NCMC Events From Around the State… March 26, 2012

1). The Bascom presents “Chicks: It's All Gone to the Birds” from March 31- June 17 in the Bunzl Gallery. Join us in celebrating the fascinating world of our feathered friends. This exceptional collection of avian themed art showcases artists at their finest observing and creating images of the world around us through the eyes of scientists, environmentalists and conservators. A true celebration of the freedom of flight, this exhibition is presented in partnership with the Highands Biological Station and the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society.

2). SECCA On March 30, the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) will kickoff the second season of its acclaimed Crossroads concert series with a live performance of “13 Most Beautiful…Songs for Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests”, a project jointly commissioned by the Andy Warhol Museum and Pittsburgh Cultural Trust featuring 13 of the legendary pop artist’s four-minute, silent film portraits with music composed by Dean Wareham & Britta Phillips (Dean & Britta, Luna).

3). Weatherspoon Art Museum presents “Lecture: The Lusty Modern Matron: Sex + Commerce in Kenneth Hayes Miller's Paintings” on Saturday, Mar 31, 2pm. Art historian Ellen Wiley Todd talks about American realist painter Kenneth Hayes Miller and his depictions of urban scenes from the 1920s and 1930s including the Weatherspoon's Woman with Packages currently on view in the exhibition “Telling Tales: Narratives from the 1930s.”

4). Joel Lane Museum House Jane Bultman, retired book conservator, will talk about “The Book in Colonial America and How to Care For your Books” on Sunday, April 1, 2012, 2 pm at the Visitors Center. Refreshments will be served. Seating is limited, and advanced payment is required. Printing and publishing in the colonies was far more interesting than she had thought, and far more active than she knew. The power of the printed word was pivotal in igniting the fire that became the American Revolution. If you are fortunate enough to own books that have intrinsic or sentimental value, Jane will go over the most elementary and essential points to caring for them.

5). Fort Dobbs State Historic Site Hundreds of costumed interpreters will bring to life the French and Indian War in a battle re-enactment at Fort Dobbs State Historic Site on March 31-April 1. The weekend-long living history program will showcase re-enactors portraying the conflict that pitted warriors against provincial soldiers protecting the settlers of North Carolina's western frontier. Musket and cannon firing demonstrations will be featured, along with the battle re-enactment at 1:30 each day. Period music and trades will be presented, along with scholarly lectures on Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-3 p.m. A special school day is scheduled for Friday, March 30. Reservations are required.

6). Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site Visitors can try to "strike it rich" at Reed Gold Mine with the start of panning season at the Spring Festival on Saturday, March 31, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Games, tours of underground mines, and a restored stamp mill add up to a day of fun for the entire family. Museum staff will assist visitors with the search for gold in newly rebuilt panning troughs. Panning tickets are $2, which includes a pan of ore. Children ages eight and under will need parents' help with panning.

7). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher Move over bunnies, alligators are on a roll at the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher. The annual Alligator Egg Hunt offers children a chance to learn, create and play this Easter season. Aquarium educators will introduce children to a live baby alligator and share fun facts about these amazing reptiles found in North Carolina. Kids will also create their own special alligator egg basket. Then the hunt is on for candy-filled eggs in the Aquarium’s garden. The Alligator Egg Hunt is recommended for children ages 3-10 and limited space is available. Children ages 14 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Dates are March 31, April 6, April 7, 10am and 1pm each day.

8). President James K. Polk State Historic Site presents “Mexican American War Militia Muster” on March 31, 2012. This program illustrates the life of a common citizen who has been called into service due the 1846 conflict with Mexico. From 10:00am to 4:00pm, visitors will see period costumed interpreters demonstrating military drills and practices, camp life, and even rifle firing! There will be living history vignettes featuring the roles that women would have played in supporting the military, such as spinning and weaving, soap making, and cooking.

