ncmuseums

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

Monday, June 27, 2011

NCMC Events From Around the State… June 27, 2011

1). Turchin Center for the Visual Arts presents "Halpert Biennial Juror Talk" and afternoon tea reception on Sunday, July 17 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Juror Steven Matijcio, Curator of Contemporary Art at SECCA in Winston-Salem will share his perspective of the Halpert Biennial entries and announce the competition award winners.

2). Joel Lane Museum House The Joel Lane Museum House, “The Birthplace of Raleigh,” will sponsor its annual “Independence Day Open House” on Monday, July 4, 2011 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. On the grounds, re-enactors will demonstrate various aspects of colonial life, and visitors will be able to participate in chores such as churning butter and carrying water in buckets. There will be old-fashioned crafts and games for the children and lemonade for all. The garden in its full summer glory will be on view, and herbs from the garden will be for sale. Local author, Suzanne Adair, will be here to sign and sell her historical novels. Authentically costumed volunteer interpreters from Historical Interpretations will add flavor.

3). Hands On! Hands On!-A Child’s Gallery, a children’s museum in downtown Hendersonville, is excited to announce a new volunteer program. Hands On! is fortunate to have Junior Volunteers, ages rising 5th grade and above, to act as “Playologists” this summer. Interested children can join trainings for this program until June 30th.

4). N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences Join popular science writer Rob Dunn for a lecture based on his new book, “The Wild Life of Our Bodies: Predators, Parasites, and Partners That Shape Who We Are Today” (HarperCollins, 2011), in which he uses the principles of evolutionary ecology to illustrate how humans have become increasingly disconnected from nature and are sicker because of it. The lecture, as well as a book sale and signing, will be held at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences on Thursday, June 30, 7-9pm.

5). N.C. State Capitol Pack a picnic, bring your lawn chairs and your blankets, and enjoy the Independence Day holiday weekend by attending this annual patriotic celebration on Monday, July 4. The North Carolina State Capitol will sponsor this free fun-filled family event that has become a downtown Raleigh tradition. For the second year, an outdoor naturalization ceremony for approximately 30 new citizens will take place at noon on the Capitol steps. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. the event will offer the public a variety of musical performances, historical and military displays, carriage rides, and several hands-on and play activities for children to enjoy.

6). Museum of the Albemarle Join the Museum of the Albemarle and the Museum Gift Shop on Friday, July 1, for First Friday Art Walk. The Museum of the Albemarle will be open late from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. in conjunction with Elizabeth City’s First Friday. Start your Independence Celebration early by viewing the Museum’s “Our Story” colonial Section. View a Liberty Pole and shoe buckles of James Iredell, one of the first justices of the United States Supreme Court. . Enjoy the creative expressions of pottery in the “Formed, Fired, and Finished: North Carolina Art Pottery” exhibit. And, take a walk through the history of the U.S. Coast Guard in the “Out of the Blue: Coast Guard Aviation” gallery. Be sure to stop by the Museum Gift Shop and register for door prizes, (you don’t have to be present to win) and enjoy some light refreshments.

7). Weatherspoon Art Museum Marking the sixth year anniversary of the devastation that swept through New Orleans, the Weatherspoon presents a video installation, “A Man Screaming Is Not a Dancing Bear” (2008) by Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla. The artistic duo creates metaphors for political and social issues through alternative interpretations of cultural materials, particularly music and musical instruments. “A Man Screaming Is Not a Dancing Bear” integrates film footage shot by the artists in New Orleans and the Mississippi delta, where hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc in 2005, with the rhythmic drumming of jazz. Through Sept. 18th.

8). Marbles Kids Museum presents First Friday at Marbles and Family GLEE! with NC Theatre – “Hairspray Dance Party!” on Friday, July 1 from 6:30pm-7:30pm - Museum open until 8:00pm. Join North Carolina Theatre as they present a blast of a dance party for the whole family! Watch a performance by NCT’s best HAIRSPRAY DANCERS and learn to groove as they teach you some cool ‘60’s dance moves. You can even make your own ‘60’s bouffant hair style with the help of Team Marbles! Kick off your 4th of July holiday celebration with NCT, MARBLES and HAIRSPRAY!

9). The Bascom On Thursday evening, July 7, enjoy a preview of the “Frank Stella: American Master” exhibition and the Mountains in Bloom Garden Festival Flower Show from 6-8 pm at The Bascom. The preview reception allows the first peek at the exciting Stella exhibition and the award-winning floral, horticultural and photography exhibitions that comprise the Flower Show. This will be a wonderful prelude to other Mountains in Boom events taking place from July 8-10 Tickets are $50 per person.

10). Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum presents “Muster 1861” on July 5, 10:30—11:30 a.m. Children’s programs focusing on aspects of the Civil War on Hatteras Island. Learn soldier slang in ‘Talk Like a Reb or a Yank’ and try your hand at Checkers or Pigs in a Pen. In ‘T-mail Not E-mail’ hear how the telegraph was used in the 1860s and use Morse code to make a name bracelet. Ages 6 and up.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

NCMC Events From Around the State… June 20, 2011

1). Transylvania Heritage Museum presents “4th Friday Gallery Walk” at the Museum, Jun 24 - Live music by Quarter House with John and Anita Bishop and Handcrafts on the Lawn, Transylvania Heritage Museum, 189 W. Main St., Brevard. See the latest exhibits in the Museum, and shop at Heritage Gifts for locally made items. Suggested donation $5 adults, $2 children.

2). Hands On! presents “Dino Dig! Camp”: June 21-24, grades rising 2nd – 5th. Become a paleontologist and discover digging for dinosaur bones! Participants will keep a dinosaur journal, dig for dinosaur bones, assemble the dinosaur and learn about the worldwide range of these ancient creatures! Journal will be taken home at the end of camp so you can continue journaling and learning about dinosaurs!

3). Asheville Art Museum presents “Art Break: A Chosen Path: The Ceramic Art of Karen Karnes” on June 24 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. The Museum presents a series of gallery talks and presentations designed to inform and engage you in dialogue with members of our curatorial and education departments, docents and special guests. Free with Membership or Museum Admission ($8 adults, $7 students/seniors.) This event will be presented by ceramist Leah Leitson.

4). NC Museum of Natural Sciences Art inspires. Science educates. But what happens when those roles are reversed? Or better yet, combined? Witness “Our Expanding Oceans”, a comprehensive art and education exhibit created by artist Mary Edna Fraser and scientist Orrin Pilkey, on display at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh from June 25 to November 6, 2011. The exhibit will explore the major elements of global climate change and the greenhouse effect with an emphasis on melting ice and rising seas.

5). NC Museum of History New research reveals surprising findings about the number of North Carolina soldiers who died during the Civil War. Josh Howard, Research Historian at the N.C. Office of Archives and History, has spent more than a year spearheading the North Carolina Civil War Death Study. Howard will highlight his investigations and share stories he has discovered during “History à la Carte: Recounting Civil War Sacrifices” on Wednesday, July 27, at 12:10 p.m. He will explain how he researches the topic and will discuss some of the soldiers’ unusual experiences. Admission is free. Bring your lunch; beverages are free.

6). The Bascom On Saturday, June 25, The Bascom’s first “Summer Barn Dance” of the season takes place from 7-10 pm. Gather with friends and neighbors enjoy the music of The Wild Hog Band and celebrate the nostalgia of Highlands’ yesteryear. Don't miss it. Tickets are $5 per person, cash only, and can be purchased at the door. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

7). Museum of the Albemarle Join the Museum of the Albemarle every Thursday, at 2:00 p.m. for a matinee. The Museum will show a Miles Clark’s silent home movie of the Elizabeth City High School Band and the Elizabeth City area. Come out and reminisce about days gone. If you can’t make Thursday’s matinee, don’t worry. The Museum will show the Miles Clark homes movies into July until all movies are shown. Free to the Public.

8). High Point Museum recently obtained an important new collection to add its current list of exhibits, Meredith’s Miniatures. The acquisition, a group of 30 miniature rooms, is a gift of Meredith Slane Michener, who created them over a period of 15 years beginning in 1990. Fascinating in detail and craftsmanship, on a scale of 1 to 12, the rooms represent a wide variety of subjects, from a French library room in High Point, to Old Salem, to as distant places such as Sweden, with some rooms simply created from the artist’s imagination.

9). NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher By most accounts, Monday was a typical day at the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher. On this day, however, over 30 special guests benefitted from generous donations that allowed them to spend the day at the Aquarium; something they might not otherwise have been able to do. The NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher was grateful to receive generous donations from Wilmington Rotary and Time Warner Cable to provide a family Aquarium Day through the Blue Ribbon Commission. This special day came about as a result of the Commission’s continued effort to forge partnerships with families and to “address the issue of youth violence in the Cape Fear area”.

Monday, June 13, 2011

NCMC Events From Around the State… June 13, 2011

1). Reynolda House Museum of American Art presents “Looking Aloud: Who’s Afraid of Modern Art?” on Thursday, June 16 and Thursday, June 23 at noon. Members and students free, non-members free with Museum admission. Reynolda House Education staff will lead these gallery discoveries, visiting “Figuring Abstraction”, a small, focused exhibition on view in the West Bedroom through October 30, 2011. These staff-led gallery discoveries begin a series of conversations about modern art that will continue with the exhibition, “Modern Masters from the Smithsonian American Art Museum”, opening October 7, 2011.

