ncmuseums

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

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

NCMC Events From Around the State… August 26, 2013



1). North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort invites you to a Murder Mystery Dinner on August 30th at 6:00 p.m. End your summer with a BANG at our annual Murder Mystery Dinner. Museum staff and volunteers prepare an entertaining evening involving a murder plot, clues and of course a twist, all while you enjoy a catered meal! Come help us solve the Museum’s latest unfortunate “accident.” Space is limited. Reservations: $30

2). High Point Museum invites you to watch blacksmithing demonstrations in the Historical Park on Saturday, September 7th, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.  Their costumed blacksmith will craft various iron pieces.  All ages are welcome. Free. Drop-in.

3). Tryon Palace invites you to step back in time to 1802 and watch the thrilling reenactment of the Stanly-Spaight Duel on Saturday, August 31st at 4:00 p.m..  Watch the drama unfold as two famous North Carolina statesmen meet on the dueling field to defend their honor.  Duel will take place on the Palace South Lawn.  In the event of rain, it will be moved into the North Carolina History Center.  Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for students and includes the reenactment, the Tryon Palace Gardens, and a Colonial Fife & Drum Concert at the start of the Duel.

4). Historic Edenton State Historic Site is hosting a new traveling exhibit, Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge, appearing September 6th – October 19th. This special exhibit will be located in the Assembly Room of the 1767 Chowan County Courthouse.  A free opening reception will take place on September 6th from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and will include light refreshments and 18th-century maritime music.

5). Bellamy Mansion announces that “Jazz at the Mansion” is back! The rained out El Jaye Johnson & The Port City All-Stars will return to perform Thursday, September 12th  at 6:30 p.m.! Bring blankets or chairs and enjoy this summer concert on the lawn! Tickets available at gate - $12 General admission, $10 Members, $5 Students (with ID). Questions? Please call 910.251.3700.  Weather permitting. In event of bad weather, concert may be cancelled.

6). Museum of the Albemarle will hold “Preschooler Time:  Buzzin’ to Make Honey” on Thursday, September 12, 2013 at 10:00 am.  Participants must be between the ages of 3 to 5 years old and must be accompanied by an adult.  Preschoolers will learn the importance of honeybees, read a book, and participate in a honeybee activity. Free Family Program. For More Information Call 252-335-1453

7). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher will host Deaf Awareness Day on Saturday, September 7th and will offer programs tailored especially for individuals who are deaf or hearing impaired throughout the day. Sign language, captioning or scripting will enhance many of the activities of the day – animal feedings, live-animal presentations and films – and interpreters will assist visitors at selected exhibits.  The dive program, scheduled for 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., will include an interpreter assisting with questions for the diver swimming inside the exhibit with sharks, eels and a green sea turtle.  The aquarium presents Deaf Awareness Day with the assistance of the Regional Resource Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to draw attention to the needs and interests of the hearing-impaired.

8). Joel Lane Museum House presents a “Tavern Party in the Gardens” on Thursday, September 12th from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.  Rain Date will be Friday, September 13th.  The event will include a beer tasting of delicious brews from Boylan Bridge Brew Pub. Wine will be available for those who don’t drink beer. Light hors d’oeuvres will be compliments of Irregardless Cafe, Mitch’s Tavern, NOFO at the Pig, and Sitti. Music on Thursday will be provided by the Southern String Band. Some of the activities colonial gentlemen engaged in at taverns, including table top games such as dice and quoits, and dancing the Cumberland and Virginia Reels will be offered. Bear baiting and wrestling will not be permitted! Admission is $30 per person; $25 for members of the Joel Lane Historical Society; Must be 21 years of age to attend; Advanced purchase strongly suggested either by Credit Card 919-833-3431 or Check to PO Box 10884, Raleigh NC 27605. No refunds. Contact Information: tel: (919) 833-3431; email: joellane@bellsouth.net.

9). Hands On!, the children’s museum in downtown Hendersonville, invites you to make a card for Nation Grandparents Day on Sunday, September 9th.  Craft activity will run from Tuesday, September 3rd to Friday, September 6th.  All ages welcome.  Free with $5 admission/free for members.

10). The Black Mountain College Museum+ Arts Center, located at 56 Broadway in downtown Asheville, announces a new exhibition entitled Black Mountain College: Shaping Craft + Design. Please join us for the opening reception Friday, Sept. 6 from 5:00 - 8:00pm. Free.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

NCMC Events From Around the State… August 19, 2013



1). Bellamy Mansion presents “Jazz at the Mansion” on Thursday, August 29th at 6:30 p.m.  Come out for this year's last Jazz at the Mansion featuring The Al Neese Project!  Bring your blankets or chairs and relax on the lawn to the sounds of America's classic songs played by the outstanding Wilmington artists.  Beer and wine sold. Tickets available at gate- $12 General admission, $10 Members, $5 Students (with ID). Questions? Please call 910.251.3700.