9). Town Creek Indian Mound One acre of farmland was deeded to the State of North Carolina by Lloyd and Minnie Frutchey on March 5, 1937. It contained the remains of one of the few surviving earthen mounds built by prehistoric American Indians. That was the origins of the Town Creek Indian Mound State Historic Site, where a free 75th anniversary celebration will take place on Sunday, April 1, 1-4 p.m. Special activities are planned throughout the day. Visitors can try sifting through soil, just like an archaeologist, or can make a clay pot or cordage bracelet, or play the American Indian game, "Chunkey."

10). Mount Airy Museum of Regional History Easter Bonnet Workshop, Parade and Easter Egg Hunt for ages 4 - 11 on Saturday March 31 from 2 – 4pm. Come to the Museum classroom for the” Easter Hat and History Workshop”. At approximately 3:15 PM, the children will parade, in their newly decorated Easter Bonnet or Hat, from the museum up North Main Street to the Robert Smith Memorial Park where there will be light refreshments and an Easter egg hunt. Museum members are free; $5 for all others. Call by Thursday, (March 29 to reserve your spot.

11). Joyner Library, East Carolina University In honor of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, Joyner Library is presenting two exhibits focusing on the war in, and its effects upon, the state of North Carolina. The first exhibit, “The Civil War in North Carolina, 1861-1865,” can be viewed in Joyner’s Special Collections department located on the fourth floor and will run from March 19th through August 10th. This exhibit explores multiple facets of this divisive and devastating war in North Carolina. Major themes include Battles and Campaigns, Life as a North Carolina Soldier, The Home Front, The Slave Experience, Economy, and Politics. The exhibit is open to the public and can be viewed during Special Collections’ normal operating hours.

NCMC Events From Around the State… March 19, 2012

1). N.C. State Capitol will host the lecture "Between Heaven and Hell: Raleigh and the End of the Civil War," by historian Ernest Dollar on Saturday, March 24, at 1 p.m. Dollar will explore the end of the Civil War through letters, diaries and photographs. These documents reveal the excitement and sadness of Raleigh citizens as they experienced one of the greatest times of change in American history. The free lecture will take place in the historic House Chamber on the second floor of the State Capitol.

2). Fort Fisher State Historic Site As part of Park Day 2012, individual and group volunteers are needed on Saturday, March 31, 2012, to help beautify and preserve Fort Fisher State Historic Site, the largest earthen fortification in the Confederacy, which once protected the port of Wilmington and the vital blockade running trade on the Cape Fear River. Park Day, now in its 16th year, is an annual hands-on preservation event created by the Civil War Trust to assist with the maintenance of America’s Civil War sites.

3). High Point Museum The High Point Museum Guild is pleased to announce a very informative program concerning our city’s history, “A Memorial to Civil War Veterans and Others Interred at the Oakwood Cemetery.” Findings from this recent and original research project by Larry Brandon will be presented Wednesday, March 21 at 10 am. The program is divided into three parts. The first part concentrates on the Civil War veterans (not all of them are confederates); the second on Laura Wesson, the pioneer nurse of North Carolina and her family; and the third on other interesting veterans from the Spanish-American War and World War I. Brandon has identified over 100 veterans interred in Oakwood Cemetery.

4). Museum of the Albemarle Join the Museum of the Albemarle and learn about “Victory” gardens during “Pre-Schooler Time” on Wednesday, March 21, at 10:00 am. Participants must be between the ages of 3 to 5 years old and must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-Schoolers will discover the importance of the “victory” gardens during World War I and II, learn what types of seeds were planted, how vegetables were used, read a book, and participate in a hands-on experience. This is a free family program.

5). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher’s newest installation in the Spadefish Gallery combines aquatic life with the time-honored tradition of quilting in “Quilters by the Sea”, which opened March 1. The new exhibit, which runs through the end of May, features 29 unique and colorful quilts handmade by the local Quilters by the Sea Guild. These stunning displays of art are all aquatic-themed and incorporate both traditional and modern quilt designs. Quilts represent a wide range of subjects from tropical sea life to fly fishing.

6). Guilford College Art Gallery presents “Visiting Artist Phoebe Washburn” on Tuesday, April 3, 7:30 p.m. at the Guilford College Bryan Jr. Auditorium. Free and Open to the Public. New York-based installation artist Phoebe Washburn creates monumental-scale works utilizing discarded and recycled materials such as wood from pallets, cardboard boxes and newspaper, and fish tanks. Her painstaking process involves elements of chance and obsessive repetition.

