Lawrence J. Wheeler, Celebrator of the Arts

Lawrence J. Wheeler was named director of the NC Museum of Art in October 1994. Under his leadership, the Museum has become one of the leading art museums in the American South. Its program of major exhibitions, ranging from presentations of the work of Rodin, Monet and the School of Paris to ancient Egyptian art, has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors. His vision for expansion space--a spacious, light-filled structure to house the museum’s collection--became a reality in 2010. Today, the 127,000-square-foot West Building, surrounded by sculpture gardens and reflecting pools, presents works drawn from the institution’s outstanding permanent collection of more than 5,000 objects spanning the periods from antiquity to present day. Larry announced his retirement earlier this year. His favorite rule: “Celebrate! Yes. Parties are really good things if they are really good. They bring your community around you to dance, dine, and drink some wine.” So join Larry at a lucky dinner to help celebrate his last official work day at the NC Museum of Art!