Sometimes, I wish I could live in a museum.

This fantasy was planted in my head by a book I read in grade school, but it lingers to this day—when I’ve ventured to the Museum of Life and Science for babysitting, when I’ve stared at a Frida Kahlo portrait so long I feel dizzy. I want to be able to learn and see and see and learn and nothing else, but I have bills to pay and a cat to feed. 

International Museum Day—a real holiday, and not just a way Nintendo is keeping you on Animal Crossing— is a celebration of museums as sites of education and preservation. Every year, there’s a theme; this year, it’s Museums for Equality: Diversity and Inclusion. While none of us will visit new exhibits in the foreseeable future, these North Carolina museums give you the opportunity to celebrate from your living room.

If you want to dive into this year’s theme …

Only a few of North Carolina’s museums that are dedicated to race have online content, but there are still some great learning opportunities. If you’re a fan of art museums, the Nasher Museum of Art has created a cyber version of Ebony G. Patterson’s … while the dew is still on the roses…, an exhibit focused on Black youth culture. You could listen to a lecture on incarceration during coronavirus with the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts, or learn about contemporary Chicksaw art with the Museum of the Southeast American Indian.

If you can wait until Thursday, tune in to Afripedia, a documentary series on African artists, via NCMA. Think you could remember something a month down the road? The Ackland Museum of Art has a virtual performance of Hip Hopera 5P1N0K10 (SPINOKIO) coming up in June.

If you’re running out of ways to keep the kids entertained …

You’re in luck—North Carolina has several amazing children’s museums uploading new content and projects every day. You can craft nontraditional portraits with the Nasher. You could use contemporary art as a model for flower pot painting with the Mint Museum. There are at-home science projects from the Museum of Life and Science and Discovery Place. They could even learn new ways to play with Marbles Kids Museum and get some of their energy out.

If you want an art and NC history combo …

Both the Biltmore Estate and Reynolda House have virtual tours available to stream. At Reynolda, you can even find tutorials for creating sewn bird ornaments and decorating your own stationery.

If you really like your daily walks around the neighborhood …

If you’re intrigued by the flora you’ve seen on neighborhood walks, the Gregg Museum of Art & Design shares a flower a day on its Facebook page, and you can also stay up to date with what’s in bloom on the Biltmore estate grounds through its website. If you want to better document what you’ve seen, the Museum of Natural Sciences has a nature journal how-to on its site.

If you miss bar trivia …

The NC Museum of Natural Sciences hears you and wants to help, offering Tuesday Trivia every week. If you’re just looking for some fun facts, the North Carolina Museum of History has online exhibits, artifacts, and a podcast, and you can learn about frescoes and permanent collection pieces with the NC Museum of Art.

If you need some WFH distractions …

Nothing eases everyday struggles like animal content. For a rabbit hole of cute content, the Museum of Life and Science is posting animal updates on Facebook every day. For something a little more soothing, put on a 24-7 live-stream of moon jellyfish, a la the Museum of Natural Sciences.

Contact digital content manager Sara Pequeño at [email protected]. Additional reporting by Mary King.

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