1). Asheville Art Museum: The Asheville Art Museum’s “smArt speak: Distinguished Artist Series” proudly presents Art Spiegelman: History of Comix 101 on Thursday, September 11 at 7:00 p.m. at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. As part of its 60th Anniversary Celebration, the museum brings, for the first time to Western North Carolina audiences, Pulitzer Prize-winning illustrator Art Spiegelman. Spiegelman is the creator of “Maus,” a gripping graphic novel about the Holocaust, and “In the Shadow of No Towers,” a personal work about his experiences during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

2). Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art is having a sidewalk sale of the entire inventory of items from the art center’s visitor’s shop. The sale will be held at SECCA, 750 Marguerite Drive, on Saturday, Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Sale items include jewelry, ceramics, specialty decor items, books, stationary, children’s games and much more. All items will be sold at greatly reduced prices. The sale will be held in the parking lot in front of SECCA.

3). Museum of the Albemarle: The Friends of the Museum of the Albemarle invite you to participate in the 20th annual “A Day on the River featuring the Classic Moth Boat” Saturday, September 20. Free family activities presented by the Museum’s Junior Docents begin at 10:00 am on the Museum Green with children’s crafts including making a miniature wooden sailboat, and making pirate hats. Enjoy the maritime music of performer Bill Darrow.

4). Western Carolina University: A performance by Fushu Daiko, a Japanese drumming ensemble, will launch Western Carolina University’s 2008-09 Lectures, Concerts and Exhibitions Series. Fushu Daiko will perform at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 18, at the Fine and Performing Arts Center on the WCU campus. Tickets for the event go on sale Aug. 28 and are $20 for the general public; $10 for individuals 60 years and older and WCU faculty and staff; and $5 for WCU students.

5). Orange County Historical Museum announces the return of Colonial times to Hillsborough on Saturday, September 13, 2008, 11:15 a.m.-3:15 p.m. Girls and boys ages 6-13 are invited to an afternoon of Revolutionary and Colonial-style events. Scheduled events include lessons in 18th century social dances, Colonial-style crafts, and a Lemonade Party where young ladies and gentlemen can practice their manners as they enjoy lemonade and cakes.

6). Cameron Art Museum presents a lecture: "Behind the Men, Behind the Gun: Women, Blacks, and Children on the World War II Wilmington Home Front" with Wilbur Jones on Sunday, Sept. 14, at 3:00 pm. Program admission is by donation. Native award-winning historian Wilbur Jones describes how women, African Americans, and children aided the war effort by providing the fighting men at the global fronts with weapons, food, equipment, morale, and kept the home fires burning.

7). N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences is hosting an eight-part lecture series to complement The Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition. Join Pnina Shor, Head of the Department for the Treatment and Conservation of Artifacts, Israel Antiquities Authority, as she discusses past and present conservation techniques used on the Dead Sea Scrolls. This lecture, the third in the series, will be held Tuesday, September 16 at 7 p.m. in the Museum's WRAL Digital Theater. Due to the overwhelming popularity of the first two lectures, the Museum strongly recommends purchasing tickets in advance.

8). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher will offer a lineup of programs tailored especially for the deaf and hard of hearing on Saturday, Sept 13. Sign language, captioning or scripting will enhance most of the activities of the day – animal feedings, live-animal presentations and films – and interpreters will assist visitors at selected exhibits. The dive program, scheduled for 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., will include an interpreter assisting with questions for the diver. The aquarium presents Deaf Awareness Day with the assistance of the Regional Resource Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, to draw attention to the needs and interests of the hearing-impaired.

9). Mint Museum announced on Sept. 6 a $5 million grant award from the Robert Haywood Morrison Foundation. This gift will support enhancements to the Mint’s new facility, which will open in 2010 in the heart of Charlotte’s burgeoning Center City. In recognition of this generous gift, The Mint Museum in Center City will name its dramatic, light-filled Atrium – the Museum’s principal gathering area – in honor of the late Mr. Morrison.