ncmuseums

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

Friday, January 27, 2012

NCMC Events From Around the State… January 30, 2012

NCMC announces its 2012 conference to be held in Asheville, NC, on March 18 and 19. Registration is in process and can be done on-line or by mail; Early Bird deadline is February 17. The conference theme is “Elevating Expectations.” Visit www.ncmuseums.org to register and for more information.

1). Reynolda House Museum of American Art presents ‘Talk by Douglas Fordham: James Gillray and Home Rule” on Tuesday, February 7, 5:30 p.m. Members/students free, non-members $5. Artist James Gillray (1756–1815) was known for his satirical prints about politics, imperialism, and domestic life. This talk will examine Gillray’s representation of domestic interiors, and will explore whether the artist’s vision of “Home Rule” carried both domestic and imperial connotations. Fordham is associate professor of art history and director of graduate studies in the McIntire Department of Art at the University of Virginia.

2). Cameron Art Museum The opening reception for the exhibition “Civil War Era Drawings from the Becker Collection” will take place on Thursday, February 2, 2012 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. The exhibition features 127 “first hand” drawings depicting colorful aspects of life and action during the Civil War era. These original drawings by artist-reporters for the “Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper” were used to inform a reading public consumed by the need to know what was happening throughout America as it struggled to establish its national identity.

3). Museum of the Albemarle Join us on Saturday, February 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., for the commemoration of the Battle of Elizabeth City fought in 1862. On site will be Civil War living history presentations, exhibits and displays, live artillery firing in Waterfront Park, demonstrations of the mustering of the troops and various programs by the Tar Heel Civilians that bring the civilian aspect of the war-time era to visitors. Talk to local historians and view the arms, medical equipment and other items of the day. Junior Docents will encourage children in hands-on history activities including period dances, games and chores.

4). Preservation Society of Chapel Hill presents a Black History Month Film Series, “Africans in America: America's Journey Through Slavery”. “Africans in America” examines the economic and intellectual foundations of slavery in America and the global economy that prospered from it. And it reveals how the presence of African people and their struggle for freedom transformed America. Episode One, "The Terrible Transformation: 1450-1750" on Wednesday, February 8th at noon. Episode Four, "Judgement Day: 1831-1865" on Wednesday, February 22nd at noon. Free admission but donations welcome.

5). N.C. Museum of History will present "Music From the Carolinas: Boo Hanks" on Feb. 12. The program will showcase Hanks' virtuosity in the delicate finger-style Piedmont blues. The program is presented by PineCone with support from the N.C. Museum of History Associates, Williams Mullen, and WLHC-FM/WLQC-FM. 3 p.m. Free.

7). Bennett Place State Historic Site Words of the formerly enslaved will be shared in a lecture at Bennett Place State Historic Site on Thursday, Feb. 16, 6:30-9 p.m. The presentation, "The First Year of Freedom in North Carolina: Pursuing Freedom with the Hoe and the Sword, the Book and the Lord," by Dr. Reginald Hildebrand, UNC-Chapel Hill, will offer first-hand accounts based on his research. The program, hosted by the Durham Civil War Roundtable and the Bennett Place Support Fund, is free to members, and has a $5 fee for visitors.

8). Asheville Art Museum invites visitors to enjoy a casual reception and evening of conversation with Asheville Symphony Orchestra Conductor and Musical Director, Daniel Meyer, and Asheville Art Museum Executive Director, Pamela Myers, on Wednesday, February 8 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Held at the Museum, this event is free to Symphony and Museum Members; tickets are $5 for non-Members.

9). N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences Weather in North Carolina is certainly unpredictable but Sir Walter Wally is almost always right! Come join us at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences for the 15th annual Groundhog Day celebration. The free event is Thursday, February 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the shadow ceremony beginning promptly at noon on Bicentennial plaza in front of the Museum. The ceremony will be held in the Museum’s auditorium in case of inclement weather.

10). Mount Airy Museum of Regional History presents “History Talks” with Mike Wiley- “A Game Apart: The Life of Jackie Robinson” on Thursday February 2 at 7pm in the Museum Annex. Mike Wiley’s performance, sponsored in part by a sub grant from the Grassroots Program of the NC Arts Council through Surry Arts Council, provides a glimpse of Jackie Robinson’s life during a bygone era of separate and unequal locker rooms, of whites only hotels, and of restaurants with only a back door for colored athletes to enter. Witness the hopeless humiliation of a star player who was showered with adulation on the field and became a second-hand citizen when he walked off the diamond.

