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Explore Global Cultures

Discover North Carolina’s only museum dedicated to the study of global cultures. Explore stories of humanity, from ancient archaeological sites to the celebrations and struggles of today. Learn about people from around the world through their everyday objects, ceremonial artifacts, and visual arts.

Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00am to 4:30pm. Admission is free.

Featured Exhibits

exhibit gallery

Headrests: The Exhibit
Through September 21

Day of the Dead exhibit

Life after Death: Celebrating Day of the Dead
Through December 6

Upcoming Events

Bring Them Home / Aiskótáhkapiyaaya: Indigenous Peoples Day Film Screening

October 13, 4pm

Traditional Colors in East Asia Exhibit Opens

October 15

Calaveritas Workshop

October 27, 2-4pm

Recent News Stories

Bring Them Home / Aiskótáhkapiyaaya Film Screening to Celebrate Indigenous Peoples DayOctober 7, 2024
The Lam on LoanSeptember 9, 2024
Studying WFU Student EngagementJune 5, 2024

Explore the Collection with the Artifact of the Month

Mexican MilagrosOctober 7, 2024
Ndebele Woman’s ApronSeptember 3, 2024
Tuareg Ehel Tent PostAugust 1, 2024

Find a Craft Activity with Cultures Up Close

Pacific Islands: Paint a Tapa ClothMay 31, 2023
Ghana: Weave a Kente ClothFebruary 27, 2023
Native American Heritage Month: Make & Play the Bean GameNovember 22, 2022

Stay in Touch

Receive updates on exhibits and events from the Lam Museum

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Oct 8

This Sunday, we will celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day with a free screening of the documentary "Bring Them Home / Aiskótáhkapiyaaya" at 4 pm at the Kulynych Auditorium in the Byrum Welcome Center at WFU. The film tells the story of a small group of Blackfeet people and their mission to establish the first wild buffalo herd on their ancestral territory since the species’ near-extinction a century ago. The screening will be followed by a discussion with National Impact Producer Candice Dalsing and CEO of Blackfeet ECO Knowledge Tyson Running Wolf. The event will end with a reception catered by Native Root. We hope to see you there!

#lammuseum #IndigenousPeoplesDay #wakethearts #bison #blackfeet #blackfoot

Oct 7

In honor of#HispanicHeritageMonth, our #ArtifactOfTheMonth is this collection of milagros from #Mexico. Small metal charms known as milagros are used throughout Latin America to symbolize prayers. They are pinned to crosses, statues of religious figures, and altars to petition for help and protection. They can also represent thanks for an answered prayer. Some people carry milagros with them for good luck, healing, or protection.

In Mexico, milagros are often used in gratitude as part of a manda or promise. When a person petitions a saint for a favor that is granted, that person must then go to the shrine of the saint and leave a milagro. Sometimes an additional thank you written on a small piece of paper is also left with the charm.

Milagros are a continuation of an ancient European practice of leaving symbolic offerings at shrines combined with similar votive practices in Indigenous Mexican cultures. Iberians, who lived in Spain between the fifth and first centuries BCE, used bronze milagros that look remarkably similar to modern ones. The practice continued in the medieval Spanish Catholic Church, a tradition that the Conquistadors brought to the New World. For the Indigenous people, this practice resembled their rituals of offering gifts to the gods. As a result of this syncretism, the use of milagros spread across Latin America.

Milagros can be made of brass (as seen here), tin, alloys, or precious metals like silver or gold. In their most common form, they are mass produced by artists who stamp them from metal sheets or cast them in molds, creating the small, flat type of charm shown here. However, milagros can come in a range of sizes, and some are three-dimensional. Silversmiths also make custom charms for customers.

The form of a milagro is connected to the problem it aims to solve. However, there is no universal interpretation. They may take the shape of a person or body part to focus healing on a specific area. They can also appear in a wide variety of other forms including angels, animals, fruits, and vegetables.

Today, #milagros are often incorporated into folk art and jewelry in addition to being used for their original religious purpose.

Oct 1

Don't miss this fascinating lecture by Visiting Assistant Professor Dr. Suzanne Barber tonight!

#lammuseum #anthropology #China #dogs

Sep 30

Mark your calendar! We will celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day with a screening of the documentary "Bring Them Home / Aiskótáhkapiyaaya" on Sunday, October 13, at 4pm, at the Kulynych Auditorium in Byrum Welcome Center. The film tells the story of a small group of Blackfeet people and their mission to establish the first wild buffalo herd on their ancestral territory since the species’ near-extinction a century ago. The film will be followed by a discussion with National Impact Producer Candice Dalsing and CEO of Blackfeet ECO Knowledge Tyson Running Wolf. The event will end with a reception catered by Native Root.

