MyDurham Teens Discovering Durham Ties

On February 23, MyDurham, our free membership-based program for teens, hosted a trip to the North Carolina Museum of History in downtown Raleigh. Our main goal for that day was to expose teens to the North Carolina Roots of Artist exhibit featuring a collection by Ernie Barnes. 

Many of the teens did not know much, if anything about, Ernie Barnes.  Little did they know that he too ran the same streets that they do today. As we began to walk through the exhibit, they realized most of his painting had little nuggets of Durham in them.

One of his most renowned and well known paintings, The Sugar Shack, depicted an actual event that he attended in the Durham Armory downtown as a kid.  This painting was used in the 1970s sitcom, Good Times, in the opening credits and as Marvin Gaye’s album cover for I Want You (1976).Whether it was one of the radio stations on a banner or a local landmark in Durham, he always represented Durham, his home, in his artwork. 

The exhibit also displayed pieces of his life before becoming an artist. His high school diploma from Hillside High School and his jersey from his time playing in the NFL with the Denver Broncos in the NFL were shown too.

Once we finished exploring that exhibit, we tackled the rest of the museum, which housed the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and The Story of North Carolina.  Both showcased the highlights of the founding of the State and the extensive professional athletes that call North Carolina home.  After we finished checking out the rest of the museum, we traveled to Dave and Buster’s to eat and play.  What better way to spend a cold, rainy Saturday?

The Ernie Barnes exhibit will be on display until May 27, 2019. Consider visiting the museum before it leaves, especially since it is free and open to the public. For more information about MyDurham and the activities that take place during the program, please visit our website. If you have any questions or want to talk to someone about what DPR offers for teens, contact Shannon Teamer, Teen Coordinator, at Shannon.Teamer@DurhamNC.gov or call 919-354-2730.