2). Turchin Center for the Visual Arts Explore your inner artist with a summer arts workshop! Artists of all skill levels welcome. Enrollment is limited so register today! Advanced registration is required. All workshops will be held during the month of July as a part of An Appalachian Summer Festival.

3). Cameron Art Museum The Coastal Carolina Clay Guild (CCCG) Pottery Sale will showcase over thirty guild members selling functional and ceramic sculpture works in the Weyerhaeuser Reception Hall at the Cameron Art Museum. Guild members will also be on hand on June 18th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. demonstrating the creative process through hand built and wheel thrown pottery at the Pancoe Clay Studio during the sale. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Cameron Art Museum. “Kids @ CAM Clay Day!” will also be held on Saturday, June 18th from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Parents and kids are invited to come get their hands dirty and make art with clay that can be taken home.

4). NC Museum of Natural Sciences This is already turning out to be the year of the tornado – even downtown Raleigh hasn’t gone unscathed. What better time to stock up on tips for surviving tornadoes, as well as hurricanes and lightning storms, than at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’ second annual “StormFest”, Saturday, June 18 from 9am to 5pm. You can also meet local television meteorologists and discover the techniques and tools they use to predict the weather. The event also includes demonstrations, activities and educational material for all ages.

5). Port Discover Explore changes in the weather around us during “Wonders of the Wind,” Port Discover’s Toddler Time program, on Thursday, June 16 at 10:00 am. The children will discover how the wind plays an important part in daily weather forecasting and learn fun ways to enjoy a windy day. Toddler Time is a special science program just for preschoolers, ages 3 – 5. Cost for the program is $5 per family and reservations are required. Parents or guardians must accompany the child.

6). The Bascom Ann Strub will be at The Bascom on Friday, June 17th from 4-5 p.m. signing her book, “Ann Strub Paints Her Muse”, a celebration of the artist, her mother and the rich history of New Orleans. The book will be available for purchase at The Shop at The Bascom. Join us for Ann Strub’s “Story Telling with Paint” membership reception on June 17 from 5-7 p.m. Become a member of The Bascom and enjoy the artist’s figurative and narrative painting presentation. Bascom memberships start at $35.

7). The Weatherspoon Art Museum presents exhibition: “Encore!: Japanese Actor Prints from the Permanent Collection” through August 7, 2011. During the early 1700s in Japan, a new form of artistic expression known as ukiyo-e or floating world pictures developed which depicted the escapist and ephemeral pleasures offered at the time by the entertainment districts of the cities of Edo (present-day Tokyo) and Osaka. Free.

8). The Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center in downtown Asheville is pleased to present the exhibition “JACK TWORKOV: The Accident of Choice, The Artist at Black Mountain College 1952” with an opening reception from 5:30 – 7:30 on Friday June 17th. This exhibition includes important works by Jack Tworkov, who taught painting at Black Mountain College during the summer of 1952. Exhibition curator Jason Andrew will give a special lecture about Jack Tworkov on Saturday, June 18 beginning at 11:00 a.m. Admission is free.

9). Museum of the Albemarle The Museum of the Albemarle and Port Discover partner for “Sprouting Scientists and Hand-on Historians” summer camp scheduled for June 20 through 24 from 8:30 am until Noon. Campers that are 5 to 8 years of age will spend Monday through Wednesday at the Museum of the Albemarle experiencing a high sea adventure by discovering the life of a pirate. Thursday through Friday the campers will begin a new adventure at Port Discover where they will make pottery with artist Paul Foreman, tie-dye t-shirts with natural dyes, learn to mill wheat, and make healthy snacks form the Port Discover Kids Grow Garden.

10). Natural Science Center of Greensboro
Celebrate scales and tails with “Reptacular!” at the Natural Science Center of Greensboro on Saturday, June 18, 2011. This event will feature enrichment activities, keeper talks and other family friendly activities with the Center's resident snakes, lizards, crocodiles and tortoises. Guests will have the opportunity to witness the weighing of Bertha, the giant Burmese python, and help celebrate the tortoises' birthdays. There will also be live crocodile feedings, face painting and a reptile craft. “Reptacular!” will run from 10 am to 4 pm and is free with paid admission or membership.

Monday, June 06, 2011

NCMC Events From Around the State… June 6, 2011

1). Mount Airy Museum of Regional History presents “Toast and Jam” on Saturday, June 11 from 5 – 7 p.m. Good Wine and Good Music all set in the museum’s picturesque courtyard. This monthly program is scheduled for the second Saturday of each month (May-October), from 5-7 p.m. It will showcase a number of the regions wineries as well as local musical talent. The wineries will be offering wine tasting and sales, along with a brief educational program about their wines between musical sets. Olde Mill Winery and Vineyards will be featured this month along with the music of Foothills Blues Society. WSYD will be broadcasting live each Toast and Jam this year.

