Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art
Encyclopedia
The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA), located at 750 Marguerite Drive in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
, is a gallery designed to involve audiences in the art of our time. Because of its excellent exhibits and educational opportunities, SECCA enjoys not only a regional reputation, but also a national and international presence.
The center's stated mission is to to enhance perspectives, inspire community and ignite new ideas at the intersection of art and you. By fostering creative excellence, innovation and dialogue through education and discussion, SECCA provides the community the opportunity to explore the dynamic relationship between individuals and contemporary art. Through traveling exhibits, visitors can see cutting-edge, multi-media artistic interpretations of critical society issues.
SECCA’s role as an institution is to provide services beyond the scope and resources of the region’s smaller galleries and museums, as well as being an innovator in community outreach. SECCA earned accreditation by the American Association of Museums (AAM)
in 1979 and has maintained this status. SECCA is one of only 300 museums in the United States to earn this distinction. The AAM has called SECCA “an exemplary institution and national leader for promoting contemporary art.”
SECCA was founded in 1956 to provide gallery space for local artists, but has expanded since then to provide a venue for artists from around the world. In December 2007, SECCA became an operating entity of the North Carolina Museum of Art
, an entity of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Mark Richard Leach was appointed executive director on Dec. 13, 2007. A new board of directors was formed and an expanded professional staff has been recruited.
As a result of these changes, SECCA is entering a new era of cultural productivity and community engagement through the institution’s core values of innovation, collaboration, inclusivity, excellence and diversity. On April 1, 2008, SECCA began offering free admission to make it’s acclaimed exhibitions and programs available to the widest audience possible.
A major renovation project to replace the museum’s roof and climate-control system was completed between January 2009 and July 2010. SECCA was closed during this time, and the gallery and grounds were transformed through a $1.8 million renovation project.
The center reopened July 15, 2010, attracting a crowd of more than 1,600 for a celebration and exhibition. Roof repairs and the new state-of-the-art climate-control system accounted for the largest portion of the renovation project, but the center also received new outdoor signage, restoration of exposed cement floors in its more than 9000 square feet (836.1 m²) of gallery space, restoration of a boxwood garden behind the gallery and many other cosmetic improvements.
SECCA is located only minutes from Reynolda House Museum of American Art and Wake Forest University
. The three entities are among the most valuable cultural assets in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, North Carolina
.
SECCA has a vital story to share through the art of our time. The new SECCA will be a reflection of the changing face of North Carolina’s
interest in contemporary art, craft, design and culture.
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
, is a gallery designed to involve audiences in the art of our time. Because of its excellent exhibits and educational opportunities, SECCA enjoys not only a regional reputation, but also a national and international presence.
The center's stated mission is to to enhance perspectives, inspire community and ignite new ideas at the intersection of art and you. By fostering creative excellence, innovation and dialogue through education and discussion, SECCA provides the community the opportunity to explore the dynamic relationship between individuals and contemporary art. Through traveling exhibits, visitors can see cutting-edge, multi-media artistic interpretations of critical society issues.
SECCA’s role as an institution is to provide services beyond the scope and resources of the region’s smaller galleries and museums, as well as being an innovator in community outreach. SECCA earned accreditation by the American Association of Museums (AAM)
American Association of Museums
The American Association of Museums is a non-profit association that has brought museums together since its founding in 1906, helping develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and advocating on issues of concern to the museum community...
in 1979 and has maintained this status. SECCA is one of only 300 museums in the United States to earn this distinction. The AAM has called SECCA “an exemplary institution and national leader for promoting contemporary art.”
SECCA was founded in 1956 to provide gallery space for local artists, but has expanded since then to provide a venue for artists from around the world. In December 2007, SECCA became an operating entity of the North Carolina Museum of Art
North Carolina Museum of Art
The North Carolina Museum of Art is an art museum in Raleigh, North Carolina, featuring paintings and sculpture representing 5,000 years of artistic work from antiquity to the present. The museum features more than 40 galleries as well as more than a dozen works of art in its Museum Park...
, an entity of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Mark Richard Leach was appointed executive director on Dec. 13, 2007. A new board of directors was formed and an expanded professional staff has been recruited.
As a result of these changes, SECCA is entering a new era of cultural productivity and community engagement through the institution’s core values of innovation, collaboration, inclusivity, excellence and diversity. On April 1, 2008, SECCA began offering free admission to make it’s acclaimed exhibitions and programs available to the widest audience possible.
A major renovation project to replace the museum’s roof and climate-control system was completed between January 2009 and July 2010. SECCA was closed during this time, and the gallery and grounds were transformed through a $1.8 million renovation project.
The center reopened July 15, 2010, attracting a crowd of more than 1,600 for a celebration and exhibition. Roof repairs and the new state-of-the-art climate-control system accounted for the largest portion of the renovation project, but the center also received new outdoor signage, restoration of exposed cement floors in its more than 9000 square feet (836.1 m²) of gallery space, restoration of a boxwood garden behind the gallery and many other cosmetic improvements.
SECCA is located only minutes from Reynolda House Museum of American Art and Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
. The three entities are among the most valuable cultural assets in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, North Carolina
Forsyth County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 306,067 people, 123,851 households, and 81,741 families residing in the county. The population density was 747 people per square mile . There were 133,093 housing units at an average density of 325 per square mile...
.
SECCA has a vital story to share through the art of our time. The new SECCA will be a reflection of the changing face of North Carolina’s
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
interest in contemporary art, craft, design and culture.