ncmuseums

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

Monday, August 30, 2010

NCMC Events From Around the State… August 30, 2010

1). High Point Museum presents Introduction to Revolutionary War Resources for Family and Local History Researchers on Wednesday, September 8, 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm, First floor, Children’s Story Room, High Point Public Library. Jackie Hedstrom will be presenting this introductory session. Some topics of discussion include: the differences between militia and Continental Line soldiers, military service versus public service, and Revolutionary War Pensions and Bounty Land Acts. Registration is required.

2). Cape Fear Museum presents Learning Center: Ocean Adventure on Saturday, September 4. What is an aquanaut? Discover the answer to this question and more as you explore ocean science. Learn why the estuary is called the “ocean’s nursery.” Examine local shells and learn about North Carolina’s state shell. Find out why starfish are not fish at all! Use various magnification tools to examine sea life up close.

3). Reynolda House Museum of American Art presents a new fall exhibition Virtue, Vice, Wisdom & Folly: The Moralizing Tradition in American Art, on view September 18–December 31, 2010. Friday, September 17, 7–9 p.m. will feature an exhibition opening party, members free, non-members $5. The exhibition opens with a party for the general public featuring nineteenth-century music, hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and admission to the main floor of the historic house.

4). Transylvania Heritage Museum On Saturday, September 4, the Transylvania Heritage Museum will hold the 2nd Annual Founders Day Fair on West Main Street, Brevard, celebrating the Founding Families of Transylvania County. From 10 am - 5 pm, craftspeople will demonstrate their skills and sell their wares in the old-fashioned arts, like spinning, weaving, patchwork, woodcarving, and more. Raffle tickets will be sold for a hand-carved and roped foot stool with someone winning it at the end of the day.

5). Museum of the Albemarle
The Museum of the Albemarle will hold Pre-Schooler Time on Thursday, September 9 from 10:00 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. Participants must be between the ages of 3 to 5 years old and must be accompanied by an adult. This month’s theme is “Let’s Talk,” where pre-schoolers will learn how technology has changed the way people communicate with one another through the years; view related artifacts from the Museum’s collection, and participate in a hands-on activity. This program is free.

6). Guilford College Art Gallery is pleased to host environmental artist Bryant Holsenbeck as artist-in-residence, August 19-31. Bryant, along with students, and volunteers from the community are in the process of creating a monumental installation in the main gallery, Hege Library, made entirely from recycled materials as part of Green and Beyond, the college-wide theme year on sustainability. We cordially invite you to attend the Opening reception and talk by the artist on Wednesday, Sept. 1 5-7 pm. Exhibition runs through October 1.

7). Asheville Art Museum The Asheville Art Museum’s ARTmob invites you to a free Artist Talk with artist Sean Pace, a.k.a. jinx, at his show at The Satellite Gallery on Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. Come to a fascinating Artist Talk with innovative artist Sean Pace, a.k.a. jinx, as he discusses his newest work on view at The Satellite Gallery at 55 Broadway Street in downtown Asheville.

8). N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences Don’t be a recluse, come join us at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences on Friday, September 3 at 7 pm for a secret and suspenseful spider flick chock full of hirsute arachnids. Before the movie, learn about a species of shrimp that vomits bioluminescence in order to escape predators as you visit GLOW: Living Lights, a special exhibit that explores the world of organisms that produce their own light. All tickets $4 after 5pm; last ticket sold at 7pm.

9). Tryon Palace presents Fife & Drum Corps Concert followed by Stanly-Spaight Duel Reenactment on the New Bern Academy Green on Monday, Sept. 6, 4:00 p.m. Free Admission. Enjoy a concert by the Tryon Palace Fife & Drum Corps, and step back in time to an era where a man’s personal honor was his most cherished quality. Any incursion on this cherished value could result in fiery and violent retribution. Watch the drama of the September 5, 1802 duel unfold before your eyes. In this historical reenactment of a duel between 19th-century New Bern political rivals, costumed characters battle to protect their reputations.