Friday, January 13, 2012

NCMC Events From Around the State… January 16, 2012

1). Cape Fear Museum presents “Mystery at the Museum” on Saturday, January 21, 10 AM-4 PM, $3 for members; $6 for non-members. Something mysterious has happened at the Museum - a gardener made a shocking discovery in the Museum’s courtyard while planting a tree. What could these shimmering objects be? Investigate the scene then analyze your evidence in the mystery labs. Be on the lookout for clue carts and hidden evidence. Experience our exhibits as they come to life to uncover the secrets of our region’s past.

2). N.C. State Capitol On Saturday, January 21, learn the stories behind some of the Executive Mansion's furniture and artifacts with Maria Shevzov, acting curator of decorative arts at the N.C. Museum of History and North Carolina's Executive Mansion. The free lecture takes place at 1 p.m. in the old House Chamber. In this multimedia presentation, Shevzov will introduce several objects from the collection to discuss the medium, the use of the object, and the private lives of the public families who used these items.

3). N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences Most people alive today will witness a momentous juncture in the history of the human species – the point when explosive growth in human numbers and appetites peaks and is followed by … no one knows. Join prize-winning journalist Andrew Revkin to explore the question “Which Comes First: Peak Everything or Peak Us?” at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences on Wednesday, January 18 at 7pm. Free.

4). SECCA presents “Talk at SECCA: Out of Fashion Artist Conversation” on on Thursday, January 19th, 7pm. Free and open to the public. “Out of Fashion”, the current exhibition at SECCA, presents a variety of work by 14 artists and designers from across NC, including those who have moved to our state, as well as those from NC now living abroad. Across multiple generations and materials, they use the language of fashion to explore broader social, economic, political and environmental issues. Join three “Out of Fashion” exhibiting artists and SECCA curator Steven Matijcio for a special in-gallery experience and conversation.

5). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher presents “Mommy and Me” on Tuesday, January 17, 9am, for adults and children ages 1-2. $13 for one adult and one child ($1 for each additional child); Admission to Aquarium is included. Mothers and their children interact and learn together about aquarium animals. They also enjoy free playtime in our Freshwater Wonders Room.

6). Cape Fear Museum Once again, Cape Fear Museum of History and Science needs help cracking a mysterious case of “whodunit?” Families are asked to put on their detective hats and solve an all new “Mystery at the Museum” Saturday, January 21 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (last ticket sold at 2:30). Something mysterious has happened at the Museum—a gardener made a shocking discovery in the Museum’s courtyard while planting a tree. What could these shimmering objects be? It is Native American currency or a colonial merchant’s income? Perhaps it’s Pirate booty!

7). The Bascom presents “Art Adventure" on Tuesdays, January 17-February 21, 3:15-430 pm, ages 5-9. Roll up your sleeves and join in on the fun after school! You will work on individual and collaborative projects, and experiment with everything from painting, ceramics and sculpture to printmaking and collage. Snacks are provided. Bus service is available from Highlands School. Class size is limited, pre-registration is required. Tuition: $30 for a six week session.

8). Waterworks Visual Arts Center The Reverend Dale Steele of LightShine Ministries will give a special gallery talk on exhibiting artist (posthumously) Robert Doares’ artwork “Immanuel, God with Us: The Life of Christ in Art” on Thursday, January 19 at 11 am and Tuesday, January 24 at 1:30 pm. The 54 panoramic drawings and paintings in the series represents 30 years of Robert’s life and became his offering of worship and praise to the Lord. Each drawing took 300 hours to complete and each oil took over 600 hours to complete. This event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP by January 16.

9). Museum of Anthropology presents “Gazing at the Contemporary World: Japanese Photography from the 1970s to the Present” from Jan. 24 – Mar. 31, Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 4:30pm. In its American premier, this exhibit examines transformations in contemporary Japanese society and landscapes over recent decades by providing an overview of the diverse photographic expression that emerged during that time period. The exhibit features text in English and Japanese. Admission is free.

10). Asheville Art Museum The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to present “Ready for Prime Time”, a preview party celebrating “Prime Time: New Media Juried Exhibition”, the inaugural exhibition of the New Media Gallery scheduled to open in the Museum’s newly-expanded East Wing in March 2012. Ready for Prime Time will take place at Asheville CityMac, located at 755 Biltmore Avenue in Biltmore Village, on Thursday, January 26 at 7:00 p.m. (audiences of all ages are welcome). A $5 donation at the door is suggested in support of ongoing exhibitions and educational programming at the Museum.

