People are breathing life into Raleigh’s warehouse district. One of the new stars of the areas near Boylan is the Contemporary Art Museum. It just opened in the last  month or so. I got to visit for the first time last week.

It’s a small museum, but they have some interesting pieces. I found myself smiling frequently. That’s one of the tests I have for judging art.

The most fun I had was the giant inflatable piece of recycled materials. Besides a viewing portal, you could enter the the megaballoon through a refrigerator. It put me in a mind of some Sears Roebuck version of The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe. I laughed aloud every time I went through.

In the piece displayed in the dark room downstairs, I was happy that I did not read the card outside the door. It was much more satisfying to slowly adjust to the light and discover the artists materials for myself rather than know beforehand. Is it an anti-spoiler if I help you avoid a too early education?

A small gallery is here.