10). Western Carolina University Hunter Library Digital Collections, in collaboration with Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, has mounted a collection of photographs of a delegation of Cherokee craftsmen with Joan Mondale at the groundbreaking of the National Park Service’s Folk Art Center. Taken on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the photos document some of the attendees and crafts demonstrated at the 1977 event. To see the photos, go to http://craftrevival.wcu.edu and type “Mondale” into the Search box.

Monday, August 23, 2010

NCMC Events From Around the State… August 23, 2010

1). Orange County Historical Museum Join us on Sunday, August 29th at 3pm at the Big Barn in Daniel Boone Village in Hillsborough to recollect and learn about the man who created the Daniel Boone Village, James Freeland. Our free event, James Freeland and Daniel Boone in its Heyday, will discuss the life and important changes that James Freeland made to Hillsborough.

2). Mount Airy Museum of Regional History presents the newest changing exhibit Century of Service: 100 Years of Boy Scouting (August 14, 2010 - mid January, 2011) Produced in collaboration with the National Boy Scout Council and the Old Hickory Council - Raven Knob Scout Museum, this exhibit features an interactive journey through the past, present and future of the Boy Scouts of America and focuses on the service aspect and local traditions in Northwest North Carolina.

3). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher The NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher has added carnivorous plants to its lush gardens thanks to Jacob West, a junior volunteer at the Aquarium. The 40 square foot stone garden was built within the Aquarium’s garden, and houses several types of carnivorous plants. Jacob West, a senior at Isaac Bear Early College High School in Wilmington, has always loved the Aquarium. This 17-year-old enjoys outdoor hobbies such as scuba diving, which led him to volunteer at the Aquarium for the last two years.

4). Weatherspoon Art Museum presents Andy Warhol: A Documentary on Thursday, August 26, 6:30-8:30pm. This four-hour documentary film is a riveting portrait of the most important artist of the second half of the twentieth century, set within the turbulent and constantly changing context of his life and times. Combining penetrating on-camera interviews and never-before-seen still and archival motion picture footage with the testimony of Warhol's vast body of work itself, the film is the first to delve into the immense Warhol archives at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.

5). Cameron Art Museum presents New Jazz Series Debuts: Jazz @ The CAM, in partnership with the Cape Fear Jazz Society, September 2010 – April 2011, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm. Come enjoy the musical benefits of this new collaboration between CAM and the Cape Fear Jazz Society (CFJS). The Jazz @ The CAM concert series offers the best mix of musicians and jazz genres in the area. The series consists of six ninety-minute performances by some of the top musicians the first Thursday of each month starting in September.

6). Reynolda House Museum of American Art The final two films of the Hitchcock in Color Cinema Under the Stars series at Reynolda House Museum of American Art will feature exciting pre-film activities. On Aug. 27 at 7:30 p.m. Reynolda House will host a party for young professionals inspired by the hit AMC television show “Mad Men.” Reynolda After Hours Does Madison Avenue will have a decidedly retro look and feel. Guests are encouraged to dress in costume like “Mad Men” characters Don Draper and Peggy Olson, and learn to mix the perfect Manhattan or Old Fashioned from a Tate’s Craft Cocktails mixologist.

7). Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site sounds of artillery and musket fire will once again ring out at Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site during the annual summer living history program on Saturday, Aug. 28. From 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., costumed living historians will demonstrate how soldiers made meals, maintained their weapons and uniforms, trained for battle, withstood the weather and much more. This free program will feature musket demonstrations at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., and artillery firings at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

8). Guilford College Art Gallery Guilford College Art Gallery in Greensboro is pleased to host environmental artist Bryant Holsenbeck as artist-in-residence, August 19-31. She will create a monumental installation in the main gallery, Hege Library, made entirely from recycled materials as part of Green and Beyond, the college-wide theme year on sustainability. Community participation is invited; to assist the artist please schedule an appointment by calling 336-316-2483.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

NCMC Events From Around the State… August 16, 2010

1). Gregg Museum of Art & Design
presents the exhibit Southern Roots of Mid-Century Modern (August 19 – December 18, 2010); reception on September 9th, 6-8pm. At the middle of the Twentieth Century, modern design was sweeping the nation. City centers across the US were deciphering what “good design” was and architects and product designers were redefining what homes and objects looked like. In this exhibition, the Gregg Museum will show excellent examples of mid-century modern furniture, textiles, ceramics and design and tell the story of how the modern design movement made its way into North Carolina.

