ncmuseums

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

Monday, February 23, 2009

1). N.C. Museum of History: “Shiver me timbers!” Romantic notions of sabers, swashbucklers, and an exciting life at sea belie the truth of those ancient buccaneers. That truth holds today. North Carolina’s strong relationship with opportunistic pirates will be observed with the March 6 opening of the exhibit, “Knights of the Black Flag” at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. “Knights of the Black Flag” will examine piracy from ancient Egypt on.

2). Museum of the Albemarle: The March 8, 2009 Albemarle Historic Roundtable features local historian Travis Morris. Mr. Morris has written several books focused on duck hunting in the Albemarle region, including include: “Currituck Memories and Adventures: More Tales from a Native Gunner," "Currituck: Ducks, Politics, and Outlaw Gunners,” and “Duck Hunting on Currituck Sound: Tales from a Native Gunner.” The lecture, in the Museum’s Gaither Auditorium, is at 2:00 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Mr. Morris will be available for a book signing after the lecture.

3). Asheville Art Museum invites you to join us on a tour of the exhibition “Expectant Gaze — Art from the Eye and Mind” led by one of our knowledgeable docents from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. on March 6, 2009. Art Breaks are free with Museum Membership or admission. They are a great opportunity to learn more about art and explore the Museum’s collection with a guide.

4). Reynolda House Museum of American Art invites elementary school-aged children accompanied by an adult to an Impressionism workshop on Sunday, March 1, 2009, 2–4 p.m.. After looking at the paintings in the “American Impressions” exhibition, children will paint original portraits, landscapes, or still lifes. The cost is $7 per person, which includes supplies and refreshments. Reservations are required; please call 336.758.5599.

5). N.C. Transportation Museum: A little known facet of the history of African American workers on North Carolina railroads will take center stage when the N.C. Transportation Museum’s newest exhibit opens Feb. 24. “The North Carolina Lining Bar Gangs” exhibit recalls the labors of African-American railroad workers and their music. At 10 a.m., the ribbon cutting will take place in the Elmer Lam Gallery in the museum’s Bob Julian Roundhouse. This exhibit is a part of the museum’s Black History Month programming, but will remain as a permanent addition to the museum.

6). Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art: Got ladders? The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art needs your help. SECCA and Old Salem Museums & Gardens are co-presenting a public art project by artist Charlie Brouwer that requires ladders. The sculpture is created from ladders loaned to the artist by community members. Brouwer will construct the sculpture, called “Rise Up Winston-Salem,” the weekend of March 6 - 8, in the Tavern Meadow by the Barn in Old Salem.

7). Ackland Art Museum presents “Sage in the Bamboo Grove: The Legacy of Sherman E. Lee” (February 28 - September 20, 2009), a multi-gallery exhibition of treasures from the Museum's Asian art collection. The exhibition is mounted in celebration of Sherman Emery Lee, the renowned Asian art scholar and esteemed former director of the Cleveland Museum of Art, whose contributions to the Ackland and UNC-Chapel Hill helped the Museum build what is now the most significant collection of Asian art in North Carolina, and one of the premier collections in the south. The public is invited to an opening reception March 1 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Monday, February 16, 2009

1). Asheville Art Museum: The Asheville Art Museum invites you to rediscover the beauty of the Appalachians during an Art Break featuring the stunning exhibition “Mapping the Mountains: The Photographs of George Masa” from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. on Friday, February 20, 2009. Join Special Projects Curator, Lynne Poirier-Wilson for an informative and conversational tour of “Mapping the Mountains: The Photographs of George Masa” during the Friday, February 20th Art Break.

2). N.C. Transportation Museum: A little known facet of the history of African American workers on North Carolina Railroads will take center stage when the N.C. Transportation Museum’s newest exhibit opens Feb. 24. The North Carolina Lining Bar Gangs exhibit recalls the labors of African-American railroad workers and their music. At 10 a.m., the ribbon cutting will take place in the Elmer Lam Gallery in the museum’s Bob Julian Roundhouse. This exhibit is a part of the museum’s Black History Month programming, but will remain as a permanent addition to the museum.

3). Discovery Place was ranked as the most visited historic attraction in the Charlotte region and fifth in North Carolina according to an annual survey released by Carolina Publishing Associates. It is the third consecutive year that Discovery Place, Inc. has placed in the top five. The Top 25 North Carolina museums and historic attractions survey is conducted annually by Carolina Publishing Associates of Matthews, publishers of the annual Carolina Heritage Guide, Carolina Field Trips Magazine and The African American Heritage and Visitor's Guide.

4). Cameron Art Museum presents “Civil War Living History Weekend” from Fri. - Sat., Feb. 20-21. Friday, school groups only 8:30 a.m. - 2:15 p.m., teachers: contact the Education Dept. to schedule a time. Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. Bring your entire family to the 144th anniversary of Battle of Forks Road on the museum's historic site, the original battlefield of the final fight for Wilmington on February 20, 1865. The site is where Major General Robert F. Hoke made his last stand against Union soldiers comprised primarily of U.S. Colored Troops. This significant skirmish followed the fall of Fort Fisher, and led to the fall of Wilmington and the final surrender by the Confederate armies.

