Sec. Kluttz at Saturday's opening with N.C. Museum of Art director Larry Wheeler, Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane, BlueCross BlueShield of N.C. CEO Brad Wilson and Dan Gottlieb and Cathy Higgins of NCMA and BCBSNC, respectively
Blue grass, marching bands and food trucks set a festive air for the opening of the mile-long Blue Loop multi-modal recreational trail on the 164-acre grounds of the N.C. Museum of Art. The loop connects with the network of trails behind the museum and helps to promote that art can be found inside as well as out. Amidst a crowd of several hundred onlookers, Sec. Susan Kluttz joined N.C. Museum of Art (NCMA) director Larry Wheeler, Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane and BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina (BSBCNC) CEO Brad Wilson to dedicate the new recreational trail. Kluttz emphasized the importance of public private partnerships, art’s role in economic development and the importance of recreation in her remarks. The trail was made possible through collaboration between the museum and BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, the state’s largest insurer. It is the flagship project of BCBSNC’s “Get Outside, North Carolina” initiative that seeks to improve health and reduce obesity-related medical costs in the state. The mile-long loop also connects to the extensive Capital Area Greenway System (which has grown to an 88-mile, 3,700-acre network) and adds to the draw of NCMA’s Museum Park, already one of the top art parks in world, according to Bicycling Magazine.