ncmuseums

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

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

NCMC Events From Around the State… August 27, 2012



1). Museum of the Albemarle  is pleased to present its newest exhibit, “War of 1812: A Nation Forged by War”. On loan to us from the National Museum of the United States Navy, the display commemorates the 200-year anniversary of the War of 1812 by highlighting the prominent role of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service in bringing Great Britain to the negotiating table and forcing European recognition of a truly independent United States. The exhibit tells the stories of heroic U.S. Navy crews in battles on the oceans and Great Lakes, as well as the contributions of sailors in celebrated land battles from Canada to Louisiana.

2). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher  invites businesses and organizations to sponsor booths at the 11th annual “Trick-or-Treat Under the Sea.” The 2012 event will again be two nights — Wednesday, Oct. 24 and Thursday, Oct. 25. The event features indoor trick-or-treating for children from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Booth sponsorship offers a way to promote your business by interacting with families in the community at this fun and popular event. More than 4,000 people attended in 2011. Early-bird booth reservation is available for $65 per day until Sept. 1; $75 after. Businesses participating both evenings benefit from a $10 discount. Vendors may attend one or both nights.

3). The Greenville Museum of Art  announces the opening of the “GMA Annual Juried Art Exhibition” with a community reception on Friday, September 7th, 2012 from 6:00 pm-8:00 pm. Prizes will be awarded for First, Second, and Third place. Over fifty artists’ works from across eastern North Carolina and Durham, Orange and Wake counties will be on view in this exhibition. Our Juror for the 2012 GMA Juried Art Exhibition is Adam Cave of Adam Cave Fine Art in Raleigh, NC. The show runs through September 7th thru October 7th.

4). Tryon Palace  presents “Stanly-Spaight Duel” on Monday, September 3, 4:00 p.m. On Sept. 5th, 1802, a prominent New Bern lawyer met his political rival, a former State Governor, in a lethal duel on the streets of New Bern. Step back in time to an era where a man's personal honor was his most cherished quality and any incursion on this prized value could result in fiery and violent retribution. Watch the drama unfold before your eyes in a gripping reenactment of this fateful day. Come early and enjoy the gardens before a special performance by Tryon Palace's Fife and Drum Corps starts off the event at 4:00 p.m. In the event of rain, performances will be moved into the North Carolina History Center's Cullman Performance Hall.

5). North Carolina Maritime Museum Beaufort  presents its annual “Mayhem at the Museum: Murder Mystery Dinner” where it’s up to you and other dinner guests to solve the case before it is too late! This years’ fun semi-fictional setting takes place during the War of 1812. During the summer of 1814 as the British advance on the White House a portrait of George Washington is rescued from a fire and sent to a safe location in the south, but the rescue doesn’t come without a price! Come help solve the mystery! August 31, 6 p.m., space is limited and reservations are required, $30.

6). Weatherspoon Art Museum  presents Curator Tour: "Zone of Contention: The U.S./Mexico Border" on Thursday, Aug 30, 6pm. Curator of exhibitions Xandra Eden leads a special tour of the exhibition Zone of Contention: The U.S./Mexico Border along with participating artists Todd Drake and Pedro Lasch. The tour precedes a lecture by Paul Cuadros, "A Home on the Field," at 7pm in the Weatherspoon auditorium.

7). The Bascom  “Art Rosenbaum: Voices”, featuring a small collection of monumental paintings of one of Rosenbaum’s favorite subjects: American Folk Musicians, opens in the Loft Gallery at The Bascom on Saturday, September 1 with a reception from 5 – 7 pm. Rosenbaum’s works depicting rural Southern life are combinations of both real and imagined people, places and events. Ethnographer, as well as artist, he brings storytelling to view in the form of folktale paintings full of vibrant, sweeping color. His most recent painting completed for this exhibition is “The Stone Mountain Wobblers”. The exhibition runs through November 10th.