2). N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences
The NC Museum of Natural Sciences invites you to illustrate your best and most realistic version of a “bioluminescent” or “aquatic” bug in its natural surroundings. Illustrations will now be accepted through August 31, 2010. The Museum is hosting its first-ever BugFest Illustration Contest to celebrate our most popular annual event, “BugFest”, which this year features aquatic bugs. Winning entries will be displayed at “BugFest” ― held Saturday, September 11, 9am-7pm ― with the Grand Prize winner selected on-site by event attendees.

3). Cherryville Historical Museum
The Cherryville Historical Museum is honored to have two exhibits from Doctor Alan May of the Schiele Museum of Gastonia. One exhibit is on the prehistoric tools and pottery of the area. The second exhibit is on Mr. Bud Schiele, the founder of the Schiele Museum. He also was involved with the Boy Scout Camp of Rutherford County that is named after him. The museum also features a nice exhibit of his taxidermy work.

4). Port Discover
Port Discover has launched Ask Port Discover, a blog designed to provide curious children with a place to pose science questions to working scientists. The blog expands on the in-center “Ask Port Discover” Question & Answer Exhibit that was introduced as part of a grant from the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Ribbon of Hope program. Port Discover’s new blog is located at www.askportdiscover.blogspot.com.

5). Natural Science Center of Greensboro
The Natural Science Center (NSC) of Greensboro is having a Birthday Party on Tuesday, August 24th at 10:30 a.m. to celebrate the two Tigers, Axl and Kisa, turning 6 years old! Visitors attending the celebration in Animal Discovery can watch the tigers open up their meat-filled birthday presents, sign giant birthday cards, make tiger masks and listen to special tiger Keeper Talks. It's sure to be a roaring good time!

6). Battleship NORTH CAROLINA
presents Battleship 101 on Saturday, August 21st form 10am-4pm. The Battleship NORTH CAROLINA's volunteers will be stationed throughout the ship engaging visitors in specific subjects and areas including: gunnery, radar, sickbay, galley, engineering, and daily shipboard life. Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to have one on one conversation and learn more about the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA.

7). Asheville Art Museum
On Saturday, September 11 and Sunday, September 12, 2010, the Asheville Art Museum screens Microcosmos at 2:00 p.m. each day. This film screening is at the Asheville Art Museum and is free with Museum Membership or admission. “Microcosmos” is a documentary film that records the lives of insects through the use of microscopic cameras and microphones. Track the flight of a bee and see what life is like on the inside of an anthill in this fascinating — and completely non-creepy — film.

8). Fort Fisher State Historic Site
Fort Fisher State Historic Site will launch its strategic planning process with two public forums on August 25 and August 26, 2010. Each will begin at 6:30 p.m. The August 25 public forum is being held at the New Hanover Arboretum auditorium, 6206 Oleander Drive in Wilmington and the August 26 public forum will take place in the Police Training Room at the Carolina Beach Municipal Administration Building, 1121 N. Lake Park Blvd. in Carolina Beach.

Sunday, August 08, 2010

NCMC Events From Around the State… August 9, 2010

1). High Point Museum (http://www.highpointmuseum.org/) presents Alexander’s Battalion Field Hospital in the Historical Park on Saturday, August 28, 10 am to 4 pm. Find out what would have been in store for you if you were a wounded Civil War soldier! Re-enactors will be interpreting the life of a Confederate Army surgeon and other medical personnel as well as demonstrating 19th century medical procedures and equipment.

