News & Events

Are you an art-lover – or even just a fun-lover –  planning a visit to Hickory, North Carolina? Before you go, take a minute to browse through your favorite online review sites and do a search of Top Things to do in Hickory North Carolina. Way up high on the list you’ll find the Hickory Museum of Art, a much-loved local venue that reviewers agree is “a hidden gem” and “not to be missed.”

Established in 1986, the Hickory Museum of Art hosts a permanent collection of approximately 1,500 art objects, including paintings, American Art pottery, glass art, high-speed photography, and original works by regional artists that celebrate the artistic traditions of North Carolina and the Southern United States.

“This place is truly a gem!” the reviewers echo over and over. They praise the museum for its open, airy floor plan and its superb displays of folk art from the traditional to the modern. The museum’s three floors of galleries feature exhibits by local artists with deep roots in Southern history. Here you’ll find art that touches the senses. It’s a culturally rich indulgence that you can see, hear, and feel all at once. And there’s that undeniable Appalachian flair that permeates the entire experience.

The third floor is dedicated to HMA’s popular folk art exhibition. When you arrive upstairs, the walls welcome you with a painted message to let you know you’re about to discover “unique visions by Southern self-taught artists.”

The Hickory Museum of Art is where creative minds meet. It’s a place to not only see creative things but do creative things! The HMA calendar is packed with exhibits, art classes for adults, social events, and a whole slew of goings-on to keep active adults busy year-round with their choice of arts and art-related events.

Here’s just a sample of upcoming events at Hickory Museum of Art:

Oct 16 (Sun) – Tractor Shed Theatre 2:30-3:30pm

Oct 17 (Mon) Local Artist Lunch and Learn 12:00-2:30pm

Oct 21 (Fri) Local Artist Reception   6:00-7:30pm

Oct 25 (Tues) Fall Beer & Cider Tasting  6:00-7:30pm

Oct 29 (Sat) After Hours Flashlight Tour 4:15-6:00pm

Oct 31 (Mon) Artist Workshop 9:30-12:30pm

Nov 12 (Sat) Evening for the Arts Benefit 6:00-9:00pm

Nov 19 (Sat) Holiday Open House & Festival 10:00-4:00pm

Throughout the year, the museum also offers music concerts, dance performances, yoga classes, knitting events, film festivals, and a wide array of events that span well beyond the typical menu of offerings you find at your local art museum.

That’s because there’s nothing typical about this museum. It’s one-of-a-kind and it’s welcoming to all. Diversity and inclusion are reflected in everything HMA offers, from their assortment of programs to the variety of unique works from diverse artists whose work is displayed here.

HMA is woven into the very fabric of Hickory’s cultural arts community, both figuratively and literally. In fact, here you’ll notice fabric and wood are given special artistic attention. These materials are often featured in exhibits that honor Hickory’s long history of furniture making and the beautiful craftsmanship they inspire.

The museum is proud of its community partnerships with local cultural, historical, and educational institutions, and local businesses. One of their recent creative collaborations was with the Hickory Public Library and the Hickory Community Theatre, which produced a 2016 event to promote play Crowns, which celebrates church hats traditionally worn by African American women. The event included an exhibit at the museum that artfully displayed hats from members of the Hickory community.

Other HMA community collaborations include:

·        A partnership with the Downtown Newton Development Association and the City of Newton to sponsor the Foothills Folk Art Festival, which celebrates the work of Southern artists and their unique vision of life in the foothills.

·        A partnership with Hickory Printing Solutions that features the works of women in the visual arts and includes a printed calendar to commemorate the exhibition called Woman Made: Women Artists from the Hickory Museum of Art Collection.

Hickory Museum of Art is located on the SALT Block at 243 3rd Avenue NE in downtown Hickory, and admission is free. There are three floors of exhibits and a Galleria Shop where you can purchase souvenirs to commemorate your visit. The museum and shop are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sundays 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

This gem of a museum is a popular destination for locals as well as tourists from throughout the nation and around the world. It’s one of many local attractions that just may convince you it’s time to make retirement life in the foothills of North Carolina a reality. And while you’re ticking items off your bucket list, why not start focusing on all those retirement activities you’ve been promising yourself.

Remember the art classes for adults you’ve been wanting to take? There’s no better time than now. There’s no better place to “do art” than Hickory Museum of Art. And there’s no better subject for your upcoming masterpiece than The Coves Mountain River Club. Located in Lenoir NC just minutes from Downtown hickory, The Coves is a work-of-art that has to be seen to be believed!

This exquisite 3,600-acre mountain community with five miles of river frontage along the Johns River connecting to Wilson Creek offers gorgeous mountain and water views in all directions. It’s sprawling wildflower-peppered landscape accented by cascading waterfalls is an artist’s dream… not to mention a homeowner’s dream.

There’s no better place than The Coves to find North Carolina mountain homes for sale that are both luxurious and affordable. This “hidden gem” is nestled in the NC foothills, surrounded by quaint mountain towns like Hickory that are constantly a-buzz with art and culture events, social activities, dining, shopping, nightlife, and year-round seasonal festivals.

Within The Coves community itself, there are favorite fishing spots, beautifully landscaped walking paths, invigorating hiking/biking trails, horse trails (and fully equipped stables), and a full menu of above-and-beyond amenities, including a community vineyard and garden, state-of-the-art fitness center, yoga classes, and a hilltop swimming pool located on the grounds of The Coves’ expansive community lodge with breathtaking 360-degree views of the surrounding Blue Ridge mountain ranges.

With all its natural glory, if The Coves doesn’t inspire you to put brush to canvas to capture its undeniable beauty, we don’t know what will!

So why not add more art to your life? It’s time to start exploring North Carolina mountain homes for sale near Hickory NC. Be sure to add Hickory Museum of Art to your list of things to do in Hickory North Carolina. And remember, when you’re there, don’t just see… do. Those art classes for adults are waiting for you. And so is The Coves.

Call us at 828.754.0700 to schedule your visit to this beautiful, artistically magnificent mountain community in Lenoir NC, just minutes from Downtown Hickory.

If you’re exploring the area for the first time, ask for our 70 page complimentary Western North Carolina Visitor’s Guide which provides more information about living in the foothills.