8). Cameron Art Museum  presents “After-School Art Class”, Wednesdays - Sept. 12 - Oct. 17, 4:00 - 5:00 pm. Children ages 6 to 10 will have the chance to explore the museum through guided tours, scavenger hunts and special activities, and then express their creativity through hands-on art projects in a variety of media (including drawing, painting, collage, printmaking and sculpture). Emphasis is placed on introduction to a wide array of materials and individual personal expression. On the final day of class, students will curate their own 'Student Art Reception' with pieces they've created throughout the course of class. Pre-registration required!

9). Cape Fear Museum  presents “Ocean Adventures” on Saturday, September 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 1-4pm. Fee: Free for members or with Museum admission. Explore ocean science. What is an aquanaut? Why is the estuary called the “ocean’s nursery?” Examine local shells and learn about North Carolina’s state shell. Find out why starfish are not fish at all! Use various magnification tools to examine sea life up close.

10). Museum of Anthropology  presents a new exhibit “Días de los Muertos” (Days of the Dead) Sept. 11 – Dec. 14, Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 4:30pm. MOA’s annual exhibit features a traditional Mexican ofrenda: a home altar with sugar skulls, colorful tissue paper cutouts, food and beverage offerings, marigolds, and photos of deceased relatives to honor the dead. A children’s ofrenda and photographs illustrating different aspects of the celebration are also on display. This exhibit features text in English and Spanish. Admission is free.

Monday, August 20, 2012

NCMC Events From Around the State… August 20, 2012
1). Asheville Art Museum The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to offer a Home School Program series to home-school students in grades 1 – 4 on September 11, October 9 and November 13, 2012 (11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.). The program cost is $4 per student, per session. Each 90-minute session includes a guided tour of the Museum’s Permanent Collection or special exhibitions, followed by hands-on art activities in the Museum’s education studio. Enrollment is limited and pre-registration is required.

2). N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences  In 1993, a baby bonobo changed Claudine Andre’s life forever. When the injured creature, a close relative of chimpanzees, arrived at the Kinshasa zoo it had little hope of surviving. Andre was determined to save him and was instantly drawn into an adventure that continues to this day, and which has lifted her from zoo volunteer to world-renowned conservationist. Learn more about what led Andre to establish a bonobo sanctuary in the middle of a war-torn country when she presents “Protecting Bonobos: Rescue, Rehabilitation and Conservation Education in the Democratic Republic of Congo” at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences on Tuesday, August 21 at 7pm in the Main Auditorium. Free. Doors open at 6:30pm.

3). Cape Fear Museum  Few subjects in the earth sciences are as fascinating as dinosaurs. In the Cape Fear Museum’s Learning Center on Saturdays, the whole family can conduct experiments, explore artifacts, play fun games, and create exciting tools and toys to take home. Parental participation is required. Dinosaurs big and small; come meet them all at “Learning Center: Dynamic Dinosaurs” on August 25th from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Dig for fossils that you can take home and find out what a T. rex tooth looks like up close. Discover why Wilmington’s Giant Ground Sloth and the pterodactyl are not dinosaurs. Measure some well-known dinosaurs and make an Apatosaurus model to take home. Admission is free for members or with general admission.

4). N.C. Maritime Museum Beaufort  Have you ever wondered what lies beneath the sea? Now’s your chance to find out! Come aboard a university research vessel and pull a trawl and dredge to discover all types of marine life that can be found in North Carolina waters. Tuesday, August 21st from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., space is limited and reservations are required. Please call the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort for more information or to sign up, (252)728-7317.

5). North Carolina Collection, UNC-Chapel Hill How much do we know about the Carolina Parakeet? Very little, as it turns out…John Gerwin and Brian O’Shea of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences will describe what is known and not known about this extinct bird. They will also share some natural history highlights of related species and conservation stories of select, endangered parrots in the U.S. and abroad. Reception and exhibit viewing at 5:15, followed by the program at 5:45. Both in Wilson Library, UNC-Chapel Hill. Free and open to the public.

