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Durham Arts Council
Durham Arts Council
Durham Arts Council
Durham Arts Council
Event space
Event space
Event space
Event space
Durham Arts Council
Durham Arts Council
Reception area
Reception area
Reception area
Reception area
Table setting
Table setting
Reception area
Reception area
Reception area
Reception area

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Durham Arts Council

About

A truly unique setting located in historic downtown Durham, our facility is versatile, attractive, fun and affordable. We have art galleries, a dance floor, theatre, and Catering Kitchen for the caterer of your choice. Our staff is friendly and will help you make your event an all-out success. Weddings and receptions are primarily held in any of the following four rooms: Our Pavilion is a grand two story space surrounded by large glass windows on three sides. It contains a large winding staircase that leads to a second level balcony. Suspended from the high ceiling are twinkling lights. The Pavilion is perfect for dancing. Use the Pavilion along with our Allenton and/or Semans Gallery for larger, dinners-and-dancing, weddings and wedding receptions. Our Galleries have rotating art exhibits. Both spaces are beautiful for receptions. Our Allenton Gallery is located off the Pavilion on the Main Level. Off one wing is a small glassed room that can be used as a gift or coat room. The Catering Kitchen is just steps away. Our Semans Gallery is located off the Pavilion balcony on the Upper Level. It has a large centerpiece window that faces the twinkling lights dangling from the Pavilion rafters creating a very magical, festive atmosphere. Our PSI Theatre is perfect for a wedding ceremony. It is on the Upper Level just beyond Semans Gallery. It has 200 stadium style seats, and comes with two dressing rooms and a screen to show a slideshow story of the bride and groom.

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Frequently asked questions

Describe your venue:

Banquet Hall
Historic Building
Museum

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Uncovered Outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception

Reviews of Durham Arts Council

Write a review
Write a review
Kate
Kate Sent on 02/07/2017
5 out of 5 rating
We choose the Durham Arts Council for our New Years Eve wedding and could not have been happier! The venue is not only beautiful, but was also an excellent value. The space is open and airy and we were given the freedom to do as much or as little with it as we wanted. Fay, our point person at the venue was lovely, responsive and super easy to work with. She put us at ease and made the experience really great.


We had our ceremony in the downstairs Atrium and the dinner in the upstairs gallery (the art on the walls was a added backdrop bonus to our photos). During dinner the downstairs was flipped to create the dance floor for the reception. Our guests could not stop talking about how beautiful the wedding was! We walked away a very happy married couple.
A
Allison Sent on 07/17/2016
5 out of 5 rating
We used the Durham Arts Council for our 75-guest wedding ceremony and reception, and it was great! Our requirements when choosing a venue were: 1) indoor (NC heat in June is no joke!), 2) walkable from downtown hotels (to show off how awesome Durham is and keep things convenient for our guests who were all from out of town) 3) flexible with vendor choice, and 4) reasonable price. The DAC met all those conditions. Plus since it was a nice night and my dad built us a corn hole set, our guests were able to hang out on the side patio areas to get away from the music and chat. It truly worked out better than I could've imagined.

We had our ceremony upstairs, cocktail hour and dancing in the atrium, and a buffet dinner in the downstairs gallery. I liked our setup and would recommend it.

Their regular coordinator Amanda left between when we signed our contract and our event date, but the new person worked out just fine.

One thing to note is that there are some carpet stains in the upstairs balcony - we rented a few rugs to cover them.
K
Kirsten Sent on 04/28/2016
5 out of 5 rating
We loved the Arts Council! They were very accommodating, affordable and helpful! We needed some switching of tables at the last minute and they helped us! They provided additional trash bags and anything we accidentally forgot (pens), they provided. Great experience!
S
Shantay Sent on 10/29/2015
5 out of 5 rating
Durham Arts Council was the site of my wedding ceremony and reception. The beauty of this location cannot be adequately described; you have to see it in person! We rented the pavilion/ balcony, as well as both of the galleries. We used the pavilion area for our ceremony and reception festivities. We used the up stairs gallery for our cocktail hour space and the one downstairs for our dinner space. We had more then enough room in each area for fun, family, and friends! Our liaison Amanda, was beyond awesome! She took us (my planner and I) on a tour of the facility and really showed me how the spaces could be utilized. She was available to answer questions at any time, and was a wonderful source of ideas for decor. I am so thankful we chose the DAC for our wedding venue. I have pictures and memories that will last a lifetime!
U
User2226532 Sent on 07/14/2015
5 out of 5 rating
We had our reception at the Durham Arts Council (Pavilion and Allenton Gallery), for about 100 people. It's a beautiful location, with great built-in decor - the windows, exhibits, and that staircase! Amanda was great to work with, and helped explain the logistics and setup throughout the planning process.
T
Teresa Sent on 06/02/2014
5 out of 5 rating
The DAC service and staff were excellent. Amanda's support and attention in communicating about planning issues, space availability, contract issues, etc. was excellent and truly made the experience enjoyable and about as low stress as it could have possibly been! The DAC building is a gorgeous venue (we used the Pavilion and Allenton Gallery rooms), and made for a non-traditional, modern, and very magical setting for our May 2014 wedding! We also love the general theme of the DAC in supporting local artists, and providing access to the arts for our local residents.
M
Matthew Sent on 06/02/2014
5 out of 5 rating
The Arts Council may not be your first thought for a wedding, but consider it. The space worked well for us (lobby, first floor gallery, and kitchen) and Amanda was always helpful with comments and suggestions.
E
Elisabeth Sent on 05/28/2009
3.7 out of 5 rating
The Durham Arts Council provided a beautiful place for our reception. They were a bit hard to get along with as far as set up was concerned, but in the long run, we were happy to have an event here. Definitely not for a large wedding. We had about 150 and it was great.
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Awards

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Professional Network & Endorsements

1 Endorsement
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The Durham Arts Council offers a variety of spaces to accommodate a bride's needs. The staff is very helpful and willing to assist. Add an additional layer of artistic creativity to your wedding by hosting your reception at The Durham Arts Council.

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Durham Arts Council frequently asked questions

The space offered by Durham Arts Council for wedding events is known for:
  • Banquet Hall
  • Historic Building
  • Museum
Durham Arts Council offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
  • Uncovered Outdoor
Durham Arts Council offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
Durham Arts Council is recommended by 97% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.8 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.9 in quality of service, 4.9 in value, 4.8 in average response time, 4.8 in flexibility and 4.8 in professionalism.
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