7). Natural Science Center of Greensboro presents “Starlight Serenade with Lee & Sarah Atkinson” on Thursday, March 22 / 8-9pm. Experience an amazing live music concert by the folk duo, Lee and Sarah Atkinson, under the stars of the Natural Science Center's 40 foot OmniSphere Dome Theater. Visitors can listen to the harmonizing a cappella music of this local mother-daughter duo and be entertained by a Stargazing Show of the night sky on the full dome screen. Tickets are $5/person and advanced ticket purchase is suggested as seating is limited. Call 288-3769 to purchase. Click here for more info on the band.

8). The Bascom presents “Emerging Artists: Frank Vickery” from March 24- May 10 in the Atrium Gallery. Every year, a graduate student from Western Carolina University is chosen to install his or her thesis exhibition at The Bascom. Frank Vickery, the honoree this year, is no stranger to us. He has been with our institution as an intern and is currently The Bascom's Ceramics Program Manager. Frank has been selected for the quality of his work, his dedication to the field of ceramics and his enthusiastic ability to share his talent with others. Join us for the opening reception for this exhibition on Saturday, March 24 from 5-7 pm. Support for this exhibition is provided by the Koski Family Foundation.

9). HandsOn! NanoDays at Hands On! is part of a nationwide festival of educational programs about nanoscale science and engineering. Hands On! is proud to be 1 of 200 institutions in the United States, and 1 of 8 in North Carolina to host this event this year. Come to the Nano Days Kickoff Celebration on Friday, March 23rd. This all day celebration includes: Science Experiments, Demonstrations & Exhibits 10am-12 noon & 2-4 pm throughout museum. Visitors will investigate super thin materials used in solar cell technology, and change the color of a butterfly’s wings! Other activities include an I Spy Nano game and examining real nano gold.

10). N.C. Maritime Museum at Beaufort presents “Civil War Living History Day” in Beaufort! On Saturday March 24th re-enactors will be present at various locations in historic Beaufort. From the old burying ground and Beaufort Historic site to the Maritime Museum and Watercraft Center. Come experience this time of separation between the states and learn how Beaufort survived the war. For a complete schedule of events visit the museum website and click on the “Watched by Sound & Sea: Occupied Beaufort, 1862” logo.

NCMC Events From Around the State…March 12, 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. The conference theme is “Elevating Expectations.” Visit www.ncmuseums.org to register and for more information…

1). Guilford College Art Gallery presents “Onward: The Creative Legacy of David Newton”, March 23 - May 4, 2012. Opening reception on Friday, March 23, 6-8 p.m. David Newton, a beloved member of the college’s art department, succumbed to cancer on April 14, 2011. This memorial exhibition, accompanied by a catalog with reflections on his legacy, pays tribute to this talented and influential artist and teacher by presenting a selection of his art spanning four decades. More than one hundred works of art have been gathered from private collections, public institutions and the artist's estate.

2). Polk County Historical Association (http://www.visitnc.com/listings/view/32380) presents a one-day show of additional items from a private collection of Tryon Toy Makers and Wood Carvers works.This is the promised follow up of the Sept 2011, special presentation.Part two follows the history of the Tryon Toy Makers and Wood Carvers from 1949 to the present.Ric Dunn, collector of toymaker items, will be the featured speaker with stories from former students and audience members. Local artist and gallery owner Richard Baker will be available to sketch displayed artifacts for a small charge to benefit the museum.

3). Weatherspoon Art Museum (http://weatherspoon.uncg.edu/) presents “Artist Lecture: Mariam Aziza Stephan” on Thursday, Mar 15, 5pm. Mariam Aziza Stephan, Associate Professor of Art, UNCG, has been fascinated with Egypt from her first visit in 2002 to her Fulbright Research Award in 2010. She discusses her Egyptian influences, primarily the Fayoum mummy portraits. This lecture is sponsored by the UNCG Department of Art.Free.

