NCMC Events From Around the State… November 22, 2010

1). Reynolda House Museum of American Art Candlelight guided tours of historic Reynolda House proved so popular in their first year, they are back again for the 2010 holiday season. On Thursday, Dec. 9, Friday, Dec. 10 and Saturday, Dec. 11, visitors can choose a guided tour at 4:30, 5:30, or 6:30 p.m., and enjoy live entertainment and refreshments in the Babcock auditorium. Beer and wine will be available for purchase before and after the tour. Tickets are $12 for members and students (18 and under), $18 for non-members and advance purchase strongly suggested.

2). Horne Creek State Farm Historic Site The warmth of a turn-of-the-century Christmas will be shared at Horne Creek Living Historical Farm in Pinnacle on Tuesday, Nov. 30, and Thursday, Dec. 2. Christmas by Lamplight will offer the holidays as the Hauser family and their neighbors would have enjoyed them. Dramatic readings of “The Christmas Story” and the essay “Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus,” along with caroling and organ music will capture the holiday magic and allow visitors to “Make History This Holiday.” Reservations are required for the non-refundable tickets, which must be purchased in advance.

3). Turchin Center for the Visual Arts In the Shadow of the Volcanoes: Contemporary Art from the Mountains of Central Mexico, July 2 - December 4, 2010 in the Main Gallery features paintings, drawings, printmaking, fibers, ceramics and mixed media sculpture by contemporary, Mexican artists. Our six main contemporary artists include: Carlos Arias, Antonio Álvarez Morán, Rosa Borrás, Sergio Gonzalez Angulo, Joaquín Conde, and Luz Elvira Torres, many of whom teach in the School of Arts and Humanities at UDLAP. In addition, we are featuring 20 young and emerging artists that are alumni of UDLAP’s School of Arts and Humanities. Come out and see the exhibition before it closes!

4). The Bascom Looking for that perfect, one-of-a-kind, wonderfully affordable gift for that special someone on your holiday gift list? On November 26-27, from 10 am-5 pm, put your holiday gift shopping behind you at The Bascom's Artists' Marketplace, featuring a gathering of artist tables in the Dave Drake Studio Barn. This is the ideal place to find unique, handmade gifts in ceramics, fiber art, jewelry, and decorative items. While at The Bascom, you can also explore our White Elephant Sale. Don't miss this opportunity to find ideal gifts for everyone on your list!

5). Joel Lane Museum House The Joel Lane Museum House will sponsor its annual Colonial Christmas Open House celebration on Saturday, December 4 and Sunday, December 5, 2010, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Admission is free, and donations are requested. The house will be decorated with traditional greenery and will reflect the very different way in which colonists and early Americans celebrated the Christmas holiday. Information about the house and grounds will be offered by costumed docents; re-enactors will demonstrate scenes of 18th-century life; the sounds of live music will fill the air; and other interpreters will entertain children using colonial games and crafts through the “Hands-on History” program.

6). Historic Oak View County Park Come get in the holidays spirit with your family and Historic Oak View at our annual winter event on December 4th! Decorations and displays showing Christmas at the Oak View Farm: How they celebrated from 1850 to 1950 will be on view in the Main House. Ride in a horse-drawn carriage through Oak View’s Pecan Grove, listen to holiday music and stories in the 1855 farmhouse, drink hot apple cider and listen to a dulcimer player in and around the 1825 Plank Kitchen, buy handcrafted decorations and crafts, and, of course, don’t forget to visit with Old St. Nick!

7). High Point Museum presents 27th Annual Holiday Open House on Sunday, December 5, 1 pm to 4 pm. This annual event has become a tradition with local families. Come for a day of special reenactments, music, demonstrations, refreshments and hands-on activities like candle dipping! Fun for all ages, free! No reservations required.

8). Tryon Palace presents Hands-on History: Three Centuries of Holiday Traditions at the North Carolina History Center on Monday, November 29, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. For three hundred years New Bern has been home to people from many cultures and countries. Stop by our hands-on gallery cart to learn how North Carolinians of different backgrounds have celebrated the holiday season through the centuries.

9). Duke Homestead State Historic Site Pre-school to second-grade students will enjoy the Christmas Traditions and Celebrations program at Duke Homestead State Historic Site. Crafts, songs and homemade gingerbread will highlight the events on Nov. 30-Dec. 2 and Dec. 7-9 from 9 a.m-1 p.m. Donations of $1 per child are requested. Grown-ups and families will enjoy the 1870 Christmas by Candlelight tours on Dec. 3 and Dec. 10 from 7-9 p.m. Period costumes, caroling, hot apple cider, dancing and a visit from Santa will be special features of the holiday activities.

10). N.C. Department of Cultural Resources Museum and historic house managers, curators and volunteers will learn the basics of care for artifact collections at a Connecting to Collections (C2C) workshop with demonstrations and hands-on training Monday, Dec. 13, at the Rocky Mount Children’s Museum. Images and hands-on activities will address record keeping, environments for storage and display, and materials and techniques for cleaning and housing artifacts. The registration fee of $20 includes lunch. To register, use this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/c2collectionscarebasicsrockymount .