5). High Point Museum: The Furniture Heritage Project of the High Point Museum is pleased to announce “Furniture, What’s Up” - monthly discussions on the furniture business in North Carolina. “Trends” is the eleventh in a series of monthly public forums examining various aspects of the North Carolina furniture business and will take place February 24 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at High Point University, Norton Hall. For more information, call 336-885-1859.

6). Museum of the Cape Fear: We all like a good mystery with a tough detective, an intriguing plotline and a femme fatale. The standard for this type of fiction was established in 1929, when Dashiell Hammett wrote his masterpiece, “The Maltese Falcon.” The author, the book and its movies are highlighted in the exhibit “The Maltese Falcon: A Big Read Exhibit,” opening Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex in Fayetteville.

7). Kings Mountain Historical Museum is pleased to announce the opening of our current exhibit, “The History of Cleveland County: What You Need to Know.” The exhibit will feature the early years of the county’s development, agriculture, natural resources, education and the textile mills. The Museum is excited about borrowing objects from the Cleveland County Museum collection in cooperation with Destination Cleveland County.

8). N.C. Maritime Museum: The North Carolina Maritime Museum will host a free “Family Day: Beyond the Edge of the Sea” on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. With demonstrations, special displays, and many hands-on activities, children, parents and grandparents can join the fun to explore maritime life beyond the edge of the sea.

9). Port Discover: Preschoolers will learn all about shapes at Port Discover’s Toddler Time, “The World of Shapes,” February 19 at 10 a.m. How many shapes are there? Can new shapes be made from existing ones? Which shapes can be found in nature? Toddler engineers will build and create using their imaginations. The program fee is $5 per family and reservations are required. Program is for 3 – 5 year-olds and parents or guardians must accompany the child.

10). Historic Oak View County Park: In conjunction with our current traveling exhibition, “Farm Life: A Century of Change for Farm Families and Their Neighbors,” we're hosting a film series! Join us on Saturday, February 21, 2009 to watch Charlotte's Web (1973; 94 minutes; Rated G) in the Farm History Center. During the movie, you can enjoy free popcorn and lemonade! Stay for a guided tour of Farm Life, the exhibition in Oak View’s main farmhouse after the movie.

Monday, February 09, 2009

1). Joel Lane Museum House: The Joel Lane Museum House is proud to present a lecture by Warren Bingham on “George Washington’s 1791 Southern Tour” in the Visitors Center on February 19, 2009 at 7 p.m. Find out where George really slept. Mr. Bingham is a very engaging speaker who is very entertaining and informative. Seating is limited, and reservations are required. To make a reservation, call with a credit card or mail a check. Please be sure to include the names of all in your party for name tags. Refreshments will be served.

2). Mint Museum of Craft and Design: The Mint Museum of Craft + Design will open its spring season with two important exhibitions: “From the Melting Pot into the Fire: Contemporary Ceramics in Israel” (February 14 – June 21, 2009) and “The Miniature Worlds of Bruce Metcalf” (February 21 – May 17, 2009). The exhibition From the Melting Pot into the Fire includes the work of some of the most acclaimed ceramic artists working in Israeli today.

3). Asheville Art Museum: The Asheville Art Museum invites you celebrate Valentine’s Day afternoon enjoying a unique film screening of “Running Fence” on Saturday, February 14th, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. in the Museum’s Studio. This film documents the multi-year process of the creation of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s “Running Fence, Sonoma and Marin Counties, California,” a 24-mile long, 18-foot high fabric “fence” which spanned two counties in California.

4). Gregg Museum of Art and Design: The Gregg Museum of Art & Design at NC State University is pleased to present “Norm Schulman: A Life in Clay” from January 22 – March 29, 2009. Schulman will also speak about his work as a part of our Artists & Objects lecture series. The lecture will be at the Gregg Museum on Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 7 p.m.

5). Museum of the Albemarle: The Museum of the Albemarle presents “Junior Museum Explorers” on February 10, 2009 from 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. This program will run regularly on the second Tuesday of each month and is free for 12-17 year olds. These programs will focus on life during the Great Depression. Learn how people made a living in the Albemarle region during these hard economic times.

6). SciWorks will hold its 2nd Annual “WinterFest,” focusing on the science of winter, on February 14. Scheduled activities include: a craft activity for families to do together; cryogenics demonstrations; “The Magic of Science,” an exciting program full of magic tricks and science demonstrations; and a feeding demonstration at the saltwater “touch tank.” For an outside activity, a tour of our Environmental Park will be offered. Participants will learn about wildlife, their habitats and other unique characteristics and will compare wildlife to the domestic livestock in the barn.

