Like another reviewer wrote, there is a difference between the Durham Art Guild and the Durham Arts…read moreCouncil, although both seem to operate in the same building. We usually come on the third Friday art walks in Durham and check out the art they have on display. Sometimes there is free food but perhaps COVID put a stop to it. If you like to view art, stop by and wander their galleries.

I will admit, I got my wires a little twisted at first between the Durham Art Guild and the Durham…read moreArt Council. I like to just think of them as the same thing and am still a little unsure of what the main differences are between the two. Both reside at the same physical location, although they have separate websites and galleries within the building. If anyone can spread light on this conundrum I will take it gladly, but simply put I THINK the DAC is the building at 120 Morris St and the DAG is an organization residing there; but let me tell you what I DO know about the DAG [Durham Art Guild]. The DAG is a nonprofit member-driven visual arts organization that was established back in 1948 (making it one of the oldest community visual arts organizations in NC, and one of the five oldest in the nation). Their mission is to enrich and connect communities by creating opportunities for and providing leadership and future visual artists and art enthusiasts. Membership levels range from $30 (full-time student) to $1,000 (director's circle). The DAG operates two public galleries: the SunTrust Gallery (in the Durham Arts Council Building and open 5-7pm during the Third Friday art walk) and Room 100 at The Golden Belt (open 6-9pm on Durham's Third Friday art walk). Both galleries are free and open to the public as well as hosts a public reception for the artists exhibiting in this space on Third Friday's with a lovely reception with wine and finger snacks.

CONTENT, CONTENT, content! The galleries exhibited here will not only capture your artistic eye,…read morebut they will provoke deed insight. The exhibits usually looks pretty sparse at first glance. Visual photography/video art installations with no markings next to pieces. FIND the gallery guide! This is where ALL the content is! Phone Home Durham, the latest gallery, was a compilation of community submitted cellphone shots. What's next, you say? An exhibit I'm VERY much looking forward to-- BRIDGE QUESTION: Black Males {Sept. 8-Nov. 21} This will be a documentary-styled video art installation!! It will provide a "safe setting for necessary, honest expression and HEALING dialogue on themes that divide, unite and puzzle black males today..." If just the discussion of this gallery has gotten your gears going, check out Power Plant Gallery! Every individual exhibit is drastically different, yet there are few galleries in the area that truly incorporate visually and intellectually stimulating works. This small gallery neighbors Full Frame Theater, and consists of one large, white walled room. I couldn't say it better than the gallery says it itself: a laboratory for documentary & experimental art practices at Duke U. The Gallery provides ongoing opportunities for Duke students, faculty & staff as well as Durham communities to consider the essential role and transformative capacity of the arts in society. Logistics: Gallery can make for a long or short stop. Small space, but full of content! Conveniently located at American Tobacco Campus, open Tuesdays-Saturdays {check the website, summer hours differ from winter hours}, easy to walk in and out and usually fairly quiet. Free two hour parking in two parking garages [and the gallery is free as well!]. TWO entrances, enter through the Full Frame Theater building (take a right in the boiler room and go through glass door) or enter through door to left of POWER PLANT graphic (see photo!) Gallery rotate every three months and is always open late during Durham's Third Friday Art Walk. {The www.powerplantgallery.org is VERY useful!}

Jesse Kalisher Gallery is High Quality Photography Art at a very affordable price. Jesse is an…read moreextraordinary person to talk to and a Very Gifted Photographer. Lucky for me to have bumped into him.

From the owner: We create, commission, and produce original art for spaces and places the world over. Our work…read moresparks conversation, moments of joy, and deep connections to people and places, from Boise to Beirut.

Great service from start to finish! Emily helped us pick out mats and frames. She really listened…read moreto what we wanted and guided us to wonderful combinations for 3 pieces. When we picked up the works Caelum walked us through the mechanics of hanging the art. We definitely recommend this business to anyone looking for framing.

I have had plenty of things framed but mostly used the big box services like Michael's in the past…read more I was framing a special gift with autographed memorabilia and wanted to be sure it was perfect, so I decided to try BCAF. They have knowledgeable staff and take time to go through all the options with you. They made a point of rushing my job so I was able to get it in time for Christmas and sent text updates along the way. Lew (owner) walked me through hanging and care before dispatching me with their beautiful work. The pricing was reasonable and Duke employees get a discount, so it was a win-win. Highly recommend!

Wow. As if the available traditional-medium art in the Triangle is not enough, there's also a…read moregallery dedicated to electronic-medium art of the camera. I thought having books of pictures would be a reasonable facsimile of the seeing the actual photograph. It's like any art form really, I thought. Through This Lens proved me wrong. Where a book can group places and concepts, a gallery has to be a bit more selective, I think. It has limited space and time to capture and keep your interest as it competes with other medium and distractions. And in downtown Durham, during a weekend festival no less, TTL managed to do it. TTL has photos from all over the world. All are visually stunning in their own way. Each with a message, sometimes subtle, sometimes not so much. One can see snippets of objects, colors, movement -- all moments in time captured by the photographer-artist. In this one small gallery you can travel the world from the reservations in Arizona to the deserts in Africa. It's a mini-vacation. The owner, Roylee was very helpful in answering my questions and explaining the technique used by a photographer of one particular picture that captured my attention. There was a color photo of a dried well, the tan walls a sharp contrast to the two women in bright saris, there at the bottom of the drying well. The description by the photographer added another layer of awesome. Another photograph, a black and white photo taken at an abandoned church in Georgia, was stunning. I probably spent fifteen minutes staring at it from every angle. It hadn't yet been hung on the wall so I was able to look at it from all angles as I walked around the table. The lines and shadows just drew me in. There was such an unexpected symmetry in that picture, it was hard to believe it wasn't computer-drawn. And so it went for my entire visit. .

