Art Collection
Featuring the Works of Local and National Artists
The Umstead Hotel and Spa's private collection is carefully curated and features the works of renowned local and national artists, including famed glass artist Dale Chihuly.
Twisted Logic by Patrick Dougherty
Patrick Dougherty’s Twisted Logic invites guests into a world where natural form meets imaginative construction. Internationally celebrated for his monumental woven-sapling sculptures, Dougherty has spent more than forty years transforming humble branches into environments that feel both otherworldly and deeply rooted in nature.
Born in Oklahoma and raised in North Carolina, Dougherty began experimenting with saplings in the early 1980s. Since then, he has created more than 330 large-scale works worldwide, from Scotland and Japan to Brussels and across the United States. Now retired from large on-site installations, he continues to create from his North Carolina studio. Twisted Logic reflects this chapter of his career with smaller-scale works that capture the same sense of movement, whimsy, and harmony with nature.
This exhibition will be on view in The Umstead’s Art Gallery, as well as select spaces throughout the hotel, from September 4 through mid-November 2025, with an Artist Reception and Lecture in the Salon on October 1.
Patrick's work is available for purchase through our Gift Shop.
Gift Shop Hours: Sun–Wed 9am–6pm, Thurs–Sat 9am–8pm.
New Beginnings
Works by Alice Ballard
Ceramic artist Alice Ballard creates organic, hand-built vessels that reflect the quiet strength and subtle beauty of the natural world. Her sculptural forms are inspired by seed pods, leaves, and other botanical elements often overlooked, yet rich with texture and meaning.
Working primarily with white earthenware, Ballard uses pinch, coil, and slab techniques to explore the expressive potential of each form. Her work often carries a serene, meditative presence, rooted in her deep observation of nature and its cycles.
Alice Ballard’s Pod Triangle, outside of Herons, in the permanent collection reflects our core theme of Art in Nature, inviting guests to pause and connect with the simplicity and elegance found in the world around us.
This exhibition will be on view in the Pottery Case found in the Conference Center lobby starting on Earth Day. For information or to purchase these works please visit our Gift Shop.
Gift Shop hours: Sun. - Wed. 9am-6pm and Thurs. - Sat. 9 am-8pm
About The Art Gallery
The Umstead rotates new artists' work seasonally into the hotel to complement the permanent collection. The pieces featured in the collection are modern and minimalist, adding to the contemporary, clean design of the hotel.
Guests are invited to take self-guided tours of the hotel's collection with the guidance of an art brochure that’s available at the concierge desk.
For upcoming art gallery openings, please visit our event calendar.
Pictured: Lynn Boggess 2025 Gallery Show