N.C. Gen. Stat. § 100-2 (2026)
Approval of memorials before acceptance by State; "work of art" defined
A monument, memorial, or work of art may not become the property of the State by purchase, gift or otherwise, unless the monument, memorial, or work of art, or a design of the same, together with the proposed location of the same, is submitted to and approved by the North Carolina Historical Commission. A monument, memorial, or work of art, until so submitted and approved, may not be contracted for, placed in or upon, or allowed to extend over any property belonging to the State. The term "work of art" as used in this Article includes any painting, portrait, mural decoration, stained glass, statue, bas-relief, sculpture, tablet, fountain, or other article or structure of a permanent character intended for decoration or commemoration. (1941, c. 341, s. 2; 1957, c. 65, s. 11; 1973, c. 476, s. 48; c. 507, s. 5; c. 1262, s. 86; 1977, c. 771, s. 4; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1306, ss. 3, 4; 1989, c. 727, s. 218(27); 1997-443, s. 11A.119(a); 2015-170, s. 3(b); 2015-241, s. 14.30(c), (s), (u).)