2). Aycock Birthplace State Historic Site will showcase the art of free family fun on June 11 in the first of the popular three-part program “2nd Saturdays.” The theme June 11 at Aycock Birthplace in Fremont is “2nd Saturdays: Quilts! Quilts! Quilts!” The Cotton Club Quilters Guild of Goldsboro will demonstrate quilting using modern methods from noon to 4 p.m. Visitors can sit with costumed interpreters at a quilting frame and try their hand at quilting 1800s style. Visitors can also participate in a hands-on activity to create their own quilt square using construction paper. Aycock Birthplace’s antique quilts will be on display, and visitors can go on guided tours of the site’s historic buildings.

3). SciWorks On Saturday, June 11, from 8:30 to 11:00 PM, the Forsyth Astronomical Society and SciWorks Planetarium will have an astronomy observation at SciWorks. The public is invited to attend this free observation event! This will be an excellent opportunity to view the planet Saturn, several deep-sky objects, and the spring and summer constellations. Call SciWorks after 5:30 PM on June 11 at 336-767-6730 for cancellation information. The next observation will be at SciWorks on August 6, 2011.

4). Asheville Art Museum ARTmob presents “Pecha Kucha Night” on Thursday, June 9 (7:00 p.m.). Admission is $5 for Members and $7 for non-Members. Following the success of the Museum’s first Pecha Kucha Night held in January, the ARTmob returns with the second installment of Pecha Kucha, meaning “chit chat” in Japanese, during which presenters will once again “exhibit” 20 images for 20 seconds each. ARTmob participants will enjoy watching guest presenters share their own creative inspiration while enjoying complimentary food and drinks provided by local businesses.

5). High Point Museum presents “Fifth Annual Evaluation Extravaganza” on Saturday, June 11 from 10 am to 2 pm. Whether you have a doll that belonged to your great grandmother, an old toy you played with as a child, your mother’s wedding china, or a gold locket that belonged to your great aunt, the High Point Museum’s Evaluation Extravaganza can provide details about the objects you treasure. Dust off those collectibles and bring them to the fifth annual Evaluation Extravaganza, the Museum’s own version of the popular series “Antiques Roadshow”.

6). NC State Capitol The State Capitol will mark the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Big Bethel on Saturday, June 11. The battle took place in June 1861 in Virginia. Henry Lawson Wyatt, honored with a statue on the Capitol grounds, died at Big Bethel, and was the first North Carolina soldier to die in battle for the Confederate cause. From 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., the North State Rifles re-enacting group will be on the northwest Capitol grounds at the Wyatt monument. Group members will speak about Wyatt’s life, model the variety of uniforms worn by Tar Heels in the first year of the war, and give a lecture on the Battle of Big Bethel. Displays at “Remembering Big Bethel” will shed light on how soldiers made the transition from home to the battlefield.

7). Natural Science Center of Greensboro On the heels of the highly successful traveling exhibit, “Bodies Revealed”, the Natural Science Center of Greensboro (NSC) will officially open its own permanent human body and health exhibit called “HealthQuest” on June 11 at 9am. “HealthQuest” combines 21st century medical science with state-of-the-art videography, real preserved human bodies, a unique End-of-Life section and over a hundred 'kid-cool' interactives. It provides visitors a memorable experience and journey into personal health that showcases how choices in life impact our major body systems.

8). Alamance Battleground Saturday, June 11, is the first Second Saturday Event of the summer at Alamance Battleground. The event, "Arts, Crafts, Music & History Under the Pines", runs from 10:00 am. until 4:00 p.m. The Alamance Jazz Band will be in concert from noon until 1:00 so bring your lawn chair and enjoy the "Big Band" Sounds of the Alamance Jazz Band. Then stay for a lunch of hot dogs, hamburgers and ice cream sundaes being prepared by the Alamance Battleground Friends all proceeds go to support programs at the Battleground.

9). N.C. Transportation Museum The N.C. Transportation Museum's 2011 “Family Rail Days Festival”, scheduled June 11 and 12, will celebrate the golden age of railroading and offer something for every member of the family. Featuring historic locomotives and rail cars displayed alongside modern rail equipment, the event will give visitors a chance to enjoy train rides, great music, model train layouts.

10). Historic Wright Tavern The Rockingham County Historical Society Museum and Archives (RCHSMA) will host their 2nd Saturday “Family Day” on June 11, 2011, from 10:00 A.M.-3:00 P.M., on the Museum grounds at Wright Tavern in Wentworth. The theme for this event is “The Civil War Experience.” The 11th VA Co. G Lynchburg Home Guard and The Old North State Field Hospital Civil War reenactors will be in attendance. In addition, visitors can trace ancestors with genealogy experts from Family Search, pan for gems, learn about heirloom gardening, explore Civil War artifacts found right here in Rockingham County, listen to period music and tour of the historic structures and grounds of Wentworth Village.