NCMC Events From Around the State… March 3, 2014

1). The North Carolina Museum of History invites you to meet Tar Heel Sports Legends! Come hear North Carolinians talk about their sports careers, and meet them on Saturday, March 8th, from 10 a.m. to noon. The participants are Marques Ogden, former NFL offensive lineman; Ursula Gillespie, one of four licensed African American female drag racers in the United States; and Dave Wolak, an award-winning professional bass angler. These sports legends will take part in a discussion led by Donal Ware, host of the nationally syndicated sports radio talk show “From the Press Box to Press Row.”  This free program for ages 12 and up is presented in partnership with Our Youth Matters, a non-profit organization designed as an academic and social intervention program in Wake County. Learn about the hard work and commitment it takes to become a sports legend!

2). Kings Mountain Historical Museum invites you to “Shakespeare’s Spear: the History of Heraldry” on Thursday, March 27th at 5:30 p.m.  Learn about the fascinating history of heraldry – the art and science of blazoning Coats of Arms.  Heraldry originated as a method of identifying iron-clad knights on the fields of tournaments and battles, and evolved into a complex system used by royalty and nobility as a sign of status and heredity.  Hear the telling tale behind the grant of Shakespeare’s Coat of Arms, which includes two spears as a visual representation of the family name, and which helped a once-impoverished family regain their reputation.  Participants can create their own Coats of Arms; fun for the whole family!  Presented in partnership with Mauney Memorial Library’s 2014 Community Read “Whole Lotta Shakespeare Goin’ On.”

3). Bellamy Mansion Museum invites you to “Flashback Lecture: The Photography of Mack Munn” with Earnestine Keaton on Thursday March 6^th at 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.  Their Mack Munn exhibit takes a leave of absence on March 7, but before it goes please join them for a discussion of the stories behind it. Earnestine Keaton leads the Lower Bladen-Columbus Historical Society and is the great niece of Mack Munn. She will discuss his life and the work on display. Earnestine will also share unseen historical images of rural African American life in southeastern NC. This UNCW exhibit is a fascinating look at a little seen local history. Join us to learn more. This event is free with a suggested donation for educational programming.

4). N.C. Transportation Museum’s annual Spring Kick Off on March 15^th is a great way to welcome the warmer weather season with a host of train rides, family activities and an all around great family outing. This year, the Spring Kick Off will have some special features for rail fans and the general public alike, with the Lehigh Valley #126 steam locomotive pulling the museum’s caboose train and the debut of the newly restored Clinchfield 100 passenger rail car. Tickets for the N.C. Transportation Museum’s Spring Kick Off are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and active military and $10 for kids 3-12.  Tickets include museum admission, unlimited train rides and all events (except gold panning which is $2).  Member discounts apply. Tickets can be purchased in advance, through www.nctrans.org, or on the day of the event at the Barber Junction Visitor’s Center. 

5). Cape Fear Museum of History and Science invites you to help raise funds to purchase a new portable planetarium by the start of the 2014-2015 school year! Cape Fear Museum is hosting a “Reach for the Stars Luncheon” on Thursday, March 20 th from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Union Station Building at Cape Fear Community College. A savory lunch prepared by Middle of the Island will be served. Author and humorist Celia Rivenbark will entertain us with fun and uplifting stories. Museum educators will provide demonstrations in the existing Starlab.  Reach for the Stars luncheon tickets are $37 each and table sponsorships are available. To make a reservation, contact Cindy Anzalotti at 910-798-4372 or email her at canzalotti@nhcgov.com.

6). Museum of the Albemarle will be the site of “Paint and Cookie:  Spring Themed Mixed-Media Canvas” on Friday, March 21^st from 3:30-5:00 p.m.  The Museum and Serenity Studio Arts will join forces in creating a spring themed mixed-media canvas.    Elementary age students will use paint, paper, and found objects to create a mixed-media masterpiece on canvas.    The masterpieces created by participants during the workshop will be highlighted at Serenity Studio Arts on April 4, 2014 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. for 1st Friday Art Walk.  Limited space and supply fee required.  For More Information Call 252-335-1453

7). North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort invites you to “Beaufort Wine & Food - A Thirst for the Sea” on Saturday, March 8^th from 4-7 p.m.  Enjoy dinner with local seafood prepared by Chef Tony Garnett of the Coral Bay Club and a special guest chef.   The inspiration for a dinner was taken from the name of Jack Saylor’s signature painting, created especially for the Beaufort Wine & Food.  As the Beaufort Wine & Food 2014 Artist, he will be on hand for the unveiling of the painting and to discuss his artistic vision. Cocktails and trawler tour 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.  Dinner at 5 p.m.  Tickets $125 per person. Proceeds benefit Carteret Catch and the Beaufort Wine & Food charities.  For more information, visit www.beaufortwineandfood.com or call (252) 515-0708.