2). Mount Airy Museum of Regional History presents Toast and Jam at the Mt. Airy Museum of Regional History on Saturday August 14, 5-7pm. Good Wine, Good Music, and a Taste of Mount Airy, all set in the Museum’s picturesque courtyard. This monthly program, scheduled for the second Saturday of each month (June-November) from 5:00-7:00 PM, will showcase a number of the regions wineries as well as local musical talent.

3). Museum of the Albemarle Join the Museum of the Albemarle in remembering the effect Hurricane Katrina had on New Orleans in August of 2005 on Sunday, August 22, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. in the Gaither Auditorium through a personal insight by Lieutenant Tom Huntley. Lieutenant Tom Huntley is a Coast Guard MH-60 helicopter pilot stationed at Air Station Elizabeth City. Less than twenty-four hours after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, LT Huntley and his team were on the ground in New Orleans to provide much needed security for urban search and rescue teams.

4). President James K. Polk State Historic Site The President James K. Polk site in Pineville will feature Threading the Story: The Form and Function of Spinning and Weaving on Aug. 14. Visitors will learn about spinning, weaving, knitting and natural dyeing. The market area will also feature the creations of local artisans. 2nd Saturdays takes place at all 37 State Historic Sites and museums administered by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. The program was begun in order to connect North Carolina history with artists.

5). Weatherspoon Art Museum The Weatherspoon Art Museum at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro is pleased to present the exhibition Hans Hofmann: Circa 1950 (July 3-October 17). Hans Hofmann (American, born in Germany, 1880-1966) was an influential figure in post World War II American art. Celebrated for his exuberant, color-filled canvases and renowned as an inspirational teacher to generations of artists, Hofmann played a pivotal role in the development of Abstract Expressionism.

6). Historic Stagville State Historic Site Learning the Land: Native Americans at Stagville will offer tales from Kay Begay and flute music from Daniel Begay on August 14. Breads, baskets, digital art and decoupage will be for sale, along with hot dogs, hamburgers and roast corn. The generations-old Cherokee Butterbean Game, and other games, will bring joy to many. This final 2nd Saturdays program at the state historic sites and museums within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources will offer arts, history and genuine North Carolina culture at venues all across the state.

7). Brunswick Town / Fort Anderson State Historic Site There’s no need to dig up dirt on famed archaeologist and storyteller Dr. Stanley South — he’s got nothing to hide, especially if you inquire about 1958-1968. In fact, South will eagerly share his historically-significant findings with the public at Brunswick Town/Ft. Anderson State Historic Site’s program Can You Dig It? — A Day with Stanley South: Archaeologist, Storyteller and Author on Saturday, Aug. 14, from 10 a.m-4 p.m.

8). SECCA SECCA curator Steven Matijcio will trace the historical path of the Look Again exhibition, surveying the evolution of the “trompe l’oeil” (trick of the eye) technique from ancient times, through the Renaissance and Surrealist periods, to early American painting and contemporary photo, video and installation. Talk is on Aug.12 at 7 p.m. The event is open to the public and free.

9). Port Discover Port Discover’s Second Saturday Science shoots for the skies on Saturday, August 14, when children will learn about the concepts of physics as they build their own rockets. The rockets will all be built of recycled materials, reinforcing Port Discover’s focus on environmentally-friendly activities. Leading the program will be William T. Younger, professor of physics and astronomy at the College of the Albemarle. The program begins at 11 a.m.

10). N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences Join Duke University biologist Sonke Johnsen for a detailed look into the world of marine bioluminescence and its use as an adaptation to help organisms hide, hunt and communicate. Johnsen’s multimedia presentation, Deep Light: Bioluminescence and Vision 2,000 Feet below the Bahamas, takes place at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences on Thursday, August 12 at 7pm. Free.

