ncmuseums

An occasional list of exhibits, programs, and events at North Carolina museums. Sponsored by the North Carolina Museums Council.

Monday, July 28, 2008

1). Asheville Art Museum: The Asheville Art Museum’s ARTmob hosts their annual summer film party, “Movies @ the Rhino” on Friday, August 1, 2008, with a screening of Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film “Pulp Fiction.” The film will begin promptly at 8:00 p.m., but participants are invited to arrive early to get their diner on by exploring the exhibition “Pleasant Journeys and Good Eats Along the Way: A Retrospective of Paintings by John Baeder.” Admission is free for ARTmob members and $10 for everyone else.

2). Reynolda House Museum of American Art will host its third annual Cinema Under the Stars evening film series in August. On Saturday, August 2, the first of the series will be Blake Edwards’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961 – Unrated, 115 min.) Starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. Based on the novel by Truman Capote and featuring the Oscar-winning song “Moon River,” this is the story of the fortune-hunting Holly Golightly, a small-town girl in love with an aspiring writer and a great city. Films from different eras will be screened at 9 p.m. each Saturday night in August and the first Saturday in September.

3). Museum of the Albemarle: Register now through August 6th as the Museum of the Albemarle presents “Images: Our Link to the Past,” a photography workshop for 6th through 12th grade students (August 13-14 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 p.m.) Students participating in this workshop will examine historic photographs of Elizabeth City and study how local landscapes have changed or stayed the same.

4). Cameron Art Museum presents “Docent Art Talk: Abstract Art” on Thursday, July 24, 7:00 pm. Program is free with museum admission. Each month a museum docent takes the public on an exploration of the art on view by comparing and contrasting works, focusing on specific media and more. July’s focus is on abstract art works in the exhibitions. Each docent presents a different and individualized approach to help give new insight into the artwork and the artists in the galleries.

5). President James K. Polk State Historic Site: Fifteen fortunate 8- to12-year-olds will spend Monday, July 28, at the President James K. Polk State Historic Site in Pineville discovering how American politics works at a day camp titled “Be President For A Day.” The program will focus on the electoral process, using the James K. Polk campaign of 1844 as an example. Youngsters will be able to nominate a candidate for president and then hold a mock election featuring speeches, campaign posters and slogans. Campers will divide into 1844 vintage political parties (Democrats and Whigs), create party platforms, campaign and elect their President for a Day. Each camper will make political posters and campaign ribbons, and receive lunch and crafts. The camp will run from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

6). Fort Dobbs State Historic Site: The Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has announced that Ft. Dobbs State Historic Site in Statesville won a $150,000 grant for a multi-year project designed to expand and enhance the site’s historical and interpretive potential. This grant amount is the maximum the IMLS customarily awards through its Museums for America (MFA) program. The award is one of only 154 given from Maine to Alaska.

Monday, July 21, 2008

1). Kings Mountain Historical Museum: The Kings Mountain Historical Museum’s current exhibit is “A Stitch in Time: Quilts and Needlework Pre 1960.” The exhibit features decorative as well as utilitarian quilts dating from the 1840s. Needlework examples include embroidery, crewel, crochet and needlepoint. The exhibit runs through August 23, 2008.

2). Cleveland County Arts Council: Lights, cameras, action! The Cleveland County Arts Council is proud to present the 8th annual Real to Reel International Film Festival, a unique festival celebrating the art of film. The Real to Reel Film & Video Festival’s mission is to offer a forum for independent film, video, and multimedia artists to showcase their talents and garner award winning name recognition. The screenings will take place in the Joy Performance Center, Railroad Ave. in Kings Mountain, July 23-26. Tickets cost $8 per session or a Festival pass for $25, children ages 12 and under are admitted free.

3). Bellamy Mansion Museum of History and Design Arts: It was recently announced that the Bellamy Mansion Museum of History and Design Arts was awarded a $1750 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to conduct long-range strategic planning for the museum. The grant was made possible by the establishment of the Terence L. Mills Memorial Endowed Preservation Services Fund for North and South Carolina. Funds ranging from $500 to $5,000 are awarded to nonprofit groups and public agencies and must be matched dollar for dollar with public or private funds.

