RALEIGH, NC.- The North Carolina Museum of Art welcomed 718,102 visitors to its campus in 2019, its highest annual attendance since the opening of West Building in 2010.

Special exhibition Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Mexican Modernism from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection, ticketed with Scott Avett: Invisible and presented by Bank of America, attracted 98,104 visitors, making it the fifth most-visited exhibition in Museum history, behind You Are Here: Light, Color, and Sound Experiences from 2018; The Worlds of M. C. Escher: Nature, Science, and Imagination from 2015; Rembrandt in America from 2011; and Monet in Normandy from 2006.

“The popularity of Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Mexican Modernism is no surprise,” said Susi H. Hamilton, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. “The North Carolina Museum of Art continues to be one of the best museums in the country, and I congratulate Director Valerie Hillings on a successful first year leading the NCMA.”

In the summer of 2019, the Museum partnered with North Carolina State University's Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management, Center for Geospatial Analytics, led by Professor Aaron Hipp, to better measure attendance to its Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park by using electronic counters and direct observations.

“In 2019, we welcomed a record-breaking 21,000 visitors to our spring floral fundraiser Art in Bloom, showcased iconic works of art by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, hosted creative educational, recreational, and performing arts events, and introduced new ways to experience the free Museum collection,” said Museum Director Valerie Hillings. “The high number of visitors reflects the support of our members, donors, and community partners, and the efforts of our dedicated staff and boards. We’re excited for the year ahead.”

Upcoming 2020 programming includes five spring exhibitions:

• Front Burner: Highlights in Contemporary North Carolina Painting

• Christopher Holt: Contemporary Frescoes/Faith and Community

• Art in Translation: Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook

• Good as Gold: Fashioning Senegalese Women

• and indoor and outdoor installations by Leonardo Drew.

The sixth annual Art in Bloom, presented by PNC, runs March 19-22; member tickets are now on sale and nonmember tickets are available February 18. Learn more at ncartmuseum.org/bloom.