(From June 5-8, 2007)

The Ackland Art Museum, UNC-Chapel Hill, recently opened "Practicing Contemporaries," an exhibit featuring more than 40 works by 11 artists, all of them faculty of the University's studio art program. The show will remain through September 9, 2007.

Gabby Salazar, nature photographer, will give a free presentation at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences' Auditorium at noon on Friday, June 15th, as well as a free Youth Photography Workshop at Prairie Ridge (8-11 a.m., Saturday, June 16; to register, 919-733-7450 ext. 304; ages 12-18). The Museum will also open its "Wild Music: Sounds & Songs of Life" interactive exhibit on Saturday, June 30, and run it through September 16. The opening will include performances by Brooks deWetter Smith at 11:30, 12:30 and 2 p.m. on June 30th; a Wild Music Festival on August 4; and a John Coltrane Tribute as part of First Friday on September 7th (6-9 p.m., free).

The History in the Summer (H.I.T.S.) program at the High Point Museum from 9 to noon on Tuesday, June 28th, will be Thyme for Herbs, focused especially for ages 8-12 ($8 members, $10 non-members).

The Carolina Chamber Symphony Players will present "It's De-Lovely:
Music from the Songbook of Cole Porter" at the Old Salem Visitor Center, Gray Auditorium, starting with a reception at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 23. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $10 for students with valid ID. (336) 721-7350 for advance tickets or information.

A Radical Craft Woodturning Demonstration will be given by Affiliate Artist Anatoly Tsiris at the McColl Center for Visual Art, Charlotte, from
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 30th.

The Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, will host an Adult/Child Workshop, "Salute to Eric Carle," June 26-28, 10-11:30 a.m. each day, for children ages 3-5 with an adult (visit website or call 704-337-2098 for registration, fees and information). The Mint Museums will also offer free admission all weekend on Saturday, June 30 and Sunday, July 1, featuring the exhibition, "An American Vision: Henry Francis duPont's Winterthur Museum." A free lecture at the Mint Museum of Art, "Winterthur: Henry Francis duPont's Adventures in Collecting American Antiques," is at 3 p.m. on July 1.

The N.C. State Capitol, Raleigh, will celebrate Independence Day on July
4 with an Old Fashioned Fourth (11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Capitol grounds, free).

Museum Education Roundtable (MER) to Organize Chapter in Raleigh Area!
B.J. Davis, the new Education Chief at the North Carolina Museum of History, is interested in starting a local/regional chapter of the Museum Education Roundtable (MER) for the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area (although representatives from any museum in North Carolina are invited to participate). The idea is provide a forum for collaboration and the exchange of ideas, information and best practices. Museums interested in joining should contact B.J. Davis at bj.davis@ncmail.net. [(919) 807-7996, fax (919) 733-8655].

The Asheville Art Museum proudly announces the 6th year of its More Than Math curriculum program. Teachers are cordially invited to attend a More than Math Workshop on: Wednesday, August 8 for 3rd-4th Grades; Thursday, August 9 for 5th Grade; or Friday, August 10 for 6th-8th Grades. Each workshop will be held from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM in the Asheville Art Museum's Western North Carolina Art Resource Center Studio, located at 2 South Pack Square, a part of the Pack Place Arts and Science Center in downtown Asheville. Fee: $75. To register contact Erin Shope, Manager of School & Family Programs, Asheville Art Museum, (828) 253-3227 ext.121 or eshope@ashevilleart.org.

Events at the Cameron Art Museum include the film "Hairspray" on Friday, June 15 at 7 p.m.

The N.C. Museum of Forestry unveiled seven 7' by 4' panels, each with a different North Carolina tree, on Thursday, May 31 -- part of an Eagle Scout project by Robert Bannerman. The tree panels have been added to the outdoor Tree Trail at the Whiteville museum.

The N.C. Maritime Museum, Beaufort, is celebrating the life and times of Blackbeard the Pirate with a free Blackbeard Festival from June 10-15. For more details, call (252) 728-7317.