The museum's permanent collection is composed of work by international, national, and local artists and covers a variety of disciplines.

The Cameron Art Museum's new location on Independence Street is home to the Civil War site of the Battle of Forks Road fought on February 20, 1865.

The Confederate loss at the Battle of Forks Road, directly following the fall of Fort Fisher, marked the beginning of the end for the Confederacy.

The loss at Forks Road placed the Cape Fear Port in the hands of the Union, cutting off supply lines to General Robert E. Lee in Northern Virginia and leading to the final surrender of the Confederate Army.

Civil War reenactors and descendants of the soldiers who fought in the Battle of Forks Road served as models for the hands and faces featured in the monument.