Friday, January 06, 2012

NCMC Events From Around the State… January 9, 2012

1). N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences True to its namesake’s nature, “Genghis Khan: The Exhibition” will be occupying the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh for an extra week. But time is running out – the exhibition’s last day is now Sunday, January 22. Don’t miss seeing the largest collection ever assembled of the treasures of the Empire of Genghis Khan!

2). Cape Fear Museum “Grass Roots: African Origins of an American Art “, exhibit opens January 28, highlights the beauty of coiled basketry and shows how a basket can be viewed simultaneously as a work of art, object of use and container of memory. This exhibition features more than fifty baskets and related objects and images. It traces the parallel histories of coiled baskets in Africa and America starting from the domestication of rice in Africa two millennia ago, through the history of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the Carolina rice plantation, to the present. Audiences will learn about the creativity and artistry of Africans in America from the 17th century to the present.

3). Mount Airy Museum of Regional History presents “In the Spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Surry Countians Continuing the Dream” on Saturday January 14 from 7-8:30pm in the Museum Annex. This program of healing will focus on the sacrifices, love, learning, service, perseverance, and hope of the African-American community of Surry County. Light refreshments will follow the program. Free admission, donations accepted.

4). HandsOn! the children’s museum in downtown Hendersonville, invites you to come be as curious as a monkey with us! All week long, Jan. 17 – 20, we will celebrate being curious with self-directed drop-in activities that range from coloring, to drawing, to word searches, to mazes and more. On Wednesday, Jan. 18th, there will be a Book n’ Craft program at 11 am featuring a reading of “Curious George” by H. A. Rey and a monkey craft. These programs are free with the $5 museum admission fee and free for museum members, and sponsored by Fountainhead Bookstore.

5). Waterworks Visual Arts Center Waterworks will host artists’ talks/demonstrations on four Tuesday evenings from 7-8:30 pm. January 17 – “My Career as an Illustrator,” (Walter Stanford); January 24 – “Why Impressionism?,” (Phyllis Steimel); January 31 - “Post Impressionism,” (Don Moore); February 7 – “Within the Wood,” (Rick Sorensen). Tuition is $15 per session or 4 sessions for $50. Call 704-636-1882 to register.

6). Battleship NORTH CAROLINA For the explorer at heart, bring a friend and join us for a behind the scenes tour of unrestored areas of the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA on Saturday, January 14, 2012. The four-hour tour consists of small groups with guides. Guests explore the bow, third deck, Engine room #1, the refrigerator compartments, and climb inside the fire control tower to the top of the ship. The Azalea Coast Radio Club will be in Radio II to explain their work on the ship's radio transmitters.

7). Cameron Art Museum Charlie Brouwer will be in Wilmington at the Cameron Art Museum on Thursday, January 12 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm to discuss his upcoming public art project with the community. Community participation is encouraged for this public artwork. Program admission to the event is CAM members free and non-members $5.00. No registration is required. Charlie Brouwer is an artist from Floyd County, Virginia. Ladders have often occurred in his sculptures and installations. “Rise Up Wilmington” will be the latest in a series of temporary public art projects he has been creating with communities. These projects are designed to bring the art and artist into closer contact with his audience – especially new audiences.

8). Port Discover Heather Fletcher, owner of “The Cupcakery”, will share her baking tips and teach the science behind baking during “Baking 101,” at Port Discover’s Second Saturday Science program, on Saturday, January 14 at 11:00 am. Children won’t want to miss out on this edible, mouth-watering science lesson! Second Saturday Science is free.

9). Weatherspoon Art Museum presents “Richard Mosse: Falk Visiting Artist” from Jan 14, 2012 – Apr 15, 2012. Photographer Richard Mosse has spent the last two years shooting a new series of work titled “Infra” in the eastern Congo. The artist is known for his restrained and highly aestheticized views of sites associated with violence and fear, such as his 2008 depictions of the war in Iraq, and his large-scale photographs of airplane crash sites and emergency drills. For his work in the Congo, Mosse used Kodak Aerochrome, an infrared film designed in connection with the United States military to detect camouflage in the 1940s.

10). The Gregg Museum of Art and Design presents “Textiles of Exile”, running January 19 – May 12. Working with fibers is one of the oldest of human activities, one of the easiest to seize and carry in an emergency, one of the easiest to hide, one of the most comforting to engage in, and the craft most closely associated with storytelling. In “Textiles of Exile”, the Gregg displays examples from illegal Hispanic immigrants in California, Afghan refugees in Pakistan, threatened women in Peru, relocated Laotian Hmongs in Thailand, and prisoners in the American justice system; all call attention to the universality of the “silent scream” of homesickness.