8). Museum of Anthropology invites you to their newest exhibit The Yup’ik Way of Life: An Alaskan People in Transition, on display Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. until August 29, 2014. This student-curated exhibit features photographs of Alaska’s Yup’ik people, their environment, and resources by Greensboro native John Rucker.  Taken between 1979 and 1987, the photographs document a lifestyle that has largely disappeared with the arrival of modern influences such as telephones, fast food, and television in the intervening years.  The images are integrated with objects made by Yup’ik artisans and collected by early Moravian missionaries with connections to Winston-Salem.  The objects provide a link to the past and further document the cultural transitions of the Yup’ik since European contact.  Admission is free.  For more information, visit www.moa.wfu.edu, email moa@wfu.edu, or call 336-758-5282.

9). The Matthews Heritage Museum’s newest exhibit Go Fly a Kite will open on March 20th, the first day of spring.  The exhibit will feature a variety of miniature kites, most of which were made by Jim Martin, a noted kite flyer and maker. Mr. Martin has been making many of his own kites for over a decade.  He is best known for his kite arches and miniature kites.  Jim’s miniature kites have won numerous awards and are very popular.  He continues to work on new designs.  In 2013 he participated in the Miniature Kite Challenge in Seaside, Oregon and placed first for “Best Flight”, second for “Most Beautiful” and third for smallest size. The exhibit will be on display until May 9th.  Come celebrate national Kiting month (April) by stopping by the museum to see this interesting and timely exhibit!

10). Hands On!, the children’s museum located in downtown Hendersonville, has a new exhibit opening!  A ribbon cutting for the new exhibit opening is scheduled with the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce for Wednesday, March 12th at 10:30 a.m. Build Your Brain is the new exhibit sponsored by Duke Energy Foundation and Exxon Mobil.  Along with these sponsors, The Catawba Science Center is donating the use of some of the exhibit pieces for one year. The exhibit will include educational interactives such as an Archimedes screw, Bernoulli blower, and an Imagination Playground.  The exhibit will foster children’s development by supporting STEM learning through constructive problem-solving, spatial and mathematical understanding, designing stable structures, and deepening their understanding of engineering principles.  The Imagination Playground encourages child-directed, unstructured free play – the kind of play that experts say is critical to a child’s intellectual, social, physical and emotional development. Comprised of an assortment of foam blocks in uniquely designed shapes, Imagination Playground empowers children to constantly reconfigure the space around them and design their own course of play. Hands On! is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and admission is $5 per person.  For more information about Hands On!, call 697-8333 or visit the website at www.handsonwnc.org.

11). The Battleship NORTH CAROLINA is calling all Navy engineering enthusiasts! Join them for an in-depth program on the Battleship's power plant on Saturday, March 15^th from 12:00– 5:30 p.m. 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. The program is for adults only (ages 16 and up) and is limited to 40 participants. It is not appropriate for those who have difficulty climbing narrow ladders or over knee-high hatches. Wear warm, comfortable, washable clothing, sturdy, rubber-soled shoes and bring a camera! Registration and payment are due by Thursday, March 13^th.  Event is $65/$60 for Friends of the Battleship or active military. Call 910-251-5797 for reservations.

12). The Asheville Art Museum is excited to welcome artist Ben Aronson on March 9th at 3:00 p.m. for a gallery talk and closing reception. Sunday is the last day to view Cityscapes by Ben Aronson, and it is a unique opportunity for visitors to hear about the artwork in the exhibition from the artist himself. Following the talk, guests are invited to stay for a light reception.

13). Cameron Art Museum presents Corrugated World: The Artwork of James Grashow.  There will be an opening reception on Friday, March 7th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This is an opportunity for members and guests to be the first to view the exhibition and meet the artist. Admission to the opening for CAM members and guests are $10 each. Non-members may join as a member at the door to attend the opening. Memberships start at $35 and include a full year of admission to the exhibitions.

14). High Point Museum invites the community to “Lunch and Learn” with Dr. Kenneth Zogry, PhD, a historian and museum consultant, on Wednesday, March 12 at noon.  His presentation is entitled “Sitting Pretty: A History of Furniture Manufacturing in North Carolina: 1700 to Present.” For much of the second half of the twentieth century, the names of North Carolina companies such as Broyhill, Drexel, Henredon, and Thayer-Coggin represented the best in American furniture manufacturing, and High Point earned the title of “Furniture Capital of the World.” However, the furniture industry in the state is actually more than 300 years old, and this illustrated presentation follows that history from the early eighteenth century to the present. Come hear about our diverse history of furniture and their makers. The program is free and participants are invited to bring their lunch and learn. This project is made possible by a grant from the North Carolina Humanities Council, a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

