as clay. The tour also looks at how some contemporary potters explore this combination in their dishes, (and bowls and jars and vases). This tour is 60 minutes.
The Art of Dining
It’s 1810 and you’ve just received an invitation to dine with the Duke. Who will be there? Where will you be seated and what will that say about your social standing? What foods will be served and in what order? Who will you be permitted to speak with while dining? This tour explores the Art of Dining in the early 19th century. Using pieces from the Mint’s noted collection of late 17th- through early 19th-century ceramics, a museum docent will tell stories about the rules of seating, menus, table settings, and etiquette of that era. This tour is 60 minutes.
Highlights of the Mint’s Collection
The Mint Museum was the first art museum established in North Carolina in 1936, but before that museum building showcased art, it housed the first branch of the U.S. Mint — hence the museum name. This tour gives a brief history of the museum and visits both museum locations as it highlights pieces from the Mint’s diverse collections including Fashion, Decorative Arts, Art of the Ancient Americas, American Art, Modern and Contemporary Art, and Craft + Design. This tour is 60 minutes.
Hidden Light: John Leslie Breck
This artist was among the first Americans to embrace Impressionism and was exceptional in many regards. His landscapes are lovely, lush and typical of the Impressionist style. He painted alongside Monet. Why wasn’t his work held in higher regard during his lifetime and why is he largely unknown today? The tour presents selected artworks from a Mint Museum exhibition and looks at the life, travels and travails of John Leslie Breck. This tour is 60 minutes.
Not Just a Pretty Face
An 18th-century “selfie” goes awry…an artist changes his name to escape a family scandal … a 14th Century French King is reimagined, with attitude, in hip-hop clothing. They’re not just “pretty faces,” there’s a story (or two) behind every portrait at the Mint. Join us for a tour that spans 200 years of portraiture and reveals the often-unknown tales about the artists, the subjects, and the times in which they lived. This tour is 60 minutes.
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen’s novel of fiercely independent Elizabeth Bennet, one of five sisters who must marry rich, as she confounds the arrogant, wealthy Mr. Darcy. This tour connects that work with British pottery and porcelain from that historic period in the Mint’s Portals to the Past galleries. Selected art pieces help bring to life the notable events, social customs, and lifestyles depicted in this classic work. Note: you need not have read this book to enjoy this tour. This tour is 60 minutes.
