NCMC Events From Around the State… December 29, 2014

1). Hands On! (www.handsonwnc.org), a Child's Gallery in Hendersonville, NC invites you to explore Playtrays on Friday, January 2^nd at 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.  and 2 – 4 p.m. All ages. Explore different play themes with a mix of materials and a simple tray every Friday in January (2, 9, 16, 23, 30). Gain competence organizing materials, creating verbal play scripts, and designing your own imaginative play. Free with $5 admission/free for members.

2). Kings Mountain Historical Museum (www.kingsmountainmuseum.org) announces their next exhibit, Pioneering Women of Cleveland County, which will run from February 7^th – May 23^rd, 2015.  The Pioneering Women of Cleveland County exhibit celebrates women’s history in Cleveland County and the surrounding region from the Revolutionary War to the present day.  The exhibit focuses a spotlight on the women whose courageous acts helped to turn the tide of the revolution, as well as on our “founding mothers” – the women who helped establish and maintain our area’s infrastructure, industries, hospitals, schools, churches, and civic organizations.  The display will also showcase local women who were groundbreakers and leaders in their professions, and reflect on how our unique local history fits into the broader narrative of women’s history throughout the nation.

3). Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum (www.ncmaritimemuseums.com) invites you to Dash at the Enemy: The Use of Modern Naval Theory to Examine the Battlefield at Elizabeth City, North Carolina on January 8^th at 11:00 a.m.  Following the victory at Roanoke Island in 1862, Union naval officer Commander Stephen Rowan was given orders to pursue and destroy the Confederate fleet, which had retreated to Elizabeth City, North Carolina.  The engagement at Elizabeth City was short and a conclusive victory for the Union forces.  The tactics employed during the battle have been examined from historical documents, but have not yet been examined archaeologically.  Using frameworks set forth by the American Battlefield Protection Program and also using Modern Naval Theory, this study seeks to recreate the tactics used.  Presenter: Adam Parker, Program Maritime Studies, East Carolina University. Free program.  The program will also be streamed LIVE during a 6 p.m. online presentation at http://csi.northcarolina.edu/ustream. For more information, call 252-986-2995. 

4). Asheville Art Museum (www.ashevilleart.org) presents a documentary series on Abstraction Artists curated in conjunction with What You See Is What You See: American Abstraction After 1950 on view Tuesday, January 6 – Sunday, March 15, 2015.  As part of the its commitment to new media and education through film, the Asheville Art Museum has curated a series of art house documentaries that intimately explore the lives and careers of several artists represented in the exhibition What You See Is What You See. These films, which range in length and documentary style, were created by independent filmmakers and serve as serious artistic and, at times, experimental works. The ten films presented in the Museum’s New Media Gallery over a ten-week period serve as both educational tools to enhance our understanding of American Abstraction, as well as artistic representations of the subject matter as presented by the filmmakers. Please visit www.ashevilleart.org for a complete schedule of film showings and offerings.

5). N.C. Museum of History (www.ncmuseumofhistory.org) invites you to kick off Black History Month one day early at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. Join the excitement of the 14th Annual African American Cultural Celebration on Saturday, January 31^st from 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. More than 75 presenters, including musicians, storytellers, dancers, historians, playwrights, authors, artists, re-enactors and chefs, will participate in this free festival, named a “Top 20 Event” in 2014 by the Southeast Tourism Society. There are activities for all ages at this family-friendly celebration. The 2015 celebration’s theme is Let Freedom Sing! Bring the whole family for this educational and fun experience. The festival is supported by the N.C. African American Heritage Commission, the City of Raleigh Arts Commission, United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, and Food Lion.

6). Fort Fisher State Historic Site (www.nchistoricsites.org/fisher/) will open North Carolina’s official 2015 commemoration of the events that led to the end of the Civil War 150 years ago by hosting “Nor Shall Your Glory Be Forgot: the 150th Anniversary of the 2nd Battle of Fort Fisher” on January 17^th-18^th.  The site will open at 9 a.m. each day, with activities throughout the day. At the core of the observance weekend are Saturday and Sunday recreations of the January 1865 Union attacks on Fort Fisher. The battle reenactments will feature hundreds of reenactors representing Union and Confederate soldiers, sailors, and Marines realistically depicting everything from camp life to battle strategies.  Saturday’s battle reenactment begins at 1:30 p.m., while Sunday’s reenactment will begin at 10:30 am. The program will also feature historians, authors, speakers, cannon firings, artillery demonstrations, new exhibits, new interpretive wayside trail markers, and a long list of VIPs and special guests, including renowned historian and battlefield guide Ed Bearss, who will serve as keynote speaker at the opening ceremony planned for 11 a.m. Saturday. Due to anticipated high attendance, visitors are encouraged to arrive early both days. Free public parking will be provided at the Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Base, just north of the historic site.  From there, visitors can take a short stroll to the site or board one of several free shuttles.

7). The Blowing Rock Art and History Museum (www.blowingrockmuseum.org) and the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts (www.tcva.org) are partnering together to display Ruined Landscapes: Paintings of the Balkan War Zone, a gift from Hugh and Jane Spratt McColl. This collection of forty-two paintings depicting crumbling architecture and war-laden landscapes by Laura Buxton are an important component of the Turchin Center’s Permanent Collection, and are being loaned for display at BRAHM from January 17 – March 28, 2015. The exhibit will be commemorated during an Exhibition Celebration at BRAHM on Friday, February 13th from 5:30pm – 7pm. The event is free and open to the public.  General admission to the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum is $5 for adults and $4 for students, seniors, active military, and children ages 5 and up. Donations are accepted for admission to the Museum on Thursdays. For more information, please call (828) 295-9099 or visit www.blowingrockmuseum.org.

8). Spencer Doll & Toy Museum (www.spencerdollandtoymuseum.com) announces that they are now doing “Princess Parties”.  The parites feature a fairytale princess sharing how her life is in the castle, complimented by a princess cake. Guests will be dazzled and receive magical makeovers in glam and glitter. They will also craft a tiara and make their own lip gloss to take home. Event includes free admission to the Spencer Doll & Toy Museum.  Cost for each Princess is $15, minimum party attendance of ten. Princess decorations and paper products are included. Now booking parties for 2015. Call to book your Princess Royal Ball (704) 762-9359.

9). High Point Museum (www.highpointmuseum.org) invites you out to two different demonstrations on Saturday, January 10^th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Stop by and watch a costumed blacksmith in action as he crafts various iron pieces. Also learn what role did ashes played in making soap during the 18th century while you watch costumed interpreters make homemade lye soap on site.  All ages welcome. FREE. Drop-in.

10). NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher (www.ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher) invites you to become an Aquarist Apprentice on Saturdays, January 24^th and 31^st at 2 p.m.  Check out a dirty job you’re sure to love.  Join staff on a behind-the-scenes tour and learn about Aquarium animals, what they eat, how they live and how to care for them. Then assist aquarists with food preparation and help feed the animals. Participants also observe aquarists during daily care and maintenance tasks. This limited opportunity is only open to 10 participants.  Participants should wear closed-toe shoes and be prepared to smell fishy. For ages 10 and older.  Ages 14 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.  Fee: $28 for ages 13 and older, $26 for ages 10-12. PREREGISTRATION REQUIRED.