NCMC Events From Around the State… August 15, 2011

1). Wrightsville Beach Museum of History “Lumina Daze” returns on Sunday, August 28 from 4:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Blockade Runner Beach Resort. This evening of fun will benefit Wrightsville Beach Museum. Music will be provided by Wilmington Big Band, Buddy Skipper and the Jetty Jumpers with Carey Patterson and Pug West, and Dixieland All-Stars. New this year is a Live Auction in addition to our popular Silent Auction. Ticket prices are $15.

2). N.C. Maritime Museum at Beaufort presents “Murder Mystery Dinner” on Saturday, September 2. End your summer with a BANG! The Provost Marshall in occupied Beaufort has been murdered. Was it the sweet Southern Belle, a disgruntled Union soldier, or a jealous husband who pulled the trigger? You solve the Civil War mystery! Seating is limited. $30.00.

3). N.C. Department of Cultural Resources The Civil War savaged lives yet secured the future of generations in North Carolina and the rest of the nation, and altered the course of American history. The injustices suffered by African Americans were a major cause of the American Civil War (1861-1865). The fight for liberation is one aspect seen in the “Freedom, Sacrifice, Memory: Civil War Sesquicentennial Photography Exhibit” (www.nccivilwar150.com), which will visit the Pender County Public Library in Burgaw and the Rockingham County Public Library in Eden from Sept. 1-28.

4). HandsOn! Hands On!-A Child’s Gallery, a children’s museum located in downtown Hendersonville is excited to announce the “Finding Fitness Forever” Scavenger Hunt! This active scavenger hunt is a part of the national “Let’s Move” initiative to combat childhood obesity started by First Lady, Michelle Obama. The scavenger hunt begins on Tuesday, August 16th and lasts until Saturday, Sept. 10. Use your brain and use your body to find fitness opportunities throughout the museum. Complete a scavenger hunt form and win a certificate. So, come on in and get moving at Hands On!

5). Discovery Place Discovery Place is now accepting applications for adult volunteers for the upcoming exhibition “Mummies of the World”, which makes its southern U.S. premiere at the Museum on November 11, 2011. Mummies of the World is the largest exhibition of real mummies and artifacts ever assembled, featuring an astounding collection of 150 specimens, including real human and animal mummies and related artifacts from South America, Europe, Asia, Oceania and Egypt.

6). Mount Airy Museum of Regional History presents “History Talks”. Eric Williams presents “The Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail” at 2 p.m. on Sunday August 21. Free to the public. Eric Williams, retired site manager of Ninety Six National Historic Site will speak about the Overmountain Victory Trail, its history and the significance of this Revolutionary War campaign along with the creation and development of the National Park Services interpretive trail system commemorating the campaign.

7). Natural Science Center of Greensboro The Natural Science Center (NSC) of Greensboro is having a party on Wednesday, August 24th from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. to celebrate Axl and Kisa's 7th birthday! Visitors attending the celebration in Animal Discovery can watch the tigers tear into their meat-filled birthday presents, sign giant birthday cards, make a tiger craft and listen to special tiger Keeper Talks. The twin tigers, Axl (male) and Kisa (female), were born on August 24, 2004 at Conservators Center, a large cat rescue in Mebane, NC.

8). The Bascom The Center for Life Enrichment presents “Faces of the Fallen: A Tribute to Those Who Gave Their Lives in Afghanistan and Iran” on Thursday, August 18 from 10 am-12 noon at The Bascom. A poignant look into the faces of the first 1327 service men and women who died in Afghanistan and Iraq, as represented by 250 American artists. Portrait painter and professor Annette Polan, chairman of Faces of the Fallen, will relate how this project transformed her life and how art can connect us to world events.

9). Waterworks Visual Arts Center “Through a Soldier’s Eyes: Remembering Vietnam” is a collaborative project between the Rowan Public Library and Waterworks Visual Arts Center. This special exhibition honors and illustrates the Vietnam experience of local servicemen and women through a powerful assemblage of artifacts, photographs, and oral histories gathered over the last twelve months, as well as lithographs, paintings, and woodblock prints from two visual artists, Thomas L. Floyd’s (Tecumseh, NE) “Principles and Reality” and New Work by Mona Wu (Winston-Salem). Opening Reception is Friday, August 26 from 6-8 pm.

10). Charlotte Nature Museum Cool your heels in the wonders of water and learn about its living inhabitants, as Charlotte Nature Museum hosts its August “Creature Feature: Wild in the Water” on Saturday, August 20, from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. North Carolina streams, ponds and lakes are the native home of a boundless array of plants and animals. Float on this cool fact – the Catawba River contains the most dams of any North Carolina river, at 244 miles long with seven man-made lakes. Learn about the ecological importance of our natural water reserves and the steps we can take to preserve them.