NCMC Events From Around the State… May 5, 2014

1). North Carolina Preservation Consortium (www.ncpreservation.org) announces a special workshop, “Preserving Photograph Collections”, on June 9^th from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Historic Yates Mill County Park, Raleigh, NC. This workshop is an introduction to identifying and preserving 19th and 20th century photographs: daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, hand-colored silver gelatin prints, contemporary color, and digital photographs.  This workshop is designed for staff and volunteers in libraries, archives, museums, historic sites, and other heritage institutions with photograph collections.  Faculty and students in museum studies, library and information science, archives, and public history programs are also welcome to attend.  No prior training or experience is required.  The registration fee for this workshop is $50.00 for NCPC members and $75.00 for non-members.  Registration covers lunch, refreshments, and supplies.  A registration form is available on the NCPC web site in the Events section.  

2). Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum (www.ncmaritimemuseums.com) will hold British War Grave Ceremonies on May 8th & 9th at 11 a.m.  For 72 years, near the anniversary of the Bedfordshire’s sinking, members of the National Park Service, U.S. Coast Guard, and British Royal Navy join visitors and local citizens to honor the service of the men buried in the cemeteries.  The British War Grave ceremonies will take place on May 8, at 11 a.m. at the British Cemetery in Buxton and on May 9, at 11 a.m. at the British Cemetery in Ocracoke. The ceremonies honor the 63 foreign sailors who lost their lives just off the coast of the Outer Banks.  The ceremonies are organized by the Friends of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, the Ocracoke community, the U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary 16-04, the National Park Service, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, students from the Cape Hatteras Secondary School of Coastal Studies, students from the Ocracoke School and the Ocracoke Boy Scout troop.  The ceremonies are free and open to the public.  For more information, call the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum at (252) 986-2995.  The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is located at 59200 Museum Drive in Hatteras, N.C.

3). Kings Mountain Historical Museum (www.kingsmountainmuseum.org) announces that in May and June, they will host three presentations that will provide new perspectives on the Battle of Kings Mountain, a turning point in the American Revolution.  The first one will be on Wednesday, May 14^th at 5:30 p.m. with a lecture and book signing by Sharyn McCrumb, an award-winning Southern writer, best known for her Appalachian “Ballad” novels.. Her 2013 novel King’s Mountain tells the story of the battle from the points of view of Patriot militia colonel John Sevier and Tory camp follower Virginia Sal. The novel brings to life a little-known story of the American Revolution: how the Overmountain Men, an unpaid, unequipped volunteer army of Appalachian frontiersmen, set off in search of the enemy and won a battle against well-trained British troops, thus giving the colonists renewed hope of victory.

4). Historic Edenton State Historic Site (www.edenton.nchistoricsites.org) is excited to host a tour of the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution.  Historic Edenton will have this very important document on display in the 1767 Chowan County Courthouse on Thursday, June 5^th from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.  The 13th Amendment outlawed slavery in the United States (except for punishment for crime) and nullified the antebellum slave codes (laws). North Carolina’s copy of the 13th Amendment was one sent to the state in February 1865. After leaving Historic Edenton, the document will travel Somerset Place in Creswell on June 6th to be on display.  Don’t miss your chance to see one of America’s most important documents!  Free Admission.

5). Mount Airy Museum of Regional History (www.northcarolinamuseum.org) will hold the last of a series of Spring History Talks on Saturday May 10 at 2pm.  Dr. S. Jason Couch a pharmacist, native of Elkin, NC and a collector of local history will share images and stories from his book about Elkin, North Carolina. Highlights will include new historical information about the 1898 and 1916 floods, Chatham Manufacturing Company, Klondike Farm, and the Elkin & Alleghany Railway.  History Talks are held on the 3rd floor of the museum and are FREE to the public.

6). The Museum of the Albemarle (www.museumofthealbemarle.com) will hold Preschooler Time:  “Sweet Piñatas” on Thursday, May 8^th at 10 a.m.  From decorated clay pots to cardboard and papier-maché, discover the wonderful and unique traditions of the piñata.  Free Family Program.  For More Information Call 252-335-1453.

7). The Asheville Art Museum (www.ashevilleart.org) is excited to present an engaging exhibition that will enable visitors to experience American silver as it has been used from farm to table over the last 150 years. Farm to Table: American Silver, on view from May 31 – October 5, 2014, will highlight different but inter-connected uses of silver – agricultural awards and table service – as they progressed over the decades. Farm to Table brings new meaning to the “art of eating,” treating audiences to an intimate experience of handmade American silver objects that have celebrated our food and farms and appeared on our tables through modern times.  The Museum will be offering several events associated with this exhibition, including an opening celebration, From Studio to Home: Handmade Cups, on Friday evening, June 6, 5:00–8:00 p.m. Other programs held in conjunction with the exhibition include a cooking class series, film screenings, gallery talks and a Silver and Gold Gilding Demonstration and Workshop. More information about the exhibition and related events can be found at www.ashevilleart.org.

8). North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (www.naturalsciences.org) announces its next Science Café on Thursday, May 15thth at 7 p.m.  This upcoming Science Café sets out to explain Minority Health Disparities.  African-Americans are more likely to die from highly aggressive and less curable forms of prostate and breast cancers than their European-American counterparts. Learn about the genetic and environmental factors that may contribute to this phenomenon.  Speaker Dr. K. Sean Kimbro will lead the talk.  Science Cafés are free, informal, intimate talks held in the Museum’s Nature Research Center Daily Planet Café. Visitors are invited to grab a bite to eat, have a glass of wine, and listen to a visiting scientist on an array of science topics for roughly 20 minutes, followed by Q & A. Seating is limited, so please arrive early. Science Cafés are a part of the Museum’s weekly “Science Thursdays” when the Nature Research Center is open until 9 p.m. For more information, visit http://naturalsciences.org/sciencethursdays or contact Katey Ahmann at 919.707.9888 or via email at katey.ahmann@naturalsciences.org. 

           

9). Hands On! (www.handsonwnc.org), a Child’s Gallery, invites you to Mad Scientists Lab – Makes Chocolate! - in honor of Kilwins on Tuesday, May 20th at 11:00 am. Ages 3yrs & up. Join Dr. Beaker & Dr. Bunson in the science lab! Sponsored by BP Fueling Communities. $7 non-members (includes admission for child participating in class); free for members.  Limited spaces. Please call 697-8333 to register.

10). The Matthews Heritage Museum’s (www.matthewsheritagemuseum.org) next exhibit featuring the Matthews Athletic and Recreational Association will open on May 16th and be up throughout the summer.   Let’s Play Ball will give the history of the organization from its founding in 1956 to the present.  What started as an effort to sponsor a Little League Baseball Program has grown over the years to include programs for softball, baseball, football, lacrosse, soccer, tennis and cheerleading.  The community has supported this growth and MARA continues with a strong youth program today and thirteen fields for sports.  The exhibit will be on display through August 30.  The Matthews Heritage Museum is located at 232 N. Trade Street in downtown Matthews.  It is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 to 4:30 P.M.  Admission is $4 for individuals over 17, $2 for individuals 11 or older.  Free for children 10 and under.  The first Saturday of every month is free.