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Enjoy Summer Days, Nasher Nights At Museum

Nasher Museum hosts free films, book discussions and more this summer

Summer Days, Nasher Nights includes opportunities for great local cuisine at the cafe at the Nasher Museum of Art. Photo courtesy of the Nasher Museum of Art.
Summer Days, Nasher Nights includes opportunities for great local cuisine at the cafe at the Nasher Museum of Art. Photo courtesy of the Nasher Museum of Art.

This summer, consider another kind of cool at the Nasher Museum - a series of wine tastings, book discussions, make and take crafts, guest chefs, free films, sketching in the galleries and more.

The Summer Days Nasher Nights series, in its fourth season, offers plenty of reasons to spend even more time at Duke's art museum.

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The free programs are every Thursday in June and July from 6 to 9 p.m. and include admission to unticketed exhibits. This year, the education department has added book discussions to complement the exhibitions. Book discussions will occur on Wednesday mornings June 19, July 24 and August 21 with each discussion repeated the following Sunday afternoon. Summer Days Nasher Nights also invites local guest chefs to create menus at the museum cafe inspired by gourmet ingredients provided by the series sponsors, Parker and Otis.

Frankie Alexander, who works in the Office of Research Administration at Duke, invites friends to join her for a meal and evening of art during the summer. "After a sensory experience for the stomach, we are primed for a sensory experience for the eyes," she said.

Marcia and Matthew Floding attended a recent wine tasting event and sent photos of themselves from their phones to their children. "The Nasher is a great community resource," said Matthew Floding, director of Ministerial Formation and Field Education at Duke Divinity School.

The museum offers free admission to Duke students, faculty and staff at any time. Museum admission is also free to everyone on Thursdays from 5 to 9 p.m. For more benefits, members of the Duke community also join the museum.

"I recommend the Nasher membership because of great exhibitions, 10 percent off in the restaurant and the most amazing chocolate chip cookies in Durham," said C.T. Woods-Powell, education and training coordinator with Duke's Professional Development Institute. "Best of all, membership helps support the excellent education programming at the Nasher."

A complete calendar of Summer Days Nasher Nights events is available on the museum's website. For updates, sign up for the museum's weekly eNewsletter in the footer bar.