ncmuseums

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

Monday, June 25, 2012

NCMC Events From Around the State… June 25, 2012


The North Carolina Museums Council recently established a Southeastern Museums Conference Annual Meeting Registration grant. One full, paid registration to the November 7-9 Annual Meeting in Williamsburg, Virginia will be awarded. Deadline for applications: August 15. Forms available on NCMC web site.

1). N.C. Department of Cultural Resources  In a free daylong conference marking its bicentennial, "America's Forgotten War," the War of 1812, will be remembered at the N.C. Maritime Museum-Beaufort on June 29. Speakers will examine the conflict that resolved issues remaining from the American Revolution. The symposium will focus upon the naval war, one that strengthened the young United States and firmly established its position in the world. The full program, continental breakfast, and afternoon reception are free and open to the public. An optional cruise will follow and costs $36.

2). The Bascom On Saturday, June 30, The Bascom’s first “Summer Barn Dance” of the season takes place from 7-10 pm. Gather with friends and neighbors and enjoy the music of The Runners of the Green Laurel, caller Terry Watson, dance the night away 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. The Bascom's Summer Barn Dances are sponsored by The Bascom, Highlands Historical Society, Mountain Fresh Grocery and the Ugly Dog Pub.

3). Port Discover  Floating, floating, POP! Unlock the secrets of bubbles and take a splash in our bubble pool during “Bubble-ology” at Port Discover’s Toddler Time program, on Thursday, June 28 at 10:00 am. Toddler Time is a special science program just for preschoolers, ages 3 – 5. Cost for the program is $5 per child and reservations are required. Parents or guardians must accompany the child.

4). Tryon Palace  presents “The War America Forgot” on Saturday, June 30 – Sunday, July 1. Special activities will take place in the North Carolina History Center and Stanly House. Included with Regular Admission… 200 years ago this June, our nation entered into war with Britain yet again. As we prepare to celebrate our country’s birthday, join us to explore the Bicentennial of the War of 1812, what many call our second war of independence. Special War of 1812 programming includes a character-based tour of the Stanly house and an interactive gallery cart and kids’ crafts in the North Carolina History Center.

5). N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences Did you know North Carolina is the third leading state in the country for biotechnology — employing 226,000 and creating $64 billion in economic activity? Did you also know our state is the nation’s leading hub for contract research and testing companies, and a world leader in vaccine research and manufacturing? Find out more about this fast-growing industry and how biotechnology affects your daily life at a new event from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, held Saturday, June 30 from 9am to 4pm. Free.

6). Museum of the Albemarle  Come visit the Museum of the Albemarle Wednesday, June 27, noon until 2:00pm and become an archaeologist for a day! Visit with real archaeologists, watch ground penetrating radar demonstrations, learn all about dendrochrology and participate in several hands-on activities. The public is invited for this free program!

7). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher  Have no fear, the sharks are here! The N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher opened a new Bamboo Shark exhibit. Aquarium staff designed a unique and safe animal interaction where even the youngest visitors can reach out and touch a live shark. The touch pool features two species of baby bamboo sharks, whitespotted (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) and brownbanded (Chiloscyllium punctatum). A low-profile design makes it easily accessible to small children.

8). HandsOn! the children’s museum in downtown Hendersonville, is having a “Royal Tea Party” on Friday July 6th from10:30am to 12:30pm. It is for ages 3 to 5 years old. (must be potty trained). Princes & Princesses are invited to attend a Royal Tea Party. Participants will create their own crown and learn tea party manners. Cost to attend is $15.00 for non-members and $9.00 for members. Limited spaces, call to sign up.

9). Cameron Art Museum presents “Music in the Courtyard: Benny Hill Quartet, jazz” on Thursday July 5, 7:00 pm - 8:15 pm. CAM Members and Students: $5.00, Non-members: $10.00. The July 4th celebratory vibe continues with saxophonist Benny Hill performing a range of jazz music sure to please and have you humming and tapping your feet. Hill's performances always offer a range of talented area musicians accompanying him for a concert audiences won't soon forget. Ensure you have a seat, purchase on CAM's website. CAM's CaféJohnnie serves dinner every Thursday 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Music held in CAM's lovely Courtyard weather permitting, indoors if not.

10). N.C. Department of Cultural Resources  A nuclear near-catastrophe is the subject of a new N.C. Highway Historical marker. The latest marker in the popular program will be dedicated on Friday, June 29, in at the intersection of Main Street and Faro Road in Eureka, N.C., at 11 a.m. In January 1961, a plane crashed in rural Wayne County at the height of the Cold War. Three members of the eight man crew died, and the bombs were released. Many historians believe this was one of the closest near-disasters related to the Cold War, having gone through all the steps to detonate, save one. Over the years, this and other incidents led to development of stronger controls of detonation of nuclear weapons.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

NCMC Events From Around the State… June 18, 2012


The North Carolina Museums Council recently established a Southeastern Museums Conference Annual Meeting Registration grant. One full, paid registration to the November 7-9 Annual Meeting in Williamsburg, Virginia will be awarded. Deadline for applications: August 15. Forms available on NCMC web site.