6). Bellamy Mansion  On Thursday, August 23rd at 7:00PM the Bellamy Mansion Museum of History and Design Arts presents Tim Buchman, Architecture and Fine Art Photographer. Tim's work currently fills the gallery space in the Bellamy Mansion. Two exhibits comprise photography from the books "Thomas Day Master Craftsman and Free Man of Color" and "North Carolina Architecture". During the course of the evening Tim will discuss his work, commissions, exhibits and publications, as well as the practical challenges of professional photography projects large and small. He will also share images from his private collection.

7). Tryon Palace  presents “Radio Theatre at Tryon Palace: Doubt, A Parable” by John Patrick Shanley on August 24-25, 8:00 p.m., Seating 7:30 p.m.; Doors 7:00 p.m. Cullman Performance Hall, North Carolina History Center, Tickets: Adults $25, Council of Friends $22, Students $10 New Bern's only full-time, resident professional theatre company opens its fourth season with Doubt, A Parable, winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award. Set in 1964 at a Catholic school in the Bronx, this intense drama unfolds around a possibly well-meaning priest being accused of immoral behavior by a suspicious and cynical nun.

8). Weatherspoon Art Museum presents Curator Tour: "Zone of Contention: The U.S./Mexico Border" on Thursday, Aug 30, 6pm. Curator of exhibitions Xandra Eden leads a special tour of the exhibition “Zone of Contention: The U.S./Mexico Border” along with participating artists Todd Drake and Pedro Lasch. The tour precedes a lecture by Paul Cuadros, "A Home on the Field," at 7pm in the Weatherspoon auditorium.

9). Natural Science Center of Greensboro presents “Tiger Birthday Bash at the Natural Science Center!” on Friday, August 24 at 10:30 AM. Families and visitors of all ages are invited to the Natural Science Center (NSC) of Greensboro on Friday, August 24th at 10:30 AM to celebrate the twin tigers' birthdays who are turning 8 this year. Guests attending the celebration in Animal Discovery Zoo can sign giant birthday cards, make tiger crafts, listen to special tiger Keeper Talks by trained zookeepers and can watch the tigers tear open their special meat-filled birthday presents.

10). HandsOn!  Come try your hand at an old game with a new spin, at Hands On! – A Child’s Gallery, the children’s museum located in downtown Hendersonville with “Pin the Apple on the Tree”. This old fashioned game is designed for all ages and will take place Saturday, September 1st and Sunday, September 2nd all day at Hands On! “Visitors will help load our apple tree with apples and also learn lots of fun apple trivia. There will be apples to sample generously donated by local apple growers, Lyda & Sons and Piney Mountain Orchard!” said Beth Bockoven, Operations Manager. Cost to participate is free with $5 museum admission fee and free for museum members.

Monday, August 13, 2012

NCMC Events From Around the State… August 13, 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). Joel Lane Museum House  The Joel Lane Museum House, “The Birthplace of Raleigh,” will sponsor its first Concert in the Courtyard on Thursday, August 16 from 7 to 9 pm. Admission will be $10 per person for adults and $5 for children under age 12. Colonel Lane was a founding father of North Carolina’s capital city and an officer in the Wake County militia during the American Revolutionary War. The Southern String Band is a group of nine friends in Raleigh, NC, who plays old-time string-band music for fun. They play mostly traditional tunes and songs from the upper south that were collected from older musicians, old recordings, and their many old-time friends across the state.

2). The Bascom  The Bascom's Outreach program needs your help! Come donate your time to our annual Empty Bowl-a-thon, 3-days of bowl making in the Dave Drake Studio Barn, Tuesday-Thursday, August 28-30 from 10 am – 4 pm. All bowls made during the workshop will be donated to local food pantries as part of the Empty Bowls Project, a grassroots movement to fight world hunger. You may sign up for as many hours as you like, with a minimum of two hours. All skill levels are welcome: wheel throwing for intermediate and advanced levels and hand-building for beginner levels. Pre-registration required.

3). Bellamy Mansion  presents “Jazz at the Mansion” on Friday, August 17th at 6:30pm! “Jazz At The Mansion 2012” continues with the Hot Jazz sound of The Dixieland All-Stars! The Bellamy Mansion Museum and Cape Fear Jazz Society are proud to present another wonderful evening in our series. Concerts take place behind the Bellamy Mansion with the porch and patio as the stage! Bring chairs and blankets and enjoy a picnic with your family on the lawn! We also provide seating.

