NCMC Events From Around the State… January 13, 2014

1). Hands On!, the children’s museum in downtown Hendersonville, invites you to Curiosity Week at Hands On! Tuesday, January 14th to Friday, January 17th. Self-directed curiosity activities all week in our Party Room. Free with $5 admission/Free for members. Sponsored by Fountainhead Bookstore.

2). Tryon Palace announces the start of their 2014 African American Lecture Series, which begins Thursday, January 16 at 7:00 p.m. in Cullman Performance Hall with the play “When I Leave”.  When the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) formed in 1959 under its first president, Martin Luther King, Jr., there was no doubt that the world was changing. That same year President Dwight Eisenhower signed the first voter registration bill. And in the play "When I Leave," the eldest son in a small farming family from rural North Carolina is struggling to contain his frustration with the many injustices of his segregated existence. Will the promise of a better world arrive in time to deter his discontent? Or will a lack of awareness ignite his brewing rage? Find out during this free program.

3). The Asheville Art Museum invites visitors to view the video works of Robert Wiegand and his first wife, Ingrid. The works were made in the 1970s when video art was first making an appearance in the art world. During this early period of video creation, the mechanical nature of the medium was a source for experimentation and inspiration. Robert and Ingrid Wiegand translated their prior training as painters into a hands-on, process-oriented exploration of this new electronic medium, allowing the aesthetic possibilities of video to take center-stage as they discovered how to manipulate sound, layer images and capture narrated performances.  This exhibition highlights several of the Wiegands’ works in which technological aspects of video are explored. These works are on loan from the collection of the Robert Wiegand papers and video art at the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. This exhibition is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and guest curated by Crystal Sanchez, Smithsonian Institution. It is available until Sunday, April 27th, 2014.

4). North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort invites you to the 3rd Annual Clam Chowder Cook-off on January 17th, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.  Four volunteer guest clam chowder cooks will compete at the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center.  Participants enjoy a tasting-sized portion of each of the four chowders and then vote for their favorite.  In addition clam chowder, the event will host a cornbread taste-off.  Tickets available at the Museum Store or online at www.museumfriends.org.   $30 Non-Members and $25 Friends Members.  Proceeds help support the operations of the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum. 252.728.7317.

5). High Point Museum invites to the Museum Guild Meeting on Wednesday, January 15th at 10:00 a.m.  Charles Roedenbough, noted historian and author of books on Governor Alexander Martin and Andrew Jackson, and Pine House will share his new discoveries. He has spent the last ten years researching the Sauratown Project and the early plantation of 18th century surveyor William Byrd who ran the line between North Carolina and Virginia.

6). The Matthews Heritage Museum announces its new exhibit "From the Heart" to open on January 16th.  Whether it is "puppy love" or true romance, Valentine's Day helps individuals express their heart's emotions.  A collection of antique valentines from the 1920s will be on display thru the middle of March.  The Matthews Heritage Museum is located at 232 N. Trade Street, Matthews, NC 28105.  The Museum is open Thursday to Saturday from 10 to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $4.00 per adult, $2 for youngsters 11 to 17.  Children 10 and under are free.  The first Saturday of each month is free.  For more information on the Museum, tours, and exhibits, please see our website.

7). Jackson County Public Library in Sylva is hosting “Understanding our Past, Shaping our Future,” on view from January 6th through Feb 9th.  The exhibit focuses on Cherokee language and culture, using sound recordings as the basis for presenting a coherent story in words and text.  “Understanding our Past, Shaping our Future” was designed to include community input as a way to develop its content.  A community team held monthly discussions to develop the ideas and images that would make up the exhibit.  Major themes include Cherokee Homeland, Heritage Sites, Tourism, Family, and Community Celebrations.  The touring exhibit is sponsored by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in partnership with Cherokee Central Schools, Southwestern Community College, and Western Carolina University.  Funding was provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.  Slated to travel to ten sites in the region, the exhibit places cultural interpretation in locations frequented by the public.  “Understanding our Past, Shaping our Future” will later be on view at the Swain County Center for the Arts in Bryson City, Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center in Asheville, Oconaluftee Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Cashiers Symposium and Historical Society in Cashiers.  For more information, contact: Curatorial.InSight@gmail.com

8). Fort Fisher State Historic Site invites you to their 149th Anniversary Program on Saturday, January 18, 2014.  Fort Fisher State Historic Site will commemorate the 149th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Fisher with the living history program, “Always near the front, with instruments and tourniquets: The Medical Service at Fort Fisher.”  Held from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., this free program will focus on medical and health care available to soldiers on both sides of the 1865 battle. Civil War re-enactors will set up displays and discuss period medical tools and the care of sick and wounded soldiers. Infantry units will conduct the manual of arms and participate in firing demonstrations, as well as talk about camp life and garrison duty. Artillery units will conduct drills and firing with the site’s rifled and banded 32-pound cannon and the site’s bronze 12-pound Napoleon cannon. Civil War sutlers and a period photographer will be on hand and tours of the site will be conducted throughout the day. All Fort Fisher programming is made possible by the Friends of Fort Fisher and its sustaining members: Troy and Lori Barbour, Mike McCarley, Tammy and Jack Moore, Brian and Deedra Nunnally and Jim and Catherine Taylor.

9) New Winston Museum, in partnership with the Colonel Joseph Winston Chapter of the NSDAR, will host: History Lessons at Camp London. Award-winning history educator Eric Marshall shares his experiences and approaches to providing a meaningful history education, including his passionate role in Camp London, a Civil War reenactment program for his fifth grade students. Mr. Marshall has been featured on the CBS Evening News and in Our State Magazine for his educational innovation. This will be an excellent example of the power of educators to meaningfully impact their students and make their subjects resonate. Tuesday, January 14 at 5:30 pm. Free admission.

10). The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by waiving general admission fees on Monday, January 20, 2014.  Martin Luther King Jr. Day is one of two holidays each year the N.C. Aquariums offer visitors free admission. The other day is Veterans Day in November. Many area schools are closed for the holiday, too. Children ages 5 to 12 are invited to spend a fun-filled day at AquaCamp. Preregistration for the camps is necessary.  Call (910) 458-7468 or visit ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher to find more information on the camp and to register online.