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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

Day of the Dead Exhibit Opens

September 10

Pop-up Exhibit at Girls of Yellow Diamonds Performance

September 21, 5pm

Booth at Bethabara Park Apple Fest

September 28, 10am-4pm

Recent News Stories

The Lam on LoanSeptember 9, 2024
Studying WFU Student EngagementJune 5, 2024
Focusing on PhotogrammetryMay 24, 2024

Explore the Collection with the Artifact of the Month

Ndebele Woman’s ApronSeptember 3, 2024
Tuareg Ehel Tent PostAugust 1, 2024
Tibetan Saddle RugJuly 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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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!

Aug 13

Our very own Dr. Andrew Gurstelle was on WXII's The Local Vibe yesterday morning talking about our current exhibits! Check it out via the link in our bio.

#lammuseum #wakethearts #thelocalvibe #wxii12

Aug 12

We had an awesome time at @bethabarapark on Saturday. Many thanks to the nearly 250 people who came over to our tables to learn about local Native American archaeological artifacts!

Aug 9

Look for us at @bethabarapark tomorrow! We'll be there with an interactive display with Native American archaeological artifacts from the Yadkin River Valley and an opportunity to crack nuts with a nutting stone and play Native American games. See you there!

#lammuseum #bethabarapark #archaeology

Aug 5

With International Black Theatre Festival wrapped up for this year, we wanted to share the marvtastic time we had with tour groups visiting the museum last week. Thanks to @triadculture and @visitwinstonsalem for arranging the visits, and we look forward to doing it all again in two years! 💜

#ibtf #tiedye #triadculturalarts

Aug 1

Our August #ArtifactOfTheMonth is a Tuareg ehel tent post from Mali. The Tuareg are a seminomadic people who live in the Saharan region of North Africa, including Niger, Mali, Algeria, Libya, and Burkina Faso. This ehel tent post is from Mali. Traditionally, the Tuareg live in tents known as ehen. The tents are made from goat skins or fiber mats sewn together and are often given to a new bride by her mother. Hence, the word ehen also means marriage. The tents are stretched over arched wooden frames and secured to the ground with small stakes. Fitting with a nomadic lifestyle, the tents can be easily disassembled and packed with all other belongings when a group is ready to move to the next stop.

Ehel tent posts, like this one, are used inside the tent to hold up woven mats, known as eseber, which are placed around the parents’ sleeping area to create privacy and better define the tent’s interior space. Other types of posts are used to erect the tent, support the walls, and to hang bags and clothing.

Woodworkers typically carve ehel tent posts from a single piece of very hard wood. They create a symmetrical overall form with intricately carved geometric designs on both sides. The designs indicate tribe, clan, and family affiliation. The detail of the carving indicates that these are prestige pieces used for both decoration and practical purposes.

Many Tuareg no longer practice a nomadic lifestyle, and as a result, tents and their associated objects are no longer used frequently in daily life.

#lammuseum #wakethearts #tuareg #mali #sahara #ehel

Jul 29

We had an awesome time at yesterday's African Tie Dye Workshop! Thanks to everyone who joined us! Keep your eyes out for another workshop coming this fall.

#lammuseum #tiedye #wakethearts

Jul 8

Registration for Sunday's Beautiful Beads Workshop will close at noon on Friday. Make sure to reserve your space now! Visit the Events Calendar link in our bio for details.

#lammuseum #wakethearts #familyfun #wsnc #crafts

Jul 3

The Museum will be closed Thursday, July 4 through Saturday, July 6 for #IndependenceDay. Have a happy and safe holiday, and we'll see you next week!

Jul 1

Our July #ArtifactOfTheMonth is a Tibetan saddle rug. This type of saddle rug was used for cushioning between the horse’s back and the saddle. A second smaller rug would have been placed on top of the saddle for the comfort of the rider. Because Tibetan saddles were often made of wood, these rugs made riding more comfortable for both the horse and the rider. Many under-saddle rugs are made of two woven pieces joined together, as this one is. The shape of this rug with a pair of pointed corners is referred to as a butterfly design.
Known for their rich colors, unique decorations, and exquisite craftsmanship, Tibetan rugs can be classified as either religious or utilitarian. Utilitarian rugs such as saddle rugs can also feature imagery that expresses people’s beliefs. More detailed and intricate patterns indicate the owner’s higher socioeconomic status.

The main decorations found on this saddle rug are dangerous creatures: dragons, tigers, lions, and bird-like Garudas fighting with snake-like Nagas. Dragon imagery is common on saddle rugs because it represents wealth. Merchants may choose this kind of rug to win the dragon’s favor, hoping for good fortune in their business.

The humanoid figures at the edge of the saddle rug are the Garuda in anthropomorphic form. Garuda is the “Lord of Birds” in Hindu Buddhist tradition, but it sometimes has a more sinister characterization in Tibetan Buddhism. The Naga are a type of intelligent and evil serpents; here, they are being devoured by the Garudas. Thus, the appearance of the Garuda often represents protection.

The two snow lions in the center of the rug are celestial animals that indicate power and fearlessness. Tigers are considered to have the extraordinary power to cast out demons and control evil. The combination of the dragons, Garudas, snow lions, and tigers on the saddle conveys hope for being safe during transportation and having good fortune in business.

Research and writing for this post were provided by Michelle Ye ('25).

#Tibet #saddlerug #tibetanrugs #rug #textile #lammuseum #wakethearts

Jun 28

That's a wrap on #FridaysfromVienna! Dr. Gurstelle will be back with us at the Museum next week, but we wanted to post a few more photos @kateswingate generously shared with us.

#Vienna #studyabroad

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