We all are aware, both personally and colloquially, of the “Duke Bubble.” It is both disappointing and understandable. Duke’s student body is diverse in every way, especially geographically. Only 16% of Duke’s students are from North Carolina – and an even lower percentage is from Durham. It’s difficult to expect 18 to 22-year-olds to take full advantage of a growing metropolitan area when they’re still figuring out themselves and Duke. Yet, we should still try. With that in mind, below are some of Durham’s (and the broader Research Triangle’s) best places to experience local and national culture.
Durham Performing Arts Center
I’m admittedly starting off with a little bit of a basic one, but DPAC is the essential hub of arts in Durham. Located right in downtown, it’s one of the more conspicuous buildings in the city. If a big play or comedian is going to come to Durham, they’re going to perform at DPAC. For those who enjoy music that draws an older or sit-down crowd (looking at you, Jason Isbell and Mitski), this is where you’d find them. DPAC also has a constantly-running program for musicals entitled “Truist Broadway” that regularly hosts major musicals like “Hadestown” and is nearby a number of Durham businesses and restaurants.
The Carolina Theatre
Nearing its centennial, the Carolina Theatre is a mainstay of Durham. Hosting everything from movie premieres to live performances and podcasts to comedians to concerts to the obvious showings of classic and current films, the Carolina Theatre offers almost any entertainment opportunity imaginable. Only one mile from East Campus, it’s uniquely accessible, relevant and historic. The Carolina Theatre is one of the last vestiges of a bygone era of theaters, alone against a sea of theater chains like AMC. Go and see a movie at The Carolina Theatre to support a staple of Durham that wouldn’t exist without the city and people like us supporting it.
North Carolina Museum of Art
Balancing what is unique to North Carolina culturally and artistically with artifacts and pieces from across the world, the North Carolina Museum of Art offers a wonderful glimpse into what for many Blue Devils’ is their new (and potentially temporary) home state. The museum also features a 164-acre park full of grand sculptures and forests, a bevy of rotating and permanent exhibits and numerous educational opportunities for all ages. Located in Raleigh, it’s a little bit of a hike, but it’s totally worth it when one has a free Saturday.
Bulldog Ensemble Theater
Bulldog focuses on putting on productions of current popular American plays. The theater is a non-profit cooperative composed of tens of Durham-based artists who have come together to promote and continue the tradition of Durham arts. Last winter, they performed “The Case for the Existence of God,” the most recent play by Samuel Hunter – the writer of “The Whale,” which earned Brendan Fraser an Oscar for best lead actor. Their next production is this summer, “Redwood,” by Brittany K. Allen. Currently being performed off-broadway, the plot revolves around a black family in Baltimore’s reckoning with the results of a DNA test and the effect that this could have on one member’s relationship. On the smaller end of the venues listed so far, the Bulldog Ensemble Theater offers a much more personal, caring environment that cuts to the heart of what the arts in Durham can be.
Cecy’s Gallery and Studio
Cecy’s is located on Foster Street and offers a small (yet expanding) space for local artists to exhibit and sell their work. Beyond being a market for local artists, Cecy’s also offers itself as a space for events, classes, and other community-building functions. The gallery at Cecy’s rotates every three months, ensuring a continually new selection of art and artists. It also is home to permanent fixtures selling jewelry, clothing, skincare supplies and more. Combining both aspects of local business and art, Cecy’s is a wonderful place to stop in and see just part of what Durham has to offer.
The Fruit
Many of us will make our way to The Fruit at some point for Greek life-related events, but it has so much more to offer. It’s an intimate venue to see smaller musicians, art exhibits of former Duke students, or the occasional rave. The Fruit is the perfect, accessible combination of Duke and Durham to use as a gateway to everything else at our fingertips in Durham.
Murals
My last suggestion, although a little broad, is probably the quickest (and cheapest) way to become familiar with Durham and its arts. Durham is home to countless murals all across its downtown. From five murals of Pauli Murray located across Durham to UHILL Walls, Durham expresses itself in countless ways and spaces. On one of Durham’s few clear-skied days, walking the streets of the historic brick wall-laden downtown is the easiest place to make Durham home, rather than it being just the city where Duke resides.
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