NCMC Events From Around the State… September 28, 2015

1). Page-Walker Arts & History Center (www.friendsofpagewalker.org) announces that The Young Friends of the Page-Walker invite teens ages 14 to 18 to paint, draw or sketch their inspired impression of Cary's historic railroad hotel that now serves as Cary's Page-Walker Arts & History Center on Sunday, October 4, 1-5 p.m. at the first Paint the Page. A best-in-show prize package will be awarded at an October 11 ceremony and the winning entry will hang in the Page-Walker through the end of December 2015.  Teens should register for the event by going to http://friendsofpagewalker.org/event-2002104.

2). Hands On! (www.handsonwnc.org), a Child's Gallery in Hendersonville, invites you to help kick off the month of Boo-seum! Thursday, October 1 and Friday, October 2 join Hands On from 1:00-5:00p.m. for a Mad Hatter Afternoon! All ages are invited to come and grab a mad hat to use as a basis for your Halloween costume or just for fun! Mad Hats available while supplies last. This activity is free with $4 admission/free for members. For additional information about their educational programs and facility, please visit their website or call 828-697-8333.

3). Weatherspoon Art Museum (www.weatherspoon.uncg.edu) invites you to their upcoming Artist Lecture with Peter Campus on Thursday, October 8^th from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.  Peter Campus, 2015 Falk Visiting Artist, will give a public lecture and participate in MFA graduate student critiques along with a gallery talk for UNCG students. His solo exhibition, Peter Campus: Shiva is on view at the Weatherspoon September 5^th - November 29^th, 2015.  Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

4). The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (www.naturalsciences.org) invites you to learn more about one of America’s favorite pets.  We know that dogs have an incredible sense of smell and that they are used to detect everything from narcotics to explosives, but few of us know how they do this. Join NC State University professor Dr. David Dorman for “How Your Dog’s Nose Works,” a presentation at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences on Thursday, October 8^th at 7:00 p.m.  In this presentation — the first in a series held in conjunction with the Museum’s newest special exhibition, “Extreme Mammals” — Dorman explores the basis for dogs’ amazing ability to detect scents. This special lecture is $10, or $50 for the lecture series pass that includes all six lectures. Add an exhibition ticket to your order and receive $5 off admission. Friends of the Museum members receive free admission to the exhibition. Tickets are available online or at the Museum Box Office.

5). Bellamy Mansion (www.bellamymansion.org) invites you to their 6^th Annual Family Fun Day on Sunday, October 4^th from 1 – 5:00 p.m. This special event is open to the public and admission and activities are free. Activities include: Pony Rides, Balloon Animals, Face Painting, Service Dogs in Training, Small, cuddly animals - including a pot-bellied pig!, Vintage games, Live Music by Susan Savia, Crafts, Costumed Reenactors, Storytelling, and tours of the site geared especially for kids. Snacks will be available to purchase from the Fuzzy Peach. For more information, please call 910-251-3700.

6). The Museum of Anthropology at Wake Forest University (www.wfu.edu/moa) invites you to their annual exhibit, Life after Death: The Day of the Dead in Mexico on view now through December 11, 2015, Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 a.m.  – 4:30 p.m. This special exhibit celebrates the unique Mexican observance of the Day of the Dead.  The exhibit’s centerpiece is a traditional ofrenda, an altar with food and beverage offerings, flowers, sugar skulls, and photos of deceased family members.  The colorful exhibit features a children’s ofrenda, and a photo essay illustrating the celebration in San Miguel Allende.  It also includes information on the celebration’s history and its unique skeleton-themed folk art.  The exhibit presents text in English and Spanish.  Admission is free.  For more information email moa@wfu.edu or call 336-758-5282.

7). The N. C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher (www.ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher) doesn’t look like a typical classroom. Yet, it’s wet and wild nature provides various opportunities to engage students in exploration and discovery. Now educators can learn all that the Aquarium offers during a special “Teacher Open House” on Saturday, October 3^rd where teachers with valid school ID will receive free admission to the Aquarium. Teachers will be treated to behind the scenes and salt marsh tours (call for schedule), distance learning demonstrations, and crafting activities. Aquarium educators also will share marine science-based curriculums, information about Outreach programs and more. As an added bonus, guests visiting with a teacher during the Open House will receive 10 percent off Aquarium admission. Space for tours is limited, will be first-come, first served and require closed-toe footwear. Those planning to take the marsh tour should bring an extra pair of shoes. For additional information email Casey.Radley@ncaquariums.com or call (910) 772-0542.