4). Cape Fear Museum  Bring your friends for a night of game play at Cape Fear Museum on Friday, August 17 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 Toys. 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.

5). Asheville Art Museum  welcomes studio potter Magdalene Odundo on Tuesday evening, August 14 at 6:00 p.m. for a special “Up for Discussion” and presentation on her work as an artist. This event is free with Membership or Museum Admission. Up for Discussions are offered throughout the year for Museum Members and visitors to enjoy interacting with noteworthy artists, scholars and other special guests representing the diverse cultural landscape of Western North Carolina and beyond. The Museum is pleased to present the August 14th Up for Discussion in partnership with the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design (CCCD).

6). N.C. State Capitol Ever wonder what the attic of the State Capitol looks like? Or how the Rotunda looks from 90 feet up? The State Capitol Historic Site is offering special, behind-the-scenes tours on Saturday, Sept. 8 and Saturday, Nov. 3, to explore areas of the 172-year-old building that visitors don't get to see. Tours begin at 10 a.m. Areas of exploration include the attic, with its original crank system to lower the chandeliers, and a special room inside the Rotunda dome. Participants must be at least 10 years old and children under 18 must have an adult with them on the tour. Tickets for the tours are $15 per person, with proceeds benefitting the historic site's educational programs. Tickets can be purchased via cash or check at the State Capitol visitor services desk or by mail.

7). SECCA  The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) is planning a treat for teachers with a free evening of visual art, hands-on activities, gallery guided tours, food and refreshments Aug. 23 from 4 to 8 p.m. The event will be held at SECCA, located at 750 Marguerite Drive. The free event is open to teachers and educators from the region. SECCA is an affiliate of the N.C. Museum of Art, within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. The purpose of Teacher Night is to welcome teachers back to school and provide classroom resources for their school year. Please RSVP by Aug. 21.

8). N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences  For those knowledge-hungry people who just can’t wait till Friday, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh is offering “A Taste of Science,” held at 7pm every Thursday night beginning August 16. Hosted by the Museum’s Daily Planet Café, these free, science-centric programs range from Science Trivia, where you can gain an edge on your competitors if you know how many pounds of bacteria the average person has on their body, to Lightning Talks that feature several brief presentations from local scientists and where you might have the Big Bang Theory explained to you in five minutes or less.

9). Bentonville Battlefield  The sounds of artillery and musket fire will again ring out at Bentonville Battlefield at the annual summer living history program on Saturday, Aug. 25. Costumed living historians will demonstrate how soldiers made meals, maintained their weapons, equipment and uniforms, trained for battle, withstood the weather, and much more. This free program will feature musket demonstrations at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., and artillery firings at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Visitors can visit a Civil War soldier's camp and discover what role the enlisted man played in battle. Re-enactors from the 27th North Carolina Troops will be on site to explain and answer questions about military life during the war. The living historians will also give uniform and equipment talks.

10). Spencer Doll & Toy Museum presents "My Dolly" Hand Made Card Making Class” September 15, 2012. Complete six handmade cards in one two-hour workshop session. All supplies will be provided. Cost is $16 per person, payable upon arrival. (Cost includes museum tour.) Instructor is Daphne Houghton. Advance registration is required by calling the Museum at 704-762-9359. Class time is from 1:00pm - 3:00pm.

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

NCMC Events From Around the State… August 6, 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). North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort Saturday, August 11th at 3 p.m. As part of the ongoing Civil War Lecture series the Museum will host guest speaker Dr. Robert Browning, U.S. Coast Guard Historian, as he lectures about the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Make sure to stop by, and don’t forget there is only one more lecture left in this series!

2). CSS Neuse & Governor Caswell Memorial  They were no shrinking violets, the women who took up arms to join the fray during the Civil War. "They Fought Like Demons: Women Soldiers of the American Civil War" will be presented on Aug. 11 in this summer's final 2nd Saturdays program for the CSS Neuse/Caswell Memorial. The free program will be led by Lauren Wike and examines women warriors. It is co-hosted by the Lenoir County Visitor's Bureau and will be presented at the county's Visitor Center at 2 p.m.