4). Battleship NORTH CAROLINA (www.battleshipnc.com) Calling all Navy engineering enthusiasts! Join us on March 17, 2012 from Noon until 5:30 pm for an in-depth program on the Battleship's power plant. Learn in detail about the ship's eight Babcock & Wilcox boilers, four sets of General Electric turbines and reduction gears, steam and diesel powered service turbo generators, along with electrical distribution, water distillation, and steering mechanisms. Our program features classroom presentations and behind-the-scenes tour of engineering spaces. Registration and payment are due by Thursday, March 15, 2012.

5). Tryon Palace (www.tryonpalace.org) presents “African-American Lecture Series: ‘Let My People Go’” with guest speaker Joyce Grear aka "Harriet Tubman" at Cullman Performance Hall - 3/15, 7 p.m. Harriet Tubman was a Union Army cook, nurse, and spy. Later in life she established a school for the aged in Auburn, NY. Harriet 'Moses' Tubman comes alive as Ms. Joyce Grear presents a stirring performance of Harriet Tubman's life and underground railroad trips as Tubman did not wait for her people to be set free. Admission is free.

6). HandsOn!(www.handsonwnc.org) will be hosting a ”Math is Fun” class on March 16th from 11:00am-12:00 noon.This is a “parent’s as teachers” math class focusing on pre-school & primary skills. Parents will learn how to use manipulatives from the Early Learning Center boxes to help their children learn. This class is offered in conjunction with the Children & Family Resource Center’s Early Learning Center (ELC). The class will be free with $5.00 admission for non-members and free for members; call to sign-up.

7). Cape Fear Museum (www.capefearmuseum.com) presents “Downtown Wilmington, Past and Present” on Tuesday, March 20th, 6:30-8:30pm – program begins at 7pm. Fees are $5 for members; $7 for non-members. Explore the history of Wilmington’s downtown with City of Wilmington’s Historic Preservation Planner, Maggie O’Connor, as she looks at how the downtown experience has changed through the years. Bring your own stories of Wilmington’s downtown to share at the conclusion of the talk. Join us for a mix & mingle before and after the 7:00 p.m. presentation.

8). Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site (http://www.nchistoricsites.org/bentonvi/) will present a weekend program, March 17-18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., demonstrating the trauma of wartime injury. The free program entitled "War So Terrible" will offer numerous medical care comparisons of the death and injury surrounding the Civil War to what is now experienced on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq. Modern day military representatives will be on hand throughout the weekend, along with with numerous historic site staff and Civil War re-enactors, to answer questions and showcase the advances in combat medicine.

9). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher (http://www.ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher) ups the green factor for St. Patrick’s Day! Visitors to the Aquarium on March 17 may not discover a pot o’ gold but they will find a bucket full of fun during “It IS Easy Being Green” festivities. Activities will include a recycled craft project featuring coffee ground fossils. Staff horticulturists will guide garden tours. Adventurers young and old can discover environmental tips and animal facts during scavenger hunts. Also, two Green Behind the Scenes tours, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., highlight Aquarium conservation efforts and sustainability.

10). Mount Airy Museum of Regional History (http://www.northcarolinamuseum.org/)Join the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History and Old North State Winery for a St. Patrick's Day Party on Saturday March 17 from 8pm - 11pm. This event will be held at the Old North State Winery, 308 N. Main Street. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at either the Museum or the Winery or by calling the Museum at 336-786-4478, or the Winery at 336-789-9463. Music will be by Evan and Dana. All ticket proceeds will benefit the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History.

NCMC Events From Around the State… March 5, 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. The conference theme is “Elevating Expectations.” Visit www.ncmuseums.org to register and for more information…

1). Cameron Art Museum presents a lecture by Susan Morgan Leveille, “A Gift of Heritage” on Thurs. Mar. 8 at 7:00 pm. Susan Morgan Leveille was born and raised in the Appalachian mountains, and is the granddaughter of Lucy Morgan whose vision in 1920 created the Penland School of Craft, an educational experiment that continues to this day. Leveille’s presentation will speak “to my incredible family history, to how this tiny lady accomplished gigantic things, and how the strength of women has left such a positive mark on our society.

