NCMC Events From Around the State… April 16, 2012

1). SECCA presents Artist’s Talk @ SECCA: Natasha Bowdoin – paperless on Thursday, April 19, 7 p.m. FREE. SECCA presents an artist talk by Natasha Bowdoin, who has been commissioned to create a new large-scale work for the upcoming exhibition “paperless”, opening to the public on Friday, April 27. With meticulous technique and literary inspiration, Bowdoin creates a fluid visual experience using interwoven layers of text and ribbons of cut paper. Drawing from enigmatic writers of the past and her own writings, Bowdoin creates lyrical installations that weave imagery and the spoken word into one – leaving it to the viewer to decipher what is text and what is image. During her talk, Bowdoin will discuss the motivation and process used in her work.

2). N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences Nature never sleeps, so the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will open its new wing, the Nature Research Center (NRC), with a 24-hour grand opening beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 20. This celebration is expected to attract 50,000 visitors and capture global imagination, national recognition and local attention, while maintaining a commitment to environmental sustainability. Education will play a starring role in all activities – from global town halls in the SECU Daily Planet on diverse topics such as health, sustainability and forestry – to programming about leading edge research before visitors enter.

3). Greensboro Historical Museum On Wednesday April 4 First Lady Dolley Madison’s red velvet gown left the Greensboro Historical Museum for Washington D.C. Housed in a custom case designed to protect the rare gown, it will be included in the exhibition 1812: A Nation Emerges at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery from June 15, 2012 – January 27, 2013. Dolley Payne Todd Madison, born in Guilford County on May 20, 1768, will be featured in two sections of the exhibition: The Republican Court, which will share her significant role in creating Washington’s first “society” and as an advisor to her husband, President James Madison, Burning of Washington and the Defense of Baltimore, which will share Dolley’s dramatic story as the British invaded the nation’s capital.

4). Preservation Society of Chapel Hill Explore a part of the Franklin-Rosemary National Historic District as guides from the Preservation Society of Chapel Hill lead tours from the Horace Williams House to Hillsborough Street and back again, while youth actors from Act One, Act Now, under the direction of Cyndy Blackburn, bring the beautiful homes to life as they portray colorful characters from Chapel Hill’s past. Call the Preservation Society today for your tickets! April 22, 1 pm – 4 pm.

5). Bellamy Mansion On the 42nd Anniversary of Earth Day, the Bellamy Mansion plans to join with others around the globe for a call for a sustainable future. Local children and adults will enjoy a variety of special events designed to improve familiarity with ecology and environmentally-friendly practices that can be carried over into everyday living. On Sunday afternoon, April 22, from 1 to 4 PM, visitors can take a mini-conservation tour, which includes a series of stations around the site to collect fun-filled information on conservation measures. At each stop, visitors will be challenged to think of specific conservation steps they too can take to make a difference.

6). N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort Not too long ago New Bern, NC was home for one of the nation’s premier boat manufactures, Barbour Boats. Unfortunately, the shop has both closed and been demolished, but not before museum staff was able to document and record the story of this amazing place. Join maritime historian Paul Fontenoy for a behind the scenes tour of Barbour Boats. Wednesday, April 18 at 12 Noon, Free.

7). HandsOn! Hands On!-A Child’s Gallery, the children’s museum in downtown Hendersonville, invites you to come join the Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 21st from 12 noon – 5 pm at the Hendersonville Community Co-op. Hands On! will lead the children’s activities and there will also be live music, vendors and yummy food. The Hendersonville Community Co-op sponsors the grocery store exhibit at Hands On! and co-sponsors the “Who Grows Your Food?” exhibit with the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project.

8). Weatherspoon Art Museum presents WAM Community Day: Art & Reading Rock! on Saturday, Apr 21, 2012, 1-4pm. The Weatherspoon Art Museum at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro presents a very special afternoon celebrating comics, art, and literacy with our Spring Community Day. Join us and guest artist Chris Schweizer, author of “The Crogan Adventures,” a series of adventure-based graphic novels. Besides being a successful author, Schweizer teaches comics and animation at SCAD-Atlanta. At 2:30 and again at 3:15 enjoy live music by Big, Bang, Boom!, Greensboro’s hottest band for its youngest hipsters (and their parents).

9). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher Join Professor Steve Emslie at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher’s Science Café for a discussion about penguins in Antarctica and impacts of climate change. Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Discussion begins between 6:30 and 7 p.m. followed by a Q&A at Surf House Café, 250 Racine Dr. Suite 1, Wilmington. Emslie, a professor and ornithologist in the Department of Biology and Marine Biology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, conducts research on penguins in Antarctica and the sub Antarctic. For the past 20 years Emslie has focused on the ecology of penguins including historic trends in population movements and dietary shifts.

10). N.C. Science Festival The Festival, April 13-29, 2012, is a two-week, statewide series of programs that showcase science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), highlights the educational, cultural and financial impact of the STEM disciplines on North Carolina. It includes hands-on activities, science talks, lab tours, nature experiences, exhibits, performances and other events, and engages a wide range of audiences while inspiring the next generation. It serves as a vehicle for encouraging students to pursue STEM careers and for businesses to invest in North Carolina. Find one of more than 500 events near you by visiting our website. The Festival is proudly produced by UNC-Chapel Hill's Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.