The
Press Releases
A man who was among the first African Americans to practice law in North Carolina soon will be recognized with a North Carolina Highway Historical Marker. The N.C. Historical Marker Program is part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) announced today that North Carolina Museum of Art Director and North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation, Inc., CEO Dr. Valerie Hillings will be leaving to become the inaugural director of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, a museum of modern and contemporary art announced to open Dec. 11, 2026. Hillings, who began the role in 2018, presided over significant growth at the NCMA campuses in Raleigh and Winston-Salem and successfully led the largest private fundraising campaign in NCMA history.
Join the North Carolina State Capitol during August to revisit a special tour series, “Ancient Inspirations.”
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) today announced the appointment of Amy Craft Klassen as the new executive director of Roanoke Island Festival Park. Most recently, Klassen served as the associate director/director of museum operations for the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio.“Amy has diverse experience leading the operations and strategic planning for multi-site properties, historic properties and public programs, making her well-suited to take the reins at Roanoke Island Festival Park,” said DNCR Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell.
North Carolina Aquariums are participating in a nationwide collaboration among public aquariums and research institutions in the development of new methods to breed more than 20 marine fish species in human care. The initiative reduces reliance on wild-caught animals while launching new public resources to help advance sustainable aquaculture.
NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher (NCAFF) invites the community to add a really cool item to their 2026 school list—a Back-to-School Beach Cleanup on Saturday, Aug. 22, 8-10 a.m. at Ocean Front Park in Kure Beach. The town offers free parking for the cleanup volunteers and the Aquarium provides reusable gloves, pickers and bags. The NC Aquariums are a division of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
A new digital exhibit from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources' Office of Archives and History is now available online.
The visitor center and exhibits at Town Creek Indian Mound State Historic Site will undergo a full renovation in the coming months. In preparation for this major project, the site will close the visitor center and gift shop July 28.