NCMC Events From Around the State… July 19, 2010

1). Museum of the Albemarle Benjamin Filene, PhD will present Lead Belly, The Lomaxes, and the Construction of America’s Musical Heritage at the Museum of the Albemarle, Thursday July 22 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Dr. Filene’s lecture will explore how today, African American music is exalted as fundamental to American culture, the roots of rock and roll and America’s premier cultural export. The lecture explores the discovery of Huddle “Lead Belly” Ledbetter by the father and son team of John and Alex Lomax, and their surprise musical finds in the prisons of America.

2). Asheville Art Museum Asheville Art Museum presents a series of lunchtime gallery discussions and presentations, or Art Breaks, designed to inform and engage museum patrons with members of the curatorial and education staff. This special Art Break on Friday, July 23, 2010 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. features local Asheville artists in the Museum’s permanent collection. Art Breaks are free with Museum Membership or admission.

3). Cameron Art Museum presents William McNeill Fannin’ the Heat Away: A Celebration of the Art and Social History of the Handheld Church Fan on Thurs. July 29, 7:00 pm. William McNeill celebrates a vanishing relic of Americana: the handheld church fan. A collector of vintage church fans, McNeill uses a sampling of his extensive collection to explore to explore how fans have served as devotional icons, and illustrates their role in advertising and in the kitsch visual culture of the American South.

4). Mount Airy Museum of Regional History presents History Talks: From Laurel Hill to Yellow Tavern - The Life of J.E.B Stuart on Sunday July 25 at 3pm. Author and historian Tom Perry will give a presentation on Civil War Confederate Major General James Ewell Brown (J.E.B.) Stuart. James Ewell Brown Stuart was born at Laurel Hill in Ararat, Virginia (Patrick County). A cavalry commander known for his mastery of reconnaissance and support of offensive operations, Stuart was also known for his cavalier dress and personality. Join the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History and Tom Perry for an in-depth look at one of our most intriguing hometown heroes.

5). Reynolda House Museum of American Art As we simmer on hot summer days with temperatures in the nineties, do you ever wonder how people survived the summer heat before air-conditioning as we know it? Visit Reynolda House Museum of American Art and learn about the “air-washing system” of the early nineteenth century and the later system that used 100-pound blocks of ice to cool the vast interior of the 64-room home in the 1930s. The museum’s Beat the Heat Tours on Sundays, July 25 and again August 8 will reveal those secrets and more. The tours start promptly at 2 p.m. and conclude at 4 p.m.

6). Fort Fisher State Historic Site Lifeguards use them to show surf conditions. Olympians use them to convey pride and patriotism. But did you know that Civil War soldiers used flags for military movement and coordination on the battlefield? Learn more about these vital—and fun—communication tools at Fort Fisher State Historic Site’s program Coded Communication in the Civil War on Saturday, July 24.

7). Cape Fear Museum presents Learning Center: The Five Senses on Saturday, August 7 and 14. Discovery smells great! Make sense of the Museum as you see, smell, hear, touch and taste this fun science theme. Test out model eardrums, touch mystery box objects and experiment using smell and taste together to learn about the world around you. Activities are free with Museum admission. Appropriate for children ages 5 to 12. Parental participation is required.

8). High Point Museum presents Blacksmithing Demonstration in the Historical Park on Sunday, August 1, 1 pm to 4 pm. Come watch our costumed blacksmith in action as he crafts various iron pieces.