1). Asheville Art Museum is pleased to announce the region’s premier “Fine Art Print Fair”, to be held at the Museum on Saturday, June 23 from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (free with Membership or regular admission) and Sunday, June 24 from noon – 5:00 p.m. (free admission for all visitors). An exclusive Preview Reception will be held at the Museum on Friday, June 22 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. (tickets are $35 for Members, $45 for non-Members).

2). Blowing Rock Art & History Museum Artist and folk art collector Barry Huffman will give this month's Third Thursday lecture at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum at 4 p.m. on June 21. Huffman and her husband Allen have been passionate collectors since they began accumulating Catawba Valley pottery in 1977. Today, they focus on whimsical and idiosyncratic folk artists from across the Southeast. BRAHM currently features several pieces from the Huffmans' collection in its current exhibit, "Curious Collections: An Exhibit Celebrating the Passion of Collecting."

3). Cape Fear Museum presents “Learning Center: Creative Chemistry” on Saturday, June 23 and 30 from 1-4 PM. Free for members or with Museum admission. Is Oobleck a liquid or a solid? What does an atom look like? Find out as you investigate matter. Explore solids, liquids, and gases and experiment with mixtures! Unravel a colorful mystery and experiment with acids and bases.

4). Reynolda House Museum of American Art will present an exhibition titled, “Affinities: Pairings from the Collection” from June 30 through Dec. 2, 2012 in the West Bedroom Gallery of the historic house. This small focused assemblage of works from the museum’s collection will invite the viewer to look at two very distinct works side by side and consider their differences and their similarities. Admission to this exhibition is included in the cost of admission to Reynolda House. Viewers will be asked to contemplate three pairs of artworks in different media. Works will create unexpected juxtapositions for the visitor to compare and contrast and to enjoy.

5). The Bascom “Her Impressions”, celebrating the achievements of the talented women artists who helped the Impressionism movement blossom in America, opens in the Bunzl Gallery at The Bascom on Saturday, June 23rd, with a public reception from 6 – 8 pm. From household names like Mary Cassatt to lesser known artists like Ada Murphy and Sara Hess, the movement called Impressionism flourished within the community of American women painters despite the restrictions placed on them by the strict social mores of the late 19th century.

6). Kings Mountain Historical Museum opened its newest exhibit, “Go Tell It on the Mountain: The Churches of Kings Mountain, NC” on June 19. Bringing together artifacts and photographs from several of the area churches, this much anticipated exhibit chronicles the growth of organized religion in the area. The exhibit will be on display at the Kings Mountain Historical Museum, June 19 - September 8, 2012, Tuesday - Saturday, 10AM - 4PM.

7). Tryon Palace presents “Printmaking Workshop” with Tryon Palace Summer Artist-in-Residence on Thurday, June 21, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Join artist-in-residence Julie Niskanen at Tryon Palace this month and learn the art of printmaking -- with a historical twist! This month’s workshop will focus on the Palace gardens, including the Kitchen Garden, where you can observe the kinds of plants that sustained early settlers to this area. Participants will have time in the gardens to make sketches or photographs (bring your digital camera or camera phone) before returning to the History Center, where Julie will teach you to create a unique monotype print from your studies, using her Civil War-era portable iron printing press.

8). Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center invites the community to join us on Thursday, June 28th for an interdisciplinary evening of poetry and dance with Asheville-based poets Katherine Soniat and Tracey Schmidt and dancer Claire Elizabeth Barratt. All three women have developed strong reputations for their deeply original work. Come see what happens at the intersection of word and dance!

9). N.C. Department of Cultural Resources The N.C. Underwater Archaeology Branch (UAB) will host a rare behind-the-scenes tour of its facility on Wednesday, June 27, at 10 a.m., to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the sinking of the “Modern Greece” in 1862. “Modern Greece” was the first major blockade-runner lost in the Cape Fear region during the Civil War. N.C. Department of Cultural Resources Secretary Linda Carlisle will unveil a wayside sign at the North Gazebo at Fort Fisher State Historic Site at noon to commemorate the role of “Modern Greece”.

10). CSS Neuse & Gov. Caswell State Historic Site  After many years of planning and preparation, the CSS Neuse will move to its new climate controlled home in downtown Kinston on Saturday, June 23. The 141 foot remains of the vessel will be loaded onto moving dollies at sunrise to begin the short journey from Vernon Avenue to downtown. The 260 tons will travel at the dizzying speed of one mile per hour and should arrive at its destination after two hours. The ironclad CSS Neuse was a new class of warship built with iron plates attached to protect her crew. Because of her weight and the receding Neuse River, she saw little military action and was scuttled and burned by her crew in 1865.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

NCMC Events From Around the State… June 11, 2012


The North Carolina Museums Council recently established a Southeastern Museums Conference Annual Meeting Registration grant. One full, paid registration to the November 7-9 Annual Meeting in Williamsburg, Virginia will be awarded. Deadline for applications: August 15. Forms available on NCMC web site.