4). Cameron Art Museum was proud to offer their first two sessions of “Trash Bash” summer art camps in June and July 2008. The camps, which were held for 8 to 12 year olds and 5 to 7 years old, were run by local artist Dixon Stetler and Museum Education Coordinator Georgia Mastroieni. Throughout the camps, children created collaborative and individual creations out of reused and recycled materials. Projects included basket weavings made out of used electrical wire, printmaking on cardboard and newspaper, and a large scale “Keep North Carolina Clean” collage using recyclables collected by the children and attached to plywood in the shape of our state.

5). Reynolda House of American Art hosts the Eastern Music Festival on Sunday, July 27 at 3 p.m. Students from the EMF Piano Program will take part in a Young Artist Recital. For information and to purchase tickets, please call 336-758-5150. Cost is $16, $13 for members and students.

6). High Point Museum: Laundry & Ironing Demonstration in the Historical Park on Saturday, July 26, 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday, July 27, 1 pm to 4 pm. Before washing machines, women devoted entire days to doing household laundry. Come watch our costumed interpreters in action and find out why it took so long. FREE. All ages welcome.

Monday, July 14, 2008

1). Ackland Art Museum has received a grant from The Institute of Museum and Library Services, an independent grant-making agency of the federal government, to fund a five-day, on-site detailed conservation survey of 75 Asian art works from the Ackland Collection. The grant totals $26,968 and will enable a group of conservators to visit the Ackland in early August to survey of a collection of fragile scrolls and folding screens from the Ackland Collection.

2). Museum of the Albemarle: Kids, become an archaeologist for the day at the Museum of the Albemarle for Archaeology 101! On Wednesday, July 16 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, visit with real archaeologists and view the tools they use! Visitors will participate in archaeological activities including searching for objects hidden in the dirt. Participants are allowed to keep what they find. This event is free to the public. Call the Museum’s Education Department 252-335-1453 for more information.

3). N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences is hosting an eight-part lecture series to complement The Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition. Israeli Professor Rachel Elior will present the first lecture of the series, "Who Wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls and Why Were They Written?" on Thursday, July 17 at 7 p.m. in the Museum's WRAL Digital Theater. Dr. Elior is the John and Golda Cohen Professor of Jewish Philosophy and Jewish Mystical Thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In addition to the Scrolls, her interests include Early Jewish Mysticism, Messianism, Sabbatianism, and the role of Women in Jewish Culture. On Thursday, Elior will address the variety of topics on which the Scrolls were written, their authors, and the circumstances in which they were written.

4). Wheels Through Time will honor our nation’s military by paying tribute to those men and women who have served our country, both past and present. In celebration of our nation’s birthday, the museum will be offering free admission for both veterans and active duty during the entire month of July. The museum, which houses the premier collection of rare American vintage motorcycles and unique automobiles, will also be giving the first ever demonstrations of several of our country’s rarest military machines.

5). Museum of the Albemarle: Visit the Museum of the Albemarle on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 from 3:00 pm until 8:00 pm for “All About Pirates Day!” The Museum will open a new exhibit featuring Blackbeard memorabilia. In order to highlight the opening of the exhibit pirate centered activities and demonstrations will be available and free to the public. Two members of Blackbeard’s Crew will be on hand to roam and talk with visitors from 3:00 pm until 7:00 pm. Blackbeard’s Crew is a living history performance group dedicated to the accurate representation of seafaring life in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, specifically 1690-1720.

6). Discovery Place presents “The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience” - runs from Friday, July 18 – Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008. Moviegoers will line up around the block to get the hottest ticket in town when “The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience” opens in The Charlotte Observer IMAX® Dome Theatre at Discovery Place, Friday, July 18 at. The highly-anticipated, blockbuster film opens concurrently with the nationwide 35mm release from Warner Bros. Pictures. Visit the web site or call 800-935-0553 for show times.