7). Weatherspoon Art Museum presents a special event: “Jules Olitski and Post-Painterly Abstraction” on Thursday, February 19 at 5:30 p.m., reception follows. A central figure in abstract painting during the 1960s, Jules Olitski (1922-2007) was a leader in the style dubbed "Post Painterly Abstraction." Norman L. Kleeblatt, Susan & Elihu Rose Chief Curator of The Jewish Museum, discusses Oltiski in the context of his earlier work and his seminal place in the postwar American vanguard. Kleeblatt will lead a conversation with Olitiski's daughter, Lauren Poster, and wife, Kristina Olitiski, following the lecture.

8). N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences has expanded its current exhibit of “Wildlife in North Carolina” competition photographs to include winning images from the past. Opening Friday, February 6, the “Best of Wildlife in North Carolina Photos” exhibit, including 65 outstanding images of the natural world, will be on display through April 19. Free.

9). N.C. Office of Archives and History presents “The Lincoln Bicentennial: A Symposium” at the N.C. Museum of History on Thursday, Feb. 12, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Visit http://www.ncculture.com/ for details. This symposium will explore Lincoln’s tenure in the sessions “Lincoln’s Legacy,”Lincoln’s Political Leadership: An Overview,”Lincoln as a Military Commander,” and “Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the End of Slavery.” The Lincoln Symposium is organized by the Office of Archives and History in the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources as part of a larger sesquicentennial commemoration of the Civil War. Additional sessions of the Lincoln Symposium will examine other influences of Lincoln’s time, including “Jefferson Davis as President of the Confederacy: A Comparison” and “United States Colored Troops.”

Monday, February 02, 2009

1). Joel Lane Museum House: The Joel Lane Museum House is proud to present a lecture by Warren Bingham on “George Washington’s 1791 Southern Tour” in the Visitors Center on February 19, 2009 at 7 p.m. Find out where George really slept. Mr. Bingham is a very engaging speaker who is very entertaining and informative. Seating is limited, and reservations are required. Warren Bingham is a native of Mount Gilead, NC and now resides in Raleigh; he has lived his entire life in North Carolina and Virginia and is an enthusiastic student of American and Southern history, culture, architecture, and landscape.

2). High Point Museum presents “Blacksmithing Demonstration” in the Historical Park Saturday, February 14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, February 15, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Come watch our costumed blacksmith in action as he crafts various iron pieces. All ages welcome.

3). Asheville Art Museum invites you to find out why George Masa has been called “the Ansel Adams of the Appalachian Mountains” when you visit “Mapping the Mountains: The Photographs of George Masa” opening February 6, 2009. An Opening Reception with Gallery Tours will be held Sunday, February 8, 2009 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

4). Reynolda House Museum of American Art presents “Brian Turner, Poet” on Monday, February 16, 7 p.m. Brian Turner is a soldier-poet whose debut book of poems, “Here, Bullet,” is a harrowing, beautiful, first-person account of the Iraq war. Winner of multiple literary awards, Turner served seven years in the US Army. The reading is part of Wake Forest University’s Dillon Johnston Writers Reading Series.

5). Cape Fear Museum presents Learning Center: “The Five Senses” on Saturday, February 7. Learning smells great! Make sense of the Museum as you see, smell, hear, touch and even taste this fun science. Experiment with a model eardrum. Discover how we see. Use your sense of touch to explore mystery boxes. Find out how smell and taste work together to help you learn about the world around you.

6). Museum of the Albemarle: The Museum of the Albemarle announced the Civil War Living History Day, February 7, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

7). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher presents “Aquarist Apprentice” on Saturdays, February 7, 21, 28, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. Find out what it is like to be responsible for the aquarium critters. Join staff on a behind-the-scenes tour, learn about our animals and their diets, and assist our staff in the preparation of food and feeding of some of our animals. Participants will also observe our Aquarists accomplish some of their daily care and maintenance tasks. Pre-registration required!

8). Hope Plantation presents Historic Hope Foundation’s Annual Celebration of African American History and Heritage on Saturday, February 7, 2009 at 12:30 p.m. Celebrating African American Political and Community Leaders in Bertie County and featuring Alice Eley Jones sharing her research and leading a discussion on “African American Legislators in North Carolina 1868-1901.”

9). Bellamy Mansion presents “African-American History Days” on Saturday, February 7, 2009, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Come and experience the Bellamy Mansion with a focus on 19th century African-American History of the area. The Bellamy household included not only the eleven Bellamy family members, but also nine enslaved African- Americans who lived on the site and worked throughout the house. Learn about their lives as well as those of the free blacks and hired-out slave artisans who built this grand house, the carriage house, and slave quarters.

10). N.C. State Capitol: In conjunction with Black History Month, the State Capitol and Raleigh’s Richard B. Harrison Public Library will host the 2009 National African American Read-In, Saturday, Feb. 7, from 1-5 p.m. Capitol staff, students and community leaders will read from selected works by various African American authors. During the Read-In, families or groups are encouraged to bring a book or books to the Capitol and take turns reading to one another. The event will be held in the Old Senate Chamber. It is free and open to the public.