2). NC Maritime Museum at Beaufort Images from the 1870s through the 1980s capture the workaday life of African American watermen in a new exhibit at the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort. "African Americans and North Carolina Maritime History," will be on display through early June. The exhibit's 33 images are from the museum's collection. Photos include oystering, seafood processing, the Menhaden Chantymen singers, and rescuers at coastal lifesaving stations.

3). Tryon Palace presents “Commemoration of the Battle of New Bern” on March 10 and 11. 150th anniversary events include living history program at New Bern Academy Museum (Union camp life in occupied New Bern), with firing and drilling demonstrations; special opening of Academy Museum’s Civil War exhibit; War-themed tours of Palace’s historic houses; kids’ craft activities; and “Thunder in the East” symposium March 10 with New Bern Historical Society.

4). Asheville Art Museum Museum welcomes the return of pianist John Cobb for a special Pianoforte concert on Sunday, March 11 at 3:00 p.m. Also featuring violinist Jason Posnock, Concertmaster of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, the concert will take place in Gallery 6 of the Museum’s North Wing. Tickets are $6 for Members and $8 plus regular admission for non-Members.

5). HandsOn! Hands On!-A Child’s Gallery, the children’s museum in downtown Hendersonville, is excited to announce the “Let’s Get Moving!” on Wednesday, March 7th at 11 am. Preschool educator, Nicole Dowdeswell, will lead visitors through fun exercises that will encourage them to move and be healthy. This week the focus is on yoga. Children attending the program will also decorate and take home their own worry stone. Cost to attend is included in $5 admission and is free for museum members.

6). The North Carolina Collection will present “The Moseley Manuscript Map of North Carolina of 1737: Its History and the Hunt for Its Provenance,” Saturday, March 10, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. Michael McNamara, a Williamsburg collector of Colonial maps and furniture, will discuss the history of the Moseley map, one of the first to accurately depict the North Carolina coast and identify settlements in the colony’s interior. Wilson Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Free and open to the public.

7). Bellamy Mansion Wear your best hat and attend the Spring Tea at the Bellamy Mansion! The event will take place Monday, March 19, 2012 at two o'clock in the afternoon in the mansion’s elegantly appointed formal parlors. Participants will enjoy tea service with finger sandwiches and sweets while listening to the romantic music of Susan Savia. Cost is $35 for tea and entertainment, 10% discount at gift shop that day and access to the Tim Buchman photography exhibit at the Bellamy Mansion.

8). N.C. Maritime Museum at Beaufort will host guest speaker LeRae Umfleet of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources as part of the ongoing Civil War lecture series. LeRae will present on the topic of women and their mourning customs during the war as husbands, siblings, or children were lost during this dark time in our nation’s history. March 10th at 3pm, this event is free.

9). The Bascom Join Diane McPhail on Saturday, March 10th from 10 am – 4 pm for “Discovering the Image”. Diane's approach to painting is one of pure visual discovery from the first mark to the last! Set out on a journey of discovering your own way with the image. Whether you are a veteran painter or have always wanted to hold a brush in your hand and make a mark on the canvas, this class can benefit you! On Saturday and Sunday, March 17th and 18th from 10 am – 4 pm, Frank Vickery will teach you hot to make those every day happenings more fun by creating your own custom pieces to use in the kitchen during Everything Kitchen. Make anything and everything you can imagine.

10). Kings Mountain Historical Museum Over 90 Girl Scouts from the Girl Scout Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont Council participated in a 2012 “Worldwide Thinking Day Program” at the Kings Mountain Historical Museum on Saturday, February 25, 2012. Sarah Adams, Sara Borov, Madison Pillado, and Cheyanne Stirewalt of Troop 282 in Kings Mountain, hosted the 2 hour event. Along with their Troop Leaders, Carlotta Adams and Renee Borov, the girls brought together various troops from within the council, ranging in ages from Daisies to Junior Girl Scouts.