7). Cameron Art Museum presents "Art and Remembrance: The Legacy of Felix Nussbaum" (29 min., 1993), "Eyewitness" (38 min., 2000) on Thursday, July 17, 7:30 pm Program admission: $5.00 Two documentary shorts examine artists caught up in the Holocaust and committed to documenting the horror they witnessed. Art and Remembrance uses the paintings of Felix Nussbaum's paintings to give a unique presentation of Nussbaum's work created while in hiding in Brussels. Twenty-five years after he was captured and put on the last transport to Auschwitz the hidden paintings were discovered. Nussbaum's work is also included in "Eyewitness" with the work of Jan Komski and Dinah Gottliebova, all three working in secret while in the Nazi death camps.

Monday, July 07, 2008

1). Museum of the Albemarle: Join the museum on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 from 3:00 pm until 8:00 pm for “All About Pirates Day!” The Museum will open a new exhibit featuring Blackbeard memorabilia. In order to highlight the opening of the exhibit pirate centered activities and demonstrations will be available and free to the public. Two members of Blackbeard’s Crew will be on hand to roam and talk with visitors from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Blackbeard’s Crew is a living history performance group dedicated to the accurate representation of seafaring life in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, specifically 1690-1720.

2). Discovery Place: The ancient Roman city of Pompeii is brought up from the ashes as Discovery Place introduces its newest exhibition, “A Day in Pompeii,” opening Friday, July 11. The exhibition only has appeared in three U.S. cities with Charlotte being the fourth and final U.S. destination. “A Day in Pompeii” paints a rich portrait of ancient Roman life in 79 A.D. and explores the fateful day in history when the city was buried by the catastrophic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. And “A Day in Pompeii” won’t be the only feature to explore the ancient past this summer. “Greece: Secrets of the Past” opens Friday, July 11 in “The Charlotte Observer” IMAX® Dome Theatre, giving viewers the opportunity to explore another of the world’s most enlightened cultures. A sweeping archeological journey back in time, “Greece: Secrets of the Past” sets out on a quest to uncover the buried secrets of one of the world’s most enlightened societies that, for 100 years, became the center of human thought and creativity. From approximately 500 B.C. to 400 B.C., ancient Greece laid many of the foundations for the way we live today.

3). Delta Arts Center: “Lois Mailou Jones (1905 – 1998), the Early Works, Paintings and Patterns, 1927 – 1937” will be on view at the Delta Arts Center through August 2. The exhibit will open Sunday, July 13 at 3:00 p.m., with a lecture by art historian, Director of the National Center for Afro-American Artists, and Jones protégé, E. Barry Gaither.

4). Reynolda House Museum of American Art will host the “Eastern Music Festival” in two successive Sunday afternoon performances. On Sunday, July 13 at 3 p.m., the faculty ensemble known as the Eastern Chamber Players will play music by Brahms, Shostakovich, and Beethoven. For information and to purchase tickets, please call 336-758-5150. Cost is $16, $13 for members and students.

5). High Point Museum: On Saturday, July 12 from 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday, July 13 from 1 pm to 4 pm, the High Point Museum presents “Corn Shuck Doll Making.” Discover how Native Americans and early Quaker settlers used things from the natural environment to make toys. Make your own corn shuck doll to take home. Our costumed interpreters will show you how. FREE; all ages welcome.

6). Asheville Art Museum: This summer, the Asheville Art Museum invites you to partake in “Pleasant Journeys and Good Eats Along the Way: A Retrospective of Paintings by John Baeder,” an exhibition of the artist’s work that showcases his 35-year obsession with roadside architecture and focuses on America’s diners. The exhibition opens to the public on Friday, July 11, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. with a special reception with Baeder in attendance through 7:00 p.m. that evening.

7). Weatherspoon Art Gallery presents the film “The Motorcycle Diaries” on Thursday, July 10, at 7 p.m. Based on his journal, this film follows the journey of Che Guevara and his best friend, Alberto Granado, in their motorcycle journey across South America in the early 1950s. The trip eventually inspires Che to become the leader of the Cuban revolution that impacted an entire country. Spanish with English subtitles; rated R. Directed by Walter Salles, 2004, 128 mins. Post-screening discussion led by Dr. José Villabla, Assistant Professor, Department of Counseling and Educational Development, UNCG.

