2026 Raleigh Medal of Arts Award Ceremony

The 2026 Raleigh Medal of Arts Award Ceremony is coming to the Stewart Theatre on Monday, October 19, from 6 PM to 9 PM. The night is built around the Raleigh Medal of Arts, which recognizes extraordinary achievements in the arts across the city, and the ceremony itself is put together from presentations and performances by the honorees. There's also a pre-show reception to kick things off.

The list of people being honored this year is long, and the evening will feature work from all of them. The honorees are Lauren Kennedy Brady, Alec and Georgia Donaldson, Chasta Hamilton, the Living in Color Exhibit, Peter Marín, Rafael A. Osuba, Michelle Pearson, Zalman 'Zali' Raffael, Seed Art Share, and Lizette Cruz Watko. Since the ceremony is built around their presentations and performances, you'll get to see and hear from them throughout the night rather than just hearing their names read off a list.

The Stewart Theatre is inside the Talley Student Center at North Carolina State University, at 2610 Cates Ave in West Raleigh. Admission is free and general, first come first served, with a two-ticket limit per order. You'll need to get your tickets through Eventbrite, so it's worth grabbing yours early if you're planning to go. The whole thing runs from 6 PM to 9 PM on Monday, October 19.