8). BRAHM (www.BlowingRockMuseum.org) invites you to the Alexander Arts Lecture, “American Impressionism and Realism: Tales of a Collector” with Jack Huber on Sunday, October 4^th at 4:00 p.m.  Hear the stories behind the acquisitions of well-known American paintings from a 40 year veteran collector. For more information contact BRAHM, 828.295.9099 or visit www.BlowingRockMuseum.org.  $10 Members / $20 Non-members.

9). President James K. Polk State Historic Site (www.presjkpolk.com) invites you to their 1846 Mexican American War Militia Muster on Saturday, October 3^rd from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.  Join them as they give visitors a chance to look into the life of a common citizen who has been called into service due to the 1846 conflict with Mexico. Living History re-enactors will be drilling, demonstrating domestic lifestyles and speaking with visitors about what life was like in Mecklenburg County in 1846.  Admission is free.

10). Cameron Art Museum (www.cameronartmuseum.org) proudly presents The Eye Learn: Modernist Prints from the Louis Belden Collection, on view October 4^th – November 1^st, 2015. A Public Preview will be held on Sunday, October 4^th from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m., with a walk-through tour by Exhibition Curator Ben Billingsley beginning at 3:30 p.m.

NCMC Events From Around the State… September 14, 2015

1). The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (www.naturalsciences.org) invites you to their biggest event of the year - BugFest! If you’re hungry for a little creepy, crawly, wiggly action look no further than the Museum of Natural Sciences on Saturday, September 19^th from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.! Now in its 19th year, BugFest continues to be the keystone event at the Museum where visitors turn their fears into fascination, complete with a full day of educational fun for the entire family: science talks, face painting, bug-eating, live music and more! All four floors of the main Museum (NEC - Nature Exploration Center), its new wing (NRC - Nature Research Center), and the surrounding plaza and streets transform into “Bug Central Station” with more than 100 educational stations, presentations and displays.  The day is packed with programs revealing amazing truths about bugs and the culinary delights from the world-renowned Café Insecta, operated by local chefs. This event and Café Insecta food are FREE!

2).  The Mount Airy Museum of Regional History (www.northcarolinamuseum.org) invites you to the Annual Casino Royale Fundraiser at Cross Creek Country Club on Friday, September 18^th  from 6:30 – 11:00 p.m.  There will be Casino Style gaming, Music, Draw-Down Grand Prize and a Silent Auction.  Call the Museum at 336-786-4478 for further information or to purchase tickets.  Also, don’t forget that Historic Downtown Mount Airy Ghost Tours are held at 8 p.m. every Friday and Saturday through the end of October.  Join us for an exciting 90 minute, lantern-lit walking tour through Mount Airy's streets and its historic past.  You will hear about 13 of our "less mortal" friends and some of Mount Airy's final resting places.  Wear comfortable shoes and bring your camera and umbrella, if needed.   Tickets are $13 and pre-paid reservations are required. Call 336-786-4478 to purchase tickets or make your reservation at www.hauntedmayberry.com.

3). The Charlotte Museum of History (www.charlottemuseum.org) announces Backcountry Days with the Charlotte Folk Society on Saturday, September 19^th.  Join them for a free celebration of the Piedmont Backcountry with a variety of musical traditions from the Charlotte Folk Society.  This free family event features music, storytelling, free ice cream, and kids’ crafts.  There will be demonstrations of eighteenth-century crafts such as basket weaving, blacksmithing, pottery, and cooking. FREE to everyone.

Link to register: http://www.charlottemuseum.org/RegisterFree.asp

4). Joel Lane Museum House (www.joellane.org) presents a lecture by Michael Greer on “Breathing Life into a Dying Art: Bookbinding in the Age of the Kindle and Shutterfly” on Thursday, September 17^th at 7 p.m.  Admission is $16 for the general public and $11 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 to purchase tickets. 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. For more information, please visit www.joellane.org or call 919-833-3431.

5). Hands On! (www.handsonwnc.org), a Child's Gallery in Hendersonville, invites you to celebrate their 8th birthday on Tuesday, September 15th!  Join them for birthday cake, apples provided by Lyda Farms, and party favors for you!  Events are free with $5 admission or free for members.  The mission of Hands On! is to provide “hands on” educational experiences that stimulate the imagination and motivate learning in a fun, safe environment.  For additional information about their educational programs and facility, please visit their website at www.handsonwnc.org or call 828-697-8333.