8). Federation of North Carolina Historical Societies: Looking for local North Carolina history books? Then be sure to visit the web page for the Federation of North Carolina Historical Societies, which publishes an annual list of historical publications available from its members. Examples of local history books on the list include architecture and cemetery surveys; histories of towns, counties, and local institutions; biographies; memoirs; cultural studies; court minutes; information from deeds, wills, and census records; studies of religion and education in different communities, and more. The list is available on the Federation's web page at http://www.blogger.com/www.fnchs.org/bulletin/bulletin.htm under the link "Historical Publications from Federation Members."

9). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher: Frogs and toads and salamanders, OH MY! Join Flumpa the tree frog and Wendy the singing scientist to learn why 2008 has been designated as Year of the Frog! Meet live amphibians, make froggy crafts, hunt for all kinds of amphibian activities, and have a hoppin’ good time at the second Family Night of 2008. (Check with the museum for event time and date.) Live animal presentations, animal encounters and fun are all part of this froggy event. These and a variety of other activities for all ages are free with paid admission or membership. Ticket sales end at 8:00 pm. Visitors who tour the Aquarium earlier in the day may return for Family Night activities at no additional charge,if they present their receipts.

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Summer newsletter and more

The summer newsletter from the N.C. Museums Council, now called the Muse.News, has just arrived and been posted on the NCMC website (www.ncmuseums.org). Click on “News” in the top bar or in the item on top of the right-hand column on the website’s front page to review all the latest.

Plus, events from around the state:

1). Orange County Historical Museum presents “Digging History: Archaeology in Hillsborough” exhibit running from June 17 to August 31, 2008. Ever wonder what's under old Hillsborough? Have you seen a movie about an adventurer seeking a long-ago and far-away treasure? “Digging History” uses photos, tools, and text to bring visitors into the world of archaeologists. Displays examine what archaeology really is, how archaeologists do their job, and the difference between treasure hunting and true archaeology.

2). The Joel Lane Museum House will sponsor its annual Independence Day Open House on Friday, July 4, 2008 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Colonel Lane was a founding father of North Carolina’s capital city and an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. On the grounds, re-enactors will demonstrate various aspects of colonial life such as spinning and dyeing. The garden will be on view. There will be crafts and games for the children. In addition to outdoor activities, the circa 1770 plantation manor will be open for tours.

3). Mint Museum of Art: Impressive works of wearable art will be on display in the special exhibition “The Art of Affluence: Haute Couture and Luxury Fashions 1947-2007,” opening at the Mint Museum of Art on July 5, 2008. This exhibition presents selections from the Museum’s extensive holdings of haute couture and luxury garments that reflect 60 years of creativity by top European and American fashion designers.

4). Reynolda House Museum of American Art invites elementary school-aged children accompanied by an adult to a “Family First Workshop” on Sunday, July 6 from 2 to 4 p.m. Let your imagination soar as you draw, revealing layers of color below the surface of your drawing on scratch art paper. For information and to make the required reservation, please call 336-758-5389. Cost is $7 per person.

5). High Point Museum: On Saturday, July 5 from 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday, July 6 from 1pm to 4 pm, the High Point Museum presents the “Guilford Militia Encampment.” This Revolutionary War Reenactment group returns to the historical park. Come learn about the life of a Revolutionary War soldier. All ages welcome.

6). North Carolina Museum of Forestry presents “Wildness In Nature: Photography by Sam Hinson.” The exhibition will run through August 31st. The exhibition contains thirty of Sam Hinson’s best work representing his patience and persistence. He stands his tripod on solid ground, in the waters of Lake Waccamaw, on the banks of the Waccamaw River or on the edge of a swamp to obtain just the right shot. His photographs include pond cypress, maiden cane, bald cypress, duckweed, Spanish moss, buttonbush trees, honeybees, mourning doves.