The Nasher Haemisegger Family Sculpture Garden Opens
The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University commemorated its 20th anniversary on Saturday, October 18, 2025, with a daylong celebration and the grand opening of the newly transformed Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family Sculpture Garden. Central to the celebration is the unveiling of the museum’s new sculpture garden—20 years in the making. With a generous $5 million gift from Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger, the museum’s outdoor space has been completely reimagined. What was once a steep and inaccessible wooded slope is now a fully walkable, ADA-accessible landscape that honors the natural beauty of the site while creating new opportunities for reflection, connection, and engagement with art and nature.
“We have long believed in the power of public art to bring people together in meaningful ways,” said Nancy A. Nasher, Chair of the Nasher Museum Board of Advisors. “With this new sculpture garden, David and I wanted to help create a space where everyone—students, families, neighbors—can feel welcome to explore the outdoors and experience art. It’s our hope that the garden will grow into a living, evolving part of the community for generations to come.”
Designed as a successional forest with plazas, lawns, and accessible pathways, the garden provides flexible sites for outdoor exhibitions, performances, and future installations while highlighting commissioned works by artists including Radcliffe Bailey and Wangechi Mutu. Using local materials and collaborating with the Triangle’s ecology experts, the design unifies the museum with its surrounding Piedmont forest, creating a dynamic, welcoming environment that connects the university’s East and West campuses.
From its inception, the Nasher has been committed to challenging dominant narratives, amplifying underrepresented voices, and inspiring new ways of seeing. Its 20th anniversary not only honors this legacy but also looks ahead, ushering in a new era of physical and artistic growth.
Photography: Cornell Watson
