Welcome to Talking Culture! In this weekly interview series from 97.9 The Hill WCHL, you’ll hear from writers, performers, musicians and individuals involved in advancing and promoting cultural arts in our community.

This week we’re joined by Shalini Le Gall, the new director of UNC’s Ackland Art Museum. Le Gall has been on the job since September after a previous stint at the Portland Museum of Art in Maine. Le Gall says she’s excited about working at a university art museum, which enables her to combine her love of art with her love of teaching.

Visit Ackland.org for more on the Ackland Art Museum.

It’s also an exciting time at the Ackland, for students and non-students alike: the museum has been earning raves for its ongoing “Color Triumphant” exhibition, featuring dozens of striking modern artworks from Monet, Renoir, Gauguin, and many more.

Click here for more on “Color Triumphant.”

97.9 The Hill WCHL and Chapelboro.com are your headquarters for local news and local voices in Chapel Hill-Carrboro. Every weekday morning, 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck chats with government officials, UNC scholars, business and nonprofit leaders, area musicians, and others in our community as they share their thoughts, their experience, and their expertise on the central issues of today. Click here to listen back to all of Aaron’s conversations – and tune in to “This Morning with Aaron Keck” at 7:30 a.m. on 97.9 The Hill to hear those conversations live.

Listen:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Related Stories
‹
Tu for Two: The RedBall Project
In this week’s “Tu for Two,” Chela is joined by her visiting twin Maylin, which might make this the first “Two Tus for Two!” Their mission to find something unique brought them to something giant, red and round in Chapel Hill — the RedBall Project! The RedBall Project is a traveling public art piece by […]
Facing Pressures In All Directions, Orange County Commissioners Near Budget Decision
Orange County Commissioners are holding a public hearing on next year's budget Thursday, May 28, with major decisions yet to be made.
As Chapel Hill Library Weighs Options Amid Possible Funding Cut, Supporters Speak Up to County
After receiving more than $620,000 annually from the Orange County government, the Chapel Hill Public Library may soon lose that funding.
No Tax Increases and Increased Spending Featured in Chapel Hill Staff's Proposed FY27 Budget
Following a year with improved revenues and a new town manager at the helm, the Town of Chapel Hill may go into the next fiscal year without a tax increase or significant cuts.
Orange County Recommends Tax Increases for FY27 Budget; Chatham County Could Keep Rate Flat
Both Orange County and Chatham County revealed their budget proposals for the upcoming fiscal year this week. Here are the highlights.
Orange County: Details of the Budget Presentation and Tough Decisions to Make — (May 6, 2026)
Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jean Hamilton speaks with 97.9 The Hill's Brighton McConnell on Wednesday, May 6.
On Air Today: 'The Iconic Gathering: The Power of Diverse Women' Film Screening
Denetra Hampton, Producer at For Nurses By Nurses Studios spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, April 14. She discussed The Iconic Gathering: The Power of Diverse Women in Film Project. She talked about the format of creating a "cinematic lecture" featuring the voices of historical figures from throughout history. The film gathers six iconic women, Harriet Tubman, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mary Peake, Mary McLeod Bethune, Zora Neal Hurston and Dr. Virginia Alexander for a candid conversation on the power of diverse women, and the intersection of history and pressing issues of today. She also talked about the tour that this film is on, with the Chapel Hill Public Library being one of several stops on the tour so far. 
On Air Today: 'Boys Will Be Men' at the Ackland Art Museum
The Ackland Art Museum has an exciting new photography exhibition on display: "Bill Bamberger: Boys Will Be Men."
On Air Today: 'A Warning Then and Now,' From North Carolina's Racial History
The Chapel Hill Public Library is hosting "A Warning Then and Now," a reading of George H. White's farewell address to Congress in 1901.
Talking Culture: Introducing Shalini Le Gall, New Director of the Ackland Art Museum
Shalini Le Gall, the new director of UNC's Ackland Art Museum, stops by to discuss her background and ongoing exhibitions at the museum.
›