Lovely but small photography art gallery and framing shop. I've only visited the shop for the…read moregallery portion and have yet get to get something framed, but it's a nice stop during any of Durham's Spring/Winter Art Walks or on Third Friday. They usually have several bottles of red and wine wines along with a complimentary cheese/bread plate for gallery guests during their special events, which is quite nice. The photography is from all over the world, many prints I'd recognize as South East Asia but there are also some lovely local Triangle photos and those for the nature enthusiast. I'd recommend putting Through This Lens on your gallery hopping list if it's convenient, but it isn't large enough and, after a handful of visits, I've never received a personal greeting to draw me back if it's out of the way. Through This Lens rents their space from Durham Arts Place, around to the right if you're facing the entrance and up the stairs.

I was exploring downtown today and stumbled upon the cutest little artist shop. This place is…read morefilled with candles, clothing, nicknecks, jewelry and so much more. I was in awe checking out everything! Although they have a lot of unique things customer service was lacking. I wasn't greeted or spoken to the entire time I was there.

This is a little open-air arts market on Foster Street in Durham. I don't know what their regular…read morehours are but we know they are definitely open during the Durham Farmers Market nearby on Saturday mornings. They feature several artists and craftspersons, a woodworker, some CBD products, and a haberdasher who sells original bowties. This time of year, they have various Christmas-related items. On our last trip, we did peruse some of the holiday items and purchased a very nice handmade card. I will definitely support local artists and crafstspeople ahead of the mall or places that sell mass-produced items made cheaply overseas.

The hub & I ventured out to the Third Friday Art Walk in Downtown Durham and loved the energy of…read morethe event. We strolled from hotels to galleries to art stores and boutiques. It is time well spent. There are great restaurants and bars in that area as well.

Raleigh's First Friday Yelp page in addition to encouragement from Rod O. led me to represent…read moreDurham and create our own THIRD Friday page! Not that I'm contributor to Durham's art walk, which takes place from about 6-9pm every third Friday, but I'm definitely a beneficiary. I will admit, after living in Durham for three years now, I've only just started to attend these open gallery nights, but I'm loving them! I've discovered so many hidden gems and realized that Durham's legacy is so much more then the "dirty" (hipster) vibe. We have some truly talented people that you might not hear about unless you go searching, so do me a favor and search (or rather just use my search efforts to make it easier for you!) I recommend either starting downtown at the Durham Arts Council OR on the East side of downtown at Golden Belt. You need to start your walk knowing that you just can't see it all in one night! So if you're a tourist, make your list of the places you MUST hit, if you're a local, just go back! Also, every Friday is different, some studios might be open one week and closed the next, so make sure you check the website before planning your trip. Bull City Arts Collaborative / Horse & Buggy Press: Very small photography gallery north of downtown. I personally would skip over this one; lack of beverages and with one person manning the studio, just lacked pazaz. Mercury Studio: Great stop to purchase anything local! Another co-working space for artists with a shop inside. Located in the DIY district, so you've got lots of food/drink choices. Plus, hit Nomadic Trading Company while you're over there for more art! Through This Lens: Another photography studio closer to 21C Hotel (which includes a small 24 hour museum). Durham Arts Council & Guild: Large combined artist gallery. The Carolina Theatre of Durham: If there's a snow going on, this is a place to stop. Beautiful restored theater! Trust Building (aka 21C Hotel): Grab a drink next door at The Counting House next door and see the 24 hour museum! Golden Belt: In my opinion, a MUST! A huge co-working space for artists of all different medias! Dogstar Tattoo Company: Not often do I venture into tattoo parlors, but I love that Dogstar participates during Third Friday. Visit when at the Golden Belt! SPECTAR Arts: Awesome small gallery next to the Golden Belt. Museum of Durham History | History Hub: Not necessarily a must during the art walk, I would recommend a visit during the day if you're in Durham though. Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University: Again, not a must during the art walk, but definitely a gem in Durham and so convenient to Duke Gardens! Vega Metals Gallery: gorgeous metal work, although rarely open during the art walk. The Carrack Modern Art: Mixed feelings. Worth a visit but go early. I tried to go again at 8:45p this past week (after visiting at 10:00pm last month) and they were already closed! Make sure you know what the exhibit is beforehand. Pleiades Gallery: Beautiful gallery! Small but still bigger then some. Definitely worth a visit. Full Frame Theater at the Power Plant: Try to catch a show, it's an awesome theater and takes you into American Tobacco Campus which is lovely at night! Alizarin Gallery: Love the space, gallery AND the artist. This is on my must list of Third Friday! There are SO, so, So many more galleries that I haven't visited yet (or places that also offer special exhibits during Third Friday). Hopefully one day I'll visit them all. But for now, here's my opinion on a few. Definitely take some time for a visit & view my "Third Friday List" for details on each gallery!