NCMC Events From Around the State… January 31, 2011

1). Cape Fear Museum presents “Learning Center: Astronomy Adventures” on Saturdays, February 5, 12, 19. Why does the moon appear to change shape? Why does Earth have seasons? Blast off on a journey through the universe and explore planets, stars, the moon and other celestial bodies. Create your own constellation, build and use a star map, and discover the reason for the seasons!

2). Museum of the Albemarle Douglas Jackson, Elizabeth City State University Assistant Professor of Music will speak at the Museum of the Albemarle Guild meeting February 3, at 10:30 a.m Jackson will speak about Max Roach, a Pasquotank native and world famous drummer. The program is to be held in the Gaither Auditorium and is open to Guild members and the public. This is a free program.

3). Asheville Art Museum The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to screen the film “Don’t Know, We’ll See: The Work of Karen Karnes” on Saturday and Sunday, February 5 and 6, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. each day. This film screening is free with Museum Membership or admission. “Don’t Know, We’ll See: The Work of Karen Karnes” beautifully captures the work and life of ceramist Karen Karnes, who worked nearly every day for over 50 years creating art. Filmmaker Lucie Massie Phenix has been a friend of Karnes’s since the 1960s, so this portrait of her has an intimacy that is unique in the genre of documentaries.

4). Tobacco Farm Life Museum is hosting its annual “Breakfast with the Commissioner” event with Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler on Friday, Feb. 4th at 8am. During the breakfast, the commissioner will talk briefly about North Carolina agriculture and will present the 2011 “Excellence in Agriculture” award. The public is welcome and tickets are available at the museums for $20. Reservations are encouraged.

5). Reynolda House Museum of American Art presents “African American Read-In” on Tuesday, February 1st at noon. Free; bring a bag lunch. Join a community of more than one million readers across the world observing the twenty-second annual African American Read-In Chain. The event is held in recognition of Black History Month, and the public is invited to the Museum to share favorite passages from the writings of contemporary and historical black authors.

6). Greensboro Children’s Museum presents “Silly Saturday - Pajama Jammy” on February 5 –Jam - 10am-4pm. Put on your pj’s, grab your teddy bears, & slip on your slippers….it’s Pajama Jammy Jam Day! Activities include pillow-making, family “race to bed” relays, pillow case racing, & classic bedtime stories.

7). Greensboro Historical Museum presents “Thomas Day: Master Craftsman and Free Man of Color”, program and book signing on Sunday, February 6th at 3pm. Thomas Day (1801-61), a free man of color from Milton, North Carolina, plotted a carefully charted course for success in antebellum southern society. His surviving furniture and architectural woodwork still represent the best of nineteenth-century craftsmanship and aesthetics.

8). Tryon Palace presents Free Day: “My Life” on Saturday, February 5, 9:00a.m. – 5:00p.m. Free Admission to Gardens, First Floors of Historic Buildings, and the North Carolina History Center’s Mattocks Hall, Gateway Gallery, and Duffy Gallery. Reduced ticket price to the North Carolina History Center Regional History Museum and Pepsi Family Center. $12 for adults and $5 for students. Sponsored by the Harold H. Bate Foundation. Step into the shoes of the many different people of Eastern North Carolina’s past and experience what life was like for them. Learn their stories by visiting the first floors of our historic buildings and our gardens and by joining in on hands-on crafts, games, and activities for the whole family – all free of charge!

9). Discovery Place Discovery Place will boldly confront one of the most divisive issues of our time when it presents “RACE: Are We So Different?” from February 5 through May 8, 2011. Making its debut appearance in the southeastern U.S., the exhibition challenges visitors to ask, “Is race real?” As contemporary scientific understanding of human variation has continued to develop, so has the concept of ethno-racial groups. Through the examination of the science, history and cultural impact of race and racism, “RACE: Are We So Different?” provides visitors with fresh scientific and cultural perspectives intended to inform, test and question modern perceptions.

10). Mount Airy Museum of Regional History presents “Beginner's Genealogy Class” - five-part series designed for those interested in researching his/her family tree. The first class will be held on Tuesday February 1st in the Museum's 2nd floor Classroom from 6 - 8 pm. There will be a small fee of $25 for the entire course ($5 per class.) Museum members will not be charged. This class is limited to 25 students. For reservations or more information, contact the museum at 336-786-4478.