15). North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences invites you to a epic on-screen battle when it shows “War of the Monsters” on First Friday, March  7th, at 7 p.m. The alternately titled “Gamera vs Barugon” is the second of several daikaiju eiga (Japanese giant monster films) featuring Gamera the giant turtle. This movie is free and open to the public.  Also, at this month’s Teen Science Café (6pm, Daily Planet Café), you are invited to join scientists from NC State University’s Human PoWeR (Physiology of Wearable Robotics) Lab for a demonstration of a thought-controlled, lightweight, air-powered exoskeleton. This device, designed to assist or enhance human movement, uses a non-invasive technique called surface electromyography to turn motor commands from the spinal cord into controlled muscle movement of the legs. Attendees can even “test-drive” the thought-controlled artificial muscles! The Museum stays open from 5 to 9 p.m. on the First Friday of every month, inviting visitors to witness a (classic) sci-fi or horror movie, wander through eye-catching exhibits, or enjoy food and beverages at the Daily Planet Café. Additionally, the Museum Stores offer after-hours shopping (till 7pm) and an opening reception for Anna Podris and Keith Norval, whose show “Distant Relatives: Dinosaurs and Birds” runs March 7-30 in the Nature Art Gallery. All exhibited art is for sale.

16). The Charlotte Museum of History invites you to their “History Talks Lecture Series” on Saturday, March 15^th at 1:00 p.m.  This month’s lecture is “Forced Founders: Indians, Slaves, and the Origins of the American Revolution in the South” and led by Woody Holton.  There are no African Americans or Indians in John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence--the iconic image on the back of the two dollar bill--but slaves and Native Americans both played a crucial, if indirect, role in turning white Americans like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington into revolutionaries. Woody Holton, McCausland Professor of History at the University of South Carolina, traces these forgotten influences on the Founding Fathers in an illustrated lecture.  Holton was a National Book Award finalist in 2007 and winner of the 2010 Bancroft Prize, a prestigious academic award in the field of history. Free with paid admission.  Please register online to reserve a seat.

17). President James K. Polk State Historic Site invites you to “Lions of the West”, a book discussion presented by Robert Morgan at the Hilton Garden Inn Pineville on Wednesday, March 26^th. Join staff, volunteers, and community members as author Robert Morgan discusses his fascinating book that profiles ten Americans who inspired our nation’s westward expansion. A wine and cheese reception will take place at 7:00pm, followed by the program and book signing. Cost is $30.00 for both the reception and program, and $20.00 just for the program. Members receive $5.00 off the price of a ticket. Books available for purchase for $20.00. Space is limited to the first 50 people. Please purchase your ticket today! You may register by phoning the museum at (704)889-7145 or by visiting www.presjkpolk.com.  You may pay electronically by visiting the Membership section and clicking on the Donate button. Please feel free to call the museum at (704)889-7145 or e-mail at polk@ncdcr.gov with any questions.

18). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher invites you to special behind the scenes tours on Saturdays, March 15, 22, 29 at 11:15 a.m. and Sundays, March 9, 16, 23, 30 at 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.  Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at an aquarium? Space for animal holding, husbandry, life support systems and access to exhibits is hidden behind the Aquarium walls. If you have ever cared for a home aquarium, you may have some idea of what it takes to operate a collection of salt and freshwater exhibits, with hundreds of animals. Accompany Aquarium staff on a guided tour of animal quarantine, life support, food preparation and access areas. Participants should wear closed-toe shoes. For ages 8 and older. Ages 14 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Fee: $18 for ages 13 and older, $16 for ages 8-12. Aquarium admission included. PREREGISTRATION REQUIRED.

19). Historic Wilmington Foundation invites you to the annual Azalea Festival Home Tour! This year’s tour will showcase the wide variety of architectural styles found in Wilmington. Nine historic homes and one historic church will welcome visitors April 12 and 13. Tickets, which are $25 in advance, go on sale March 19. They will be available at the Azalea Festival Office, as well as at www.historicwilmington.org and the Historic Wilmington Foundation’s office. Foundation members can buy tickets from the office for $15 through April 10th. On the days of the event, they will be available at any house on the tour for $30.

20). Joel Lane Museum House is proud to present a lecture on "Fine & Decorative Arts: An Era of Transition?" by Leland Little on Thursday, April 10^th at 7 pm at the Visitors Center of the Joel Lane Museum House at 160 South Saint Mary’s Street, Raleigh, NC 27603. Admission is $15 for the general public and $10 for members of the Joel Lane Historical Society. Refreshments will be served. Seating is limited, and advanced payment is required. Please call 919-833-3431 with your MasterCard or Visa, mail a check to P O Box 10884, Raleigh NC 27605, or go to the Eventbrite web site. Be sure to include the names of all in your party; nametags will serve as tickets. Tickets are non-refundable unless we must cancel the event.