2). Historic Edenton State Historic Site is hosting a new traveling exhibit, Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge, appearing September 6th – October 19th. This special exhibit will be located in the Assembly Room of the 1767 Chowan County Courthouse.  A free opening reception will take place on September 6th from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and will include light refreshments and 18th-century maritime music.

3). High Point Museum invites you to make Battledores at the Historic Park on Saturday, August 24th from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.  Battledores were one of the earliest forms of printed material used to teach young children their letters in early America. Let our historical interpreters help you make your own to take home. All ages welcome. $1 per person. Free for High Point Historical Society members. Drop-in.

4). North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort invites you to explore the Rachel Carson Reserve on Thursday, August 29th from 8:45 – 11:30 a.m.  Get up close and personal with some of the plants and animals of the Rachel Carson Reserve. A guided hike will take you through the different habitats found on Town Marsh and Bird Shoal. Reservations $15*

5). SECCA, The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, invites you to “Collecting Conversations:  Photography” on Wednesday, August 28th at 12:00 p.m.  Regional collectors of fine art photography with meet with individuals who are interested in collecting over lunch. This event will also include a gallery tour of the exhibition reGeneration2: Tomorrow’s Photographers Today. Admission is $20 per person.

6). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher invites you for canoeing in the Salt Marsh on Saturday, August 24th and 31st at 9:00 a.m.  A 3-hour exploration of the Zeke’s Island Estuarine Research Reserve by canoe. Activities may include crabbing, seining, or birding. Participants should be able to swim and be capable of sustained physical exertion. Ages 8 and up. Ages 8-12 must be accompanied by two adults. Participants should wear closed-toe shoes. Fee: $25 per participant. Admission to Aquarium is not included. PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

7). The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources invites you to participate in a live webcast from the N.C. Museum of History September 10 from 6 to 7 p.m. Get a behind-the-scenes look at a working textile conservation lab and see some of techniques the museum uses to conserve Civil War uniforms. The webcast will include demonstrations of conservation techniques, a look at some of the Civil War uniforms in the museum’s collection and the chance to ask the museum’s textiles conservator questions. Register online at http://www.ncdcr.gov/CivilWarTextiles.

8). Discovery Place invites you to take a closer peek at the dogfish shark by attending a shark dissection. One of their educators will perform a dissection every Saturday in August at 11:00 a.m.

9). New Winston Museum invites you to their Salon Series discussion with Margaret Savoca of the Wake Forest Translational Science Institute and the evolving Foodways & Roadways initiative. A short documentary will be shown, followed by a discussion on the history and future of food availability and equitability in Winston-Salem's underserved African-American communities. Thursday, August 22nd at 5:30 p.m. Free admission.

10). Museum of the Albemarle will host a History for Lunch on September 4 at 12:15 p.m.  Woodrow W. Grizzle III, Planetarium Educator in the Department of Chemistry, Geology & Physics at Elizabeth City State University will speak on Divine Coincidence: When the Wandering Planets Meet.  Bring your lunch to the lecture and MOA will provide the beverages.

Monday, August 05, 2013

NCMC Events From Around the State… August 5, 2013



1). Bellamy Mansion invites you to a special lecture “Southern Cooking, High and Low: A Short History of the Cuisine of the South” on Thursday, August 15th at 6:30 p.m. Join the Bellamy in welcoming historian, author, and professor Dr. John Beck as he presents his history of Southern food. Free lecture open to the public.  This lecture is part of the Bellamy Mansion’s lecture series which runs one Thursday night a month and will feature a different guest speaker each night. 

2). High Point Museum invites you to “Fun with Water”, on Saturday, August 10th, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  Compete in a water bucket relay with our junior interpreters and try out an old fashioned thumb waterer while learning how early American settlers watered their plants without a garden hose.  FREE. Drop-in.

3). North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort invites you to “Ahoy, Pirates!” on Saturday, August 10th from 11 a.m. –3:00 p.m.  Coinciding with the annual Beaufort Pirate Invasion, the Museum prepares for a scourge of scurvy dogs and the pirates that accompany them. Children can get their own pirate tattoos, hats and prizes with a number of pirate-themed games. Take part in a scavenger hunt to identify the rapscallions around town and collect your own booty as a reward. Bring your children to our annual luncheon where they can dine alongside pirates and hear a few sea stories of life on the high seas.

4). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher invites you to “Salt Marsh and Crabbing” on Friday, August 9th at 8:00 a.m.  Join us for this hands-on program that introduces participants to the challenge of catching blue crabs. Lessons in crab biology and crabbing equipment prepare participants for an exciting expedition outdoors to catch (and release) crabs. All bait and equipment is provided. Ages 7 and up. Ages 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Fee: $16 for ages 13 and up, $14 for ages 7-12. Aquarium admission included. PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

5). Wrightsville Beach Museum of History invites families to “Shell, Shell, Who has the Shell?” on Thursday, August 15th from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Come to the museum housed in the quaint 1909 cottage for a project and activities about one of our favorite things at the beach, Shells! Explore their colors and shapes. Learn about the animals that once used these shells as their home. Find the many places we use shells in the museum in the I Spy activity. Light refreshments will be provided. We will have shells here, but feel free to bring your own shells to use.  Designed for ages 5 – 10.  Reservations required. Maximum 12 students.  For more information and to reserve your space please call (910) 256-2569.

6). NC Transportation Museum along with Thomas and Friends have planned a Day Out with Thomas for September 20-22 and September 27-29!  Each day will be filled with lots of exciting activities such as a 25-minute train ride with a full size Thomas the Tank Engine, meeting Sir Topham Hatt, Storytelling, Live Music, Build with Mega Bloks® and much, much more! Ticket prices for ages 2 and up are: $22 on the Fridays, $24 on the Weekends, and $30 All Day Pass and Unlimited Rides available only on Fridays. It is recommended that you purchase tickets in advance by going to http://www.ticketweb.com/dowt or by calling 1-866-468-7630. Tickets are going fast!  Make sure to get yours today!   If you have any questions about this event or about the NC Transportation Museum please call 704-636-2889.

7). The Museum of the Albemarle continues the state-wide program 2nd Saturdays with a double header beginning with the anticipated showing of the feature film Gone with the Wind.  There will be two viewings of the film, 10 a.m. and  2:30 p.m. Visitors will be given one complimentary ticket per person at the reception desk one hour before each show time.  Two hundred tickets will be available for each showing of the film.  Remaining seats will be filled with those waiting.  The film is free but donations are accepted.  While here visit the extraordinary exhibit Real to Reel: The Making of Gone with the Wind, which showcases authentic memorabilia—costumes, screen tests, props, Vivien Leigh’s Academy Award, and other items—from the James Tumblin Collection.  Special to the exhibit today will be curator tours by Katie Edwards who curated the exhibit at the Museum of History in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Free exhibit admission is offered for today only.  Outside the exhibit, enjoy games and crafts of the 19th century.  You can also experience Discover the Civil War through Photography in the Discovery Room and take pictures of your own little Scarlett or Rhett dressed in period costumes. MOA’s Junior Docents (sponsored by the Nucor Plate Mill in Winton) will be leading children’s activities.   Enjoy pony rides ($3 per child, Circle S Stables), and a carriage ride ($5 per person, Carolina Carriages).  Shop the Museum Gift Shop for Gone with the Wind–related items at a 10 percent discount–today only!

8). Do You Need Help With the Care and Handling of Family Papers?
The State Archives of North Carolina and the State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) will create tutorials for the general public about the care and handling of family papers. These tutorials will be available on our YouTube channel. By completing this brief questionnaire, you will help us shape the content of these tutorials. Please take a few moments to complete this questionnaire by August 12, 2013. Thanks for your participation.

9). Fort Fisher State Historic Site to host ‘Information Technology: Communications in the Civil War’ on Saturday, August 10th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Have you ever wondered how Civil War soldiers communicated without such modern marvels as cell phones, satellite phones, and sophisticated wireless networks? Come find out and explore the movement of vital information through the use of signal flags, cipher disks, and other 19th century code systems. The program will feature walking tours, kid’s activities, and firings of the site’s massive 32-pounder cannon. Admission is free, although donations are appreciated. All programming is made possible by the Friends of Fort Fisher, the nonprofit organization that supports the site.

10). New Winston Museum invites you to their Salon Series discussion with Paula McCoy of the Winston-Salem Funders Collaboarative. Paula will share how local community development corporations are creating paths for social and economic vitality. Thursday, August 8th at 5:30 p.m. Free admission.

11). Cameron Art Museum presents a Film and Conversation of Faubourg Tremé:  The Untold Story of Black New Orleans with Filmmaker Lolis Eric Elie, Nina Noble, executive producer of HBO’s Treme and Alonzo V. Wilson, Treme Costume Designer on Friday, August 9th  at 6:30 p.m.

12). North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences invites you to a free screening of the feature-length documentary based on Scientific illustrator and visionary artist Renaldo Kuhler’s life called “Rocaterrania,” showing in the Museum’s main auditorium on Thursday, August 8th at 7:00 p.m. Director and former Museum Media Specialist, Brett Ingram, will be on hand to discuss his inspiration for making the film. Shark Quest, the eclectic Triangle-area band that provided the musical score for “Rocaterrania,” will play a short set beginning at 6:00 p.m.