11). Battleship NORTH CAROLINA The Battleship is honored to announce The Blue and Gray Navies will tell the story of two ships named NORTH CAROLINA at the final 2nd Saturday Event on August 14, 2010 at the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm. The event is free with admission

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

NCMC Events From Around the State… August 2, 2010

1). Asheville Art Museum The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to present the exhibition Sewell Sillman: Pushing Limits with an Opening Reception for the public on Friday, August 6 2010 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. “Sewell Sillman: Pushing Limits” celebrates the life and work of groundbreaking artist Sewell Sillman (1924 - 1992). In the late 1940s, Sillman studied with Josef Albers at Black Mountain College and continued to work with Albers until the 1970s. This exhibition features many of Sillman’s graceful abstract drawings and watercolors alongside powerful color studies printed in collaboration with Albers.

2). N.C. Museum of History presents Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon from Sept. 10, 2010-Jan. 21, 2011. This traveling exhibition features approximately 100 original objects associated with George Washington — including the only surviving complete set of his famous dentures. The N.C. Museum of History is the only venue in the Southeast on the exhibition’s national tour. The exhibit goes beyond the iconic image on the dollar bill to reveal the real George Washington not only as a general and president, but as a young land surveyor, experimental farmer and savvy entrepreneur.

3). Port Discover Science Fair Jump-Start is set for Tuesday, August 10 at Port Discover. The program, geared for rising 3rd to 6th graders, will run from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Parents are invited to join their children for a question and answer session at 11 a.m. “Science Fair Jump-Start” is being offered at the suggestion of parents, teachers and students who wanted some direction to begin their science fair projects before the school year begins.

4). N.C. Transportation Museum The N.C. Transportation Museum will again host Fords of all makes and models during the annual All-Ford Show, August 7. The event has again garnered support from Ford Motor Company. A hot air balloon featuring the iconic Ford logo will fly over the event for an hour. Ford Charlotte Sales Operations Manager Glen Graves will also be on hand to present awards. This year’s focus is on pre-WWII vehicles, though all Fords are welcome. Show organizer Bob Hopkins says, “If it has a Ford logo, bring it!”

5). N.C. State Capitol A free outdoor evening concert on the Capitol grounds will showcase North Carolina’s diverse music and dance traditions on Saturday, Aug.14. The concert begins at 6:30 p.m. on the south plaza. Visitors are encouraged to have some cash on hand, as there will be food, art, and CDs for sale during the 2nd Saturdays event. Throughout the evening, visitors can browse at the booths of local artists who will be selling their crafts around the stage area. The event is one of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources 2nd Saturdays events this summer that bring together arts, history and authentic North Carolina culture.

6). Cameron Art Museum presents Music in the Courtyard: Roger Davis on Thurs. Aug. 5 from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Program admission: CAM Members: $5.00, Non-members: $8.00. Enjoy an evening of listening pleasure with Roger Davis, guitarist, composer, producer, music educator and recording artist. Describing his sound as, “kind of world beat and jazz” Davis has successfully entwined folk, bluegrass, and jazz. Concert held outdoors in CAM’s lovely Courtyard weather permitting, indoors if not.

7). Mt. Airy Museum of Regional History presents Black Tie & Blue Jeans, Denim and Pearls - Museum Fundraiser at Cross Creek Country Club Pavilion, 1129 Greenhill Road, Mt. Airy Friday August 6. This exciting event will be held at the Cross Creek Country Club Pavilion from 6:30 to 11pm. "Pseudo Formal Attire" - Dress up your favorite blue jeans and come kick up your heels to the music of Mediocre Bad Guys! Cookout and Cash Bar, Tickets are $35 per person.

8). The Bascom The Kick-Start! American Motorcycle Design exhibition opens in the Main Gallery on August 7 with a reception and gallery talk from 5-7 pm. This highly original exhibition features vintage and antique bikes on loan from Wheels Through Time, a Maggie Valley, NC-based private collection. The Bascom's exhibition will trace the progression of 20th century design styles as evidenced through the motorcycle. The earliest objects will date from the early 1900s.