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

NCMC Events From Around the State… January 3, 2012

1). Joel Lane Museum House Charles Silver, owner of Midway Plantation, will talk about “Moving Midway” from the owner’s perspective on Thursday, January 12, 2012, at 7 pm in the Visitors Center at 160 South Saint Mary’s Street, Raleigh, NC 27603. Admission will be $15 for the general public and $10 for members of the Joel Lane Historical Society. Refreshments will be served. Seating is limited, and advanced payment is required.

2). Cape Fear Museum presents “Building Wilmington” on Saturdays, January 7, 14, 28, 1-4 PM. Free for members or with Museum admission. Conduct fun and creative building experiments to explore Lower Cape Fear architecture. What is a structural foundation and why is it so important? How are historic buildings preserved for future generations to enjoy? Create a marshmallow geodesic dome to test out shape strength and make your own newspaper tower to take home.

3). Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson Considered yourselves challenged! On Tuesday evening, January 17, 2012 at 7:00 pm the Friends of Brunswick Town/Ft. Anderson will hold their First Annual “War Between the States Quiz Bowl”. This will serve as one of many fundraisers to assist with the reconstruction of Gun Emplacement #3 on Battery B, Fort Anderson. It will also serve to raise funds for the mounting of a working 32-pdr gun when the emplacement is complete. The winning team will get their name on the War Between the States Quiz Bowl Trophy and another special prize. $100.00 registration per team.

4). N.C. Museum of History presents11th Annual “African American Cultural Celebration” on Saturday, Jan. 28, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Enjoy a day of activities, crafts, music, entertainment, and foods in celebration of the state’s African American heritage and culture. Join us for the kickoff to Black History Month! In honor of the festival’s 11th year, this year’s event highlights North Carolina’s 11 historically black colleges and universities — the largest number of any state in the nation. Over 75 musicians, storytellers, dancers, historians, playwrights, authors, artists, re-enactors, chefs, teachers, scholars, and other presenters will share their culture and heritage.

5). HandsOn! Hands On!-A Child’s Gallery, the children’s museum in downtown Hendersonville, invites you to come be part of Critter Craft Day on Thursday January 5, 2012. Visitors can make a cat craft with various size circles. This activity focuses on learning about our feline friends and shapes. This is a drop-in, self –directed activity in our Party Room. Cost to attend is included in $5 admission and is free for museum members. Critter Craft is sponsored by the Etowah Valley Vet Hospital.

6). Asheville Art Museum presents “Lunchtime Art Break: A Tisket A Tasket: Appalachian, Cherokee and Low Country Baskets” on Friday, Jan. 6th, 12-1pm. The Museum presents lunchtime Art Breaks, a series of gallery talks and presentations designed to inform and engage Museum visitors in dialogue with Curatorial and Education Staff, Museum Docents and special guests. This month’s Art Break features Frank Thomson, Museum Curator, who will discuss current exhibition “A Tisket A Tasket: Appalachian, Cherokee and Low Country Baskets”, which examines how basket makers have preserved their unique traditions in spite of the many challenges they have faced. This exhibition closes January 8.

7). N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences Witness the all important race to discover the tomb of Genghis Khan when the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences shows “The Mask of Fu Manchu” on First Friday, January 6 at 7pm. Free. Last one there will be unspeakably foul. The opponents in this race include the sinister Chinese scientist Dr. Fu Manchu and Egyptologist Sir Lionel Barton, spurred on by the British Secret Service. If the Fu tracks down the sword and mask of Khan he will have the legendary conqueror’s power to enslave the world. If Sir Lionel gets there first, he gets to “bring those pretty things back to England.” Who you got?

8). Waterworks Visual Arts Center invites you to the 7th Annual Oyster Roast, Saturday, January 28 from 6:30-11:30 pm. This fundraiser supports our educational and outreach programs. Tickets are $65/person. Price includes all-you-can-eat steamed oysters, shrimp, chicken bites, Brunswick stew, and all the fixins’, beer, wine, dessert, and entertainment. Purchase tickets now online or call 704-636-1882. Waterworks promotes educational and outreach programs through hands-on studio classes, artists’ talks, lectures, workshops, an art library, family activities, and other community outreach projects for individuals, groups, and schools.