Reynolda to Debut its Multisensory Spring Exhibition, “Layered Looking: Making Sense of Art” on March 10, 2026
Winston-Salem, N.C. (January 29, 2026) – Reynolda House will debut its spring exhibition, “Layered Looking: Making Sense of Art”, on March 10, 2026 – coinciding with spring break for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools. Curated by Julia Tanner, director of teaching and learning for Reynolda, “Layered Looking” presents a multisensory approach to more than 40 works from Reynolda’s permanent collection, largely made in the second half of the 20th century.
With works by Louise Nevelson, Red Grooms, Kwame Brathwaite, and a newly restored multimedia work of art by Nam June Paik, visitors are encouraged to move beyond traditional viewing into an active, sensory experience—through touch, sound and movement—exploring art as a dynamic landscape.
Instead of spotlighting one artist, period, or theme, the exhibition is organized around different ways of appreciating art, allowing visitors to experience art at their own pace and with multiple entry points. Colorful sections will help direct museumgoers of all ages through pathways for looking at art – considering how works engage the senses, encourage play and imagination, and connect with one’s own life. Visitors can also explore how learning more information about a work of art — after first looking themselves — can add to their understanding and experience.
“Reynolda has always been a place designed for play and exploration, since the Reynolds and Babcocks occupied this historic home,” said Allison Perkins. “This exhibition is our special invitation to families and visitors, new and familiar, to rethink the way they experience our permanent collection and allow curiosity to take the lead.”
For the first time in the museum’s history, an interactive PlayLab will be centered in the gallery where children and caregivers can participate in hands-on learning activities intended to engage, enlighten, and educate.
“Visual art offers an especially accessible starting point: a group of people can stand before a painting and take it in together,” said Tanner. “And while discussing a novel is rewarding, that same group of people can’t hold it in their gaze all at once. Visual art offers that immediacy there, while still inviting careful thought.”
“Whether you are strolling through the formal gardens or observing a work of art from our collection there are elements of design to admire and appreciate–shapes, colors and textures,” added Tanner.
Opening in the Mary and Charlie Babcock Wing gallery, “Layered Looking” offers a chance for community members to return to Reynolda while the historic house remains closed for HVAC renovation work.
“This exhibition underscores Reynolda’s core mission of safeguarding the historic furnishings and works of art in the collection while also finding new ways for audiences to connect with them,” added Perkins.
“Layered Looking: Making Sense of Art” will be on view March 10 through July 19, 2026. The historic house is set to reopen on August 5, 2026. Find more information about the exhibition at reynolda.org/layered-looking.
Open Studio Saturdays
Dates: March 14 & 28; April 11 & 25; May 9 & 23
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Beginning March 14, Reynolda will host bimonthly Open Studio Saturdays. These sessions will offer guided art activities inspired by the works on view that families can create and then take home. All ages are welcomed and encouraged to participate. Open Studio Saturdays are included with museum admission.
New Pricing Structure
During the spring exhibition season, a new temporary pricing structure will be introduced:
Adults: $13; plus tax
Youth (ages 3-18): $5; plus tax
Museum members at the Dual/Family rate and above will receive free youth admission.
About Reynolda
Reynolda is set on 170 acres in Winston-Salem, N.C. and comprises Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Reynolda Gardens and Reynolda Village Shops and Restaurants. The Museum presents a renowned art collection in a historic and incomparable setting: the original 1917 interiors of Katharine and R.J. Reynolds’s 34,000-square-foot home. Its collection is a chronology of American art and featured exhibitions are offered in the Museum’s Babcock Wing Gallery and historic house bedrooms. The Gardens serve as a 134-acre outdoor horticultural oasis open to the public year-round, complete with colorful formal gardens, nature trails and a conservatory. In the Village, the estate’s historic buildings are now home to a vibrant mix of boutiques, restaurants, shops and services. Plan your visit at reynolda.org.
Hours and Admission
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, located at 2250 Reynolda Rd., and the Reynolda Welcome Center and the Brown Family Conservatory, located at 100 Reynolda Village Way, are open to visitors Tuesday–Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Admission is charged for the Museum, though several free admission categories apply. Reynolda Gardens is open from dawn to dusk daily, free of charge. Reynolda Village merchants’ hours vary. No ticket is needed to shop at the Reynolda House Museum Store.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Brittany Norton
Director of Marketing and Communications, Reynolda House and Reynolda Gardens
brittany@reynolda.org
336-926-6080 (mobile)
336-758-5524 (office)
Images: Left: Nam June Paik (1932-2006), Leonardo da Vinci, 1991, Mixed-media sculpture, 93″ x 64″ x 21″. Museum Purchase with additional funds provided by Barbara B. Millhouse, 1993.2.1 © Nam June Paik Estate
Middle: Minnie Evans (1892 – 1987), Untitled, 1948, Pencil and crayon on paper, 11 1/2″ × 9”. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Baker © Estate of Minnie Evans
Right: Stuart Davis (1894-1964), For Internal Use Only, 1945, Oil on canvas, 45″ x 28″. Gift of Barbara B. Millhouse, 1998.2.1 © 2026 Estate of Stuart Davis / Licensed by VAGA at Artist Rights Society (ARS), NY