3). Tryon Palace  presents “2nd Saturdays: The Athens of North Carolina” on Saturday, August 11, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the North Carolina History Center. In the 19th century, New Bern was well-known for its literary and theatrical culture and even described as the Athens of North Carolina. Celebrate the literary history of New Bern and find yourself immersed in the arts of theater and drama at Tryon Palace’s final of three 2nd Saturday programs. The day’s events will include a special reading of Henry IV part II by the Carolinian Shakespeare Festival.

4). Battleship NORTH CAROLINA  presents “The Legacy Series: Blue and Gray NORTH CAROLINAS” on Saturday, August 11, 2012. The Battleship’s new Legacy Series as part of the 2nd Saturday programs continues in the month of August. Carolina Living History Guild members will set up displays that highlight the history of the USS North Carolina and the CSS North Carolina during the American Civil War. Displays will include steam engineering, ironclad ship construction, navigation, small arms of the US and CS navies, and the “arts of the sailor.” Visitors will be able to view reproductions of period small arms and working models of steam engines, as well as many other items.

5). Port Discover  Dr. Tesfaye D. Serbessa, assistant professor of Chemistry at ECSU, will lead program on the basics of chemistry during “Chemistry 101,” at Port Discover’s Second Saturday Science program, on Saturday, August 11 at 11:00 am. Come and find out what is so cool about chemistry while exploring the different properties and chemical reactions that can be created. Second Saturday Science is free.

6). Museum of the Albemarle  The Department of Cultural Resources is again sponsoring the “2nd Saturdays” program in which more than 100 events will be held across the state on the second Saturdays during the summer months. The Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City has chosen “National Night Out and A Day on the River” as their duel themes for August’s event. During the day guides will be in the “Out of the Blue Coast Guard Aviation” exhibit. Children will be able to try on the reproduction Coast Guard uniforms and can rescue a teddy bear in “Jay” the helicopter whose design was inspired by the comic art work of Doug Lane a former Coast Guard officer. Posters and coloring books will be given away during the event.

7). Fort Fisher State Historic Site  Wrapping up its 2012 2nd Saturdays series, Fort Fisher State Historic Site will present the secret side of the Civil War with “Spies, Signals, and Secrets: Civil War Communication and Fort Fisher” on Saturday, August 11, 2012, from 10 am to 4 pm. The event will feature several hands-on activities such as learning the signal flag alphabet and creating and using cipher disks to communicate. A “secret” speaker will discuss the story of Rose O’Neal Greenhow, an unlikely Confederate spy known as “Wild Rose.” Costumed tours of the fort’s remaining earthworks will be given throughout the day. The program is free, although donations are appreciated.
8). Asheville Art Museum The Asheville Art Museum presents a final Art Break on current exhibition “The Essential Idea: Robert Motherwell’s Graphic Works” on Friday, August 10 at 12:00 noon. The Art Break includes a tour and discussion of the exhibition led by Assistant Museum Curator Cole Hendrix. Art Breaks are offered monthly to Museum Members and visitors, and typically include guided tours and presentations by Museum staff, docents, featured artists and other special guests. Art Breaks are free with Membership or regular Museum admission.

9). Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum will showcase authentic North Carolina culture and heritage on Saturday, Aug. 11, in the third installment of the popular summer program “2nd Saturdays.” The Museum presents “Fishing” as the theme for the final 2nd Saturdays event for 2012, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Local artists and crafters will share their work. Lynne Foster of the Albatross Fleet, one of the first sport fishing charter companies on the Outer Banks, presents “Seafood – From the Water to the Table” at 2 p.m.

10). Weatherspoon Art Museum presents “Noon @ the 'Spoon Public Tour” on Tuesday, Aug 14, 12pm. Noon @ the 'Spoon features a 20-minute tour of a new exhibition. Offered every second Tuesday of the month. Free.This month: “Close Relations and A Few Black Sheep: Sculpture from the Permanent Collection”