NCMC Events From Around the State… July 23, 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 are available on the NCMC web site.

1). Greensboro Children’s Museum presents “Culture of Color: Olympics Day!” on July 28^th, 11am - 3pm. Free with Admission/Membership. It's time to go for the gold! Be your own Olympic star at the Greensboro Children's Museum during our 2012 Olympic Games! Try your hand at TaeKwonDo, participate in a mini-triathalon, and try a few tumbles or balance your body in our gymnastics challenge area. You can even help us pass the torch as you give it your best during a silly relay race.

2). N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences On June 5, 2012, we lost a phenomenal American writer … Ray Bradbury. Over the years, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences has featured many movies based on his work, including “Fahrenheit 451,” “It Came from Outer Space” and “The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.” On First Friday, August 3 at 7pm, the Natural Horror Picture Show offers a special screening of rare films based on Bradbury’s short stories, straight from the A/V Geeks archive (not available on DVD). Join us in remembering an American legend about whom Steven Spielberg wrote, “On the world of science fiction and fantasy and imagination he is immortal.”

3). Museum of the Albemarle Bring the family to the Museum of the Albemarle for First Friday Art Walk on Friday, August 3, 2012 from 5:30 pm until 7:00 pm. The Museum will be offering something for the entire family. Mr. Samuel Dixon will be signing his book “Stayin’ Put: Short Stories from Edenton” and Mrs. Lisa Winslow will be demonstrating the art of wool felting along with a hands-on activity.

4). Cape Fear Museum presents “Night at the Museum” on Saturday, July 28, 6-10 PM. Fee: $3 for members; $6 for non-members. Cape Fear Museum comes alive at night! Join us for Night at the Museum, a fun-filled summer evening exploring the Lower Cape Fear region after dark. Meet nocturnal animals. Examine the night sky. Be amazed as you encounter the sights and sounds of our nighttime world! Sponsored by Time Warner Cable Connect A Million Minds.

5). N.C. Museum of History presents “History à la Carte: Tango! The Song! The Dance! The Obsession!” on Wednesday, July 25, 12:10-1 p.m. Bring your lunch; beverages provided. William McNeill, North Carolina Humanities Council Road Scholar. McNeill will explore the growing popularity of tango in North Carolina and spread the joy of Argentine tango through a piano performance, lecture, and dance demonstration. Program made possible by a grant from the North Carolina Humanities Council, a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

6). Reynolda House Museum of American Art will host a lecture by Margaret Supplee Smith, Harold W. Tribble Professor Emerita at Wake Forest University, on Charles Barton Keen, the architect who designed the Reynolda Estate, on Sunday July 29 at 3 p.m. Admission to the lecture is free. Charles Barton Keen (1868–1931) was hired by Katharine Smith Reynolds to design Reynolda House and many other buildings on the Reynolda estate in 1912. He was one of a group of Philadelphia architects who had earned a national reputation specializing in country estates and farms for wealthy clients eager to “retire” to the country at the end of the business day.

7). Waterworks Visual Arts Center WVAC is seeking submissions from artists who express their personal relationships to their faiths through art, including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity. Deadline for submission is August 30. This winter exhibition concludes Waterworks’ series “Art of Faiths – Religions of the World: Diversity and Tolerance.” Exhibition date is November 26, 2012 through February 9, 2013 with a public opening reception on Friday, November 30 from 5-8pm.

8). Tryon Palace presents “Monotype Workshop” on Thursday, July 26 ~ 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Fee, including materials - $15. Participants in this workshop will learn the technique of monotype printing - a simple process that can yield surprisingly delicate tonal effects. They will also have the opportunity to print their finished image on an authentic Civil War-era portable printing press. Be inspired by our selection of images from the Tryon Palace gardens and collections, or bring your own sketch or photograph to inspire your design.

9). Asheville Art Museum The Museum is pleased to present the exhibition “Mel Chin: High, Low and In Between”, opening to the public on Friday, July 27, with an opening reception on Friday, August 3 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. (free with Membership or Museum Admission). This exhibition is generously sponsored by an anonymous donor with additional support provided by Chatsworth Art & Antiques. The exhibition is organized and curated by the Asheville Art Museum. Visitors to the exhibition will enjoy a special installation, “The Funk & Wag from A to Z”, shown alongside recent works representing the artist’s meditations on war, religion and politics.

10). House in the Horseshoe Revolutionary War re-enactment on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 4-5, at the House in the Horseshoe State Historic Site. While the event is free, donations are gratefully accepted. The battle re-enactment at 4 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday will recreate the events of July 29, 1781, when British loyalist Col. David Fanning attacked the home of patriot Revolutionary Col. Philip Alston. Visitors can see large bullet holes from the battle that marks the house to this day. Militia demonstrations and periodic firings of a replica 18th century cannon are scheduled throughout the day, Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Blacksmithing, gun engraving, weaving, and other period crafts also will be presented. Children can enjoy period games while parents peruse handmade pottery on display. Several suttlers (traders) will sell 18th century replica goods.