6). Earl Scruggs Center: Music & Stories from the American South (www.EarlScruggsCenter.org) invites you to “Family Traditions, a Blue Ridge Music Trails “Traditions” Concert on Thursday, September 17^th from 7-9 p.m. at the Earl Scruggs Center. This concert, “Family Traditions,” showcases the talents of two family bands for whom the traditional music of the NC Mountains and Foothills has long been an integral part of their lives. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for kids 17 years of age and under. Tickets can be purchased from the Earl Scruggs Center website at www.EarlScruggsCenter.org, by phone at 704-487-6233 or in person at Earl Scruggs Center Guest Services. This concert is sponsored by the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership.

7). Hickory Museum of Art (www.HickoryArt.org) welcomes back local artist Joël Urruty in a solo exhibition that celebrates the harmony between two opposites.  INTERCONNECTED: Tangible Dualities by Joël Urruty will be on exhibit Sept. 19, 2015 – Feb. 28, 2016 in the Shuford Gallery, Hickory Museum of Art. Although the two bodies of work come from different starting points, they both share a minimalist quality that compliment and work well with one other. In the Gold series, the primary material, wood, is gilded in 23K gold leaf. The luminescent quality of gold allows light and shadow to play off the subtle shifting facets of these carved sculptures.  The exhibition’s second series, Wall Hangings, are wood assemblages, designed and constructed from salvaged pallets discarded from nearby factories. The wood is cut and burned, then composed in unique ways to create minimalist, one-of-a-kind pieces, rich in character and texture.  Hickory Museum of Art is located on the SALT Block, 243 3rd Avenue NE, Hickory. Admission is free. For more information about exhibitions, events and programs, visit www.HickoryArt.org or call 828-327-8576.

8). The Matthews Heritage Museum (www.matthewsheritagemuseum.org) announces their newest exhibit, “Girl Scouts through the Years”.  The exhibit will be on display from September 12^th until January 30, 2016.  Started in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low, at a time when women in the U.S. couldn’t yet vote, the formation of the Girl Scouts sparked a worldwide movement inspiring girls to meet their world with courage, confidence, and character.  This year the Girl Scout program in Mecklenburg County reached its 80th birthday.  It is among the oldest and largest girl organizations in the Carolinas. The exhibit features a variety of Girl Scout memorabilia, photos, publications, jewelry and several uniforms.  There will be a thumb print tree, where girl scouts now and then can add their thumb print to the tree.  It will be exciting to see how many girl scouts visit during the exhibit.  This is also an excellent opportunity for current Girl Scouts to earn their Girl Scout Way badge, by scheduling a tour of this special exhibit and the general museum.  To schedule a tour please call 704-708-4996 Thursday - Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can also contact the museum regarding a tour to info@matthewsheritagemuseum.org. Please include your name, phone number, date you are interested in and size of the troop.  Reservations for a guided tour are necessary.  Cost for a troop tour is $15.00 for the group.  A girl scout with her family is free if she is wearing part of her uniform.  For more information please contact 704-708-4996.

9). N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher (www.ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher) announces that it has “BOOth” Space available for “Trick or Treat Under the Sea”.  Hosted by the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher, this event offers local businesses a prime opportunity to reach thousands of area families and consumers. The 2015 event features three nights of ghoulish good times, 4:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, Oct. 28- 30.  Businesses are invited to sponsor a booth or activities at this popular, annual event. “Trick or Treat under the Sea” features indoor trick-or-treating, games and programs for children and families. More than 4,000 people experienced safe Halloween fun at the Aquarium last year. The Aquarium offers three ways to involve your business with Trick or Treat under the Sea: reserve your booth space for one to three nights, donate prizes, coupons or gift certificates for drawings and contests, or invest in sponsorship opportunities. Booth sponsors interact with visitors and compete for the “Best BOOth Contest.” Winners receive prizes and public recognition, including exposure to thousands of Aquarium friends online. Booth reservations and sponsorships are available first-come, first-served and are limited. For more information and to reserve your space call Keely Herron at (910) 772-0535.

10). High Point Museum () announces a special Constitution Week program on  Wednesday, September 16^th, at High Point University. The program begins at 7 p.m. in The David L. Francis Lecture Hall at Earl N. Phillips School of Business. This program is jointly sponsored by the High Point Museum Guild, the Alexander Martin Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, and the North Carolina Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard. This is their third annual collaboration for Constitution Week. The public is cordially invited to attend. The program features Dr. Paul Ringel, associate professor of history at High Point University.