1). N.C. Transportation Museum  For the first time since 1994, you can ride behind a real coal-fired steam locomotive on mainline tracks in North Carolina when the N.C. Transportation Museum hosts passenger train excursions June 16 and 17.Three one and a half hour round trip journeys will be offered each day from the N.C. Transportation Museum to the town of Barber, N.C. and back. Trips will be offered both Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Coach seating is $35 for adults and $25 for children ages 3-12. Kids ages 2 and under who will ride on the lap of a parent or guardian do not need a ticket.

2). Asheville Art Museum  is pleased to announce upcoming exhibition Fiore / Drawing, opening at the Museum on Friday June 15 with a reception from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. (free with Membership or Museum Admission). Organized by the Falcon Charitable Foundation and sponsored by Chatsworth Art & Antiques, this exhibition surveys the drawings of the late American Artist, Joseph A. Fiore (1925 – 2008). Fiore / Drawing will remain on view at the Museum through Sunday, September 30, 2012.

3). Reynolda House Museum of American Art Have you ever wondered how people survived the summer heat before air-conditioning as we know it? Visit Reynolda House Museum of American Art and learn about the “air-washing system” of the early 1920s and the later system that used 100-pound blocks of ice to cool the vast interior of the 64-room home in the 1930s. The museum’s Beat the Heat Tours offered this summer will reveal those secrets and more. The tours will be offered twice, on Sunday, June 17 and Sunday, Aug. 19. The tours start promptly at 2:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for members and students, $15 for non-members.

4). Cameron Art Museum  presents Ongoing Civil War Activities: 1st North Carolina Company E on Sat., June 16, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. The newly formed 1st North Carolina Company E has made the Cameron Art Museum its home site. The unit will provide monthly civil war activities on the museum’s grounds, so come and watch drills, rifle firings and more. Engage with the reenactors about their passion for providing living history and explore the historic Civil War site where the Battle of Forks Road took place. The museum’s site is where Major General Robert F. Hoke made his last stand against Union soldiers comprised primarily of U.S. Colored Troops in the final fight for Wilmington on February 20, 1865.

5). HandsOn!  Hands On!-A Child’s Gallery, the children’s museum located in downtown Hendersonville is excited to announce our All About Me! class on Friday, June 15th from 10:30am-12:30pm. Ages 3 - 5 years will enjoy creating crafts and engaging with music and movement to learn about what makes them unique! The cost is $15 for non-members and $9 for members. Reserve your spot today—space is limited!

6). Cape Fear Museum Bring your friends for a night of game play at Cape Fear Museum on Friday, June 15 from 7:00-10:00 PM. At Grown-up Game Night, bored gamers get to be board gamers, card sharks can swim ashore, and cornhole fans will delight all night. There will be games aplenty on hand, provided by Cape Fear Games, Cape Fear Museum, and Learning Express. We’ll have the “Museum of Fun” set up for all kinds of game-playing options; the only piece missing is you! Adults pay one low price to enter (no children or babies please): $5 for members and $7 for non-members. Admission includes access to great games (instructions if needed!), snacks and drinks, and a visit to the Museum’s Toys and Games exhibit.

7). Blowing Rock Art & History Museum As part of BRAHM's partnership with the Appalachian Lifelong Learning program at Appalachian State University, the Museum will host a lecture on The History of Botanical Exploration of the Southern Appalachians with ASU biology professor Dr. Gary Walker from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 14. All lectures are free for Appalachian Lifelong Learning students and $5 for the general public (both members and non-members).

8). Weatherspoon Art Museum  Join us for the Weatherspoon's 8th Summer Solstice Fiesta celebrating North Carolina's Latino and Hispanic culture Friday, June 15, 6:30-9pm! Enjoy the sounds of West End Mambo, Fredd Reyes, and DJ Diego, as well as face painting, dancing, beverages and food (Azteca Taqueria Truck, Nora’s Empanadas, Tamales by Aracely).

9). Natural Science Center of Greensboro Celebrate scales and tails at Reptacular! - A special event at the Natural Science Center of Greensboro (NSC) on Saturday, June 16, 2012. This popular annual event will run from 10 AM to 4 PM and will feature special keeper talks and enrichments with the Science Center's resident snakes, crocodiles, turtles and lizards as well as a variety of family-friendly activities.

10). Marbles Kids Museum hosts SuperKids Saturday on Saturday, June 30, 9am-5pm. Calling all Superkids - this is your day! Leap buildings in a single bound at the Superhero Training Camp, have a blast with Super Science activities and make a Secret Identity cape and mask. Come dressed as your favorite superhero and join in our Parade of Superkids at 12:30pm or 4:30pm!