Sep 27

Look for us at @bethabarapark tomorrow! We'll have Native American artifacts from the Yadkin River Valley, and you'll be able to crack nuts with an authentic nutting stone.

#bethabaraapplefestival #ncarchaeology #yadkinvalley #nchistory

Sep 24

Dr. Suzanne Barber, Visiting Assistant Professor in the WFU Anthropology Department, will speak on her research about the role of dogs in China next week at the Museum. We hope to see you here!

#lammuseum #anthropology #China #dogs

Sep 18

Registration is open for our Calaveritas Workshop on October 27! Join us to learn more about Day of the Dead and make your own skeleton figure. Click on the Events Calendar 🔗 in our bio for more information.

#lammuseum #wakethearts #diadelosmuertos #diademuertos #dayofthedead

Sep 17

This week is your final chance to see "Headrests: The Exhibit" before it closes. Learn all about their use and symbolism and even try a headrest for yourself. Don't miss it!

#lammuseum #wakethearts #headrest #Headrests

Sep 13

Happy Homecoming, Deacs! Look for us at Festival on the Quad tomorrow from 10am to 1pm with instruments to play, a craft project for kids, and new Lam swag!

#WFUHC #lammuseum

Sep 10

Today's the day! "Life after Death: Celebrating Day of the Dead" is open and will remain on display through Friday, December 6. We hope to see you soon!

#lammuseum #wakethearts #diadelosmuertos #diademuertos #dayofthedead #mexico #folkart

Sep 5

It's happening! "Life after Death: Celebrating Day of the Dead" opens next Tuesday. 😃

#lammuseum #wakethearts #diademuertos #diadelosmuertos #dayofthedead

Sep 3

Somehow, it's already September! Our latest #ArtifactOfTheMonth is a Ndebele woman's apron from South Africa. This married woman’s apron, known as itjorholo, is from the Southern Ndebele people, who are part of the Bantu ethnolinguistic group. The Southern Ndebele live primarily in the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces in northeast South Africa.

#Ndebele women and girls wear a series of different beaded aprons that change with each new stage of life. Girls wear aprons known as lighabi until they reach puberty and go through initiation. After initiation, during adolescence, girls wear isephephetu. At the wedding ceremony, the bride wears a style called liphotu. Upon marriage, the bridegroom gives his new wife a plain leather apron, which is the starting point of the itjorholo apron shown here. The woman then embroiders the apron in a bold design using glass beads and wears it once she gives birth to her first child. The panels at the bottom represent the children she will have.

#Beading is an important part of traditional Ndebele female clothing, and the skill is passed down from mother to daughter. Ndebele women are also known for their artistry in painting brightly colored geometric shapes on their houses. The design on this apron clearly illustrates that tradition, emphasizing the importance of home and family.

This apron is currently on loan to the Gregg Museum of Art and Design at NC State University in Raleigh, NC. It is featured in the exhibit Material Messages: The Tales That Textiles Tell through January 25, 2025.

#SouthAfrica #wakethearts

Aug 30

The Museum will be closed this weekend for Labor Day. Hope you have a great holiday, and we'll see you on Tuesday!

Aug 22

The newest exhibit at the @hanesgallery "Escape Velocities: New Acquisitions to the Reece Collection of Student-Acquired Contemporary Art" features two Navajo weavings from our collection! They are paired with the new acquisition "Summer Bloom, 2023" by Navajo textile artist Melissa Cody. You can visit them at Hanes Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm, through December 8.

#lammuseum #hanesgallery #wakethearts #navajoweaving

Aug 19

Because of last week's closures, we've extended "To Be Seen: Documenting the Art of the Ivory Coast" through this Saturday. We hope you'll be able to visit this week for your last chance to see this fascinating exhibit!

#lammuseum #ivorycoast🇨🇮 #cotedivoire #wakethearts

Aug 16

We're open!! The concrete is dry, and we're open our regular hours of 10am-4:30pm today. See you soon!

Aug 15

Concrete is poured and drying. We hope to be open at some point tomorrow 🤞🏻 but please check back in or call ahead if you plan to visit.

Aug 13

The Museum will be closed August 14 & 15 while our sidewalks are replaced. If additional days are required for this work, we will share that information as soon as we can.
We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate everyone's patience with the entire construction project this summer. Hopefully, this is the final step before grass goes in!

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