Festivities to celebrate Raleigh's Contemporary Art Museum

The approximately 20,000-square-foot facility is located in a newly renovated warehouse at 409 W. Martin St. It will host changing exhibitions and house a classroom for art education courses.

The inaugural group of artists at CAM include New York-based Japanese artist Naoka Ito, who used jars and wire to create her series titled “Urban Nature.” The collection features segmented tree branches in mason jars.

Washington, D.C.-based artist Dan Steinhilber is also featured. His collection titled, “Hold On, Loosely," features an inflated sculpture of mulched plastic bags. Patrons are invited to walk inside the sculpture, where they will find bright splashes of color made with shredded plastic bags and paint. 

Ito's work will be featured until July 10 in The Independent Weekly Gallery as part of the Emerging Artist Exhibition Series. The work of Rebecca Ward, of Texas, who specializes in using tape and vinyl adhesives, will appear in the gallery from July 30 to Oct. 30. 

Progress Energy is sponsoring the museum's opening weekend and making admission free to the public, Museum spokeswoman Rosemary Wyche said.

On April 29, CAM is hosting a $150-a-ticket grand opening celebration, featuring food from restaurants including Poole’s Diner, Humble Pie, Jibarra, The Pit and bu•ku.