ncmuseums

An occasional list of exhibits, programs, and events at North Carolina museums. Sponsored by the North Carolina Museums Council.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

NCMC Events from Around the State… January 25, 2016

1). North Carolina Museums Council (www.ncmuseums.org) reminds you that it is not too late to receive the Summer Internship Award for Museums.  NCMC will provide one institution $1500 to pay an intern for summer 2016.  Applicants must be NCMC institutional members at the time of the application and internship. All application materials must be received by Monday, February 1, 2016.  To apply, send a letter of intent to the Student Affairs Committee that outlines: a specific project or area of focus for the intern and the desired final product or outcome of the intern’s work, core tasks for the intern (please be specific) that connects his or her work to the institution’s larger mission, the ways the intern will be integrated into the daily workings of the staff, and the methods of mentoring and supervising the intern.  In addition, you may include any benefits your institution can offer the intern, if applicable, such as housing, meals, additional funds, transportation, parking or other benefits.  Please e-mail your letter as a Word document or pdf file to students@ncmuseums.org.  Please note that the museum selected to host the summer 2016 intern agrees to publicly advertise the internship position for at least one month, preferably in March, and to hold an open application process. The advertisement must be emailed to the Student Affairs Chair so that it can be disseminated and posted on the NCMC website. Questions may be directed to: Jody Servon, NCMC Student Affairs Chair at students@ncmuseums.org.

2). The American Association for State and Local History (www.aaslh.org) announces that they are now taking nominations for the AASLH Leadership in History Awards. AASLH bestows annual awards to encourage excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history. AASLH encourages all size institutions to apply, and to self-nominate. The awards recognize excellence for projects (including civic engagement, exhibits, multimedia, publications, public programming, and special projects) and individual achievement. All accomplishments occurring since October 1, 2014, are eligible. Submission deadline is MARCH 1, 2016. Visit http://about.aaslh.org/awards/ for more information. Have questions or need help with your nomination? Contact NC state representative RaeLana Poteat at raelana.poteat@ncdcr.gov or 919-807-7960.

3). The N.C. Museum of History (www.ncmuseumofhistory.org) invites you to the 15th Annual African American Cultural Celebration.  Join the statewide kickoff to Black History Month at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh on Saturday, January 30th, from 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  The 15th Annual African American Cultural Celebration will feature over 75 musicians, storytellers, dancers, chefs, historians, playwrights, authors, artists, re-enactors and more. Admission is free for this family festival, named a “Top 20 Event” in 2015 by the Southeast Tourism Society. This year’s African American Cultural Celebration will focus on the theme “Civil Rights — March On!” For more information about the event or the N.C. Museum of History, please call 919-807-7900 or visit www.ncmuseumofhistory.org.

4). North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (www.naturalsciences.org) announces that Sir Walter Wally will make his official weather prediction on Tuesday, February 2nd! Ask anyone around the Triangle and they’d say winter took its sweet time coming, but it has finally arrived. The burning question is how long will it stick around? Well, that’s for Sir Walter Wally to decide and he’ll do just that during the 20th annual Groundhog Day celebration on Tuesday, February 2, on Bicentennial Plaza in front of the Museum! Judging from his track record over the last 15-years, Wally tends to favor long winters, but you never know! The day’s activities kick off at 9 a.m. and run through 1 p.m. The shadow ceremony where he’ll make his prediction begins promptly at noon.  For more information about Groundhog Day, please contact Miranda Dowdy at miranda.dowdy@naturalsciences.org or 919.707.9885.

5). The Blowing Rock Art & History Museum (www.blowingrockmuseum.org) announces that the family music and theater series Mini Matinees: Wonders and Woodwinds, has been rescheduled due to winter weather. The new date is Sunday, January 31st, at 2 p.m. For more information on the event, please visit www.BlowingRockMuseum.org or call 828-295-9099.

6). Mount Airy Museum of Regional History (www.northcarolinamuseum.org) invites you to the Genealogy and Family History Swap Meet on Saturday, January 30th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Sponsored by the Mt. Airy Museum of Regional History and Surry County Genealogical Association, this FREE swap meet is open to anyone interested in genealogy especially to those who have been in a Beginners Genealogy Class sponsored by the Museum and taught by Esther Johnson. Those connected with a History or Genealogy Group are invited to come and set up for this Swap Meet where you can advertise your group and SELL any of your group’s books, maps etc. All authors are also invited to come and sell books. Everyone can bring their genealogy to display and share so others can make connections and find new family information. Laptops are welcome. Browsers are welcome!  For additional information please contact Esther Johnson by phone at 336-831-6437 or by email at epdj1@triad.rr.com.

7). Weatherspoon Art Museum at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (www.weatherspoon.uncg.edu) is very pleased to present the exhibition Colossus – Rosemarie Fiore: Falk Visiting Artist which is on view until April 17, 2016.  Inventive mechanics, choreographed performance, and chance surprises come together in the work of Rosemarie Fiore. For the past fifteen years, the artist has been painting with colored smoke fireworks. Unlike the gunpowder based explosives frequently associated with the term firework, these silent devices release plumes of bright pigments, rather than colored flames.  Fiore’s paintings result from the combination of direction and chance—she selects the color of smoke canister and steers its release, but variances in heat, air current, and rates of combustion ensure that its marks defy prediction.  As the Spring 2016 Falk Visiting Artist at the Weatherspoon and the Art Department at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Fiore will present a lecture about her work and meet with MFA graduate students. Special thanks to Christopher Thomas, Studio Foundations Coordinator, Department of Art, UNCG and the 2014/15 Falk Visiting Artist Committee.

8). Greensboro Science Center (www.greensboroscience.org) announces that Pajama Jam has been rescheduled. Pajama Jam, originally scheduled for Friday, January 22 has been postponed to Thursday, March 24. Any tickets that have already been purchased will be honored on this date. Additional tickets for this new date will be available soon. Due to winter weather, the Greensboro Science Center had to be closed Friday, January 22. Although they were not open to visitors, their talented and dedicated team was on site - as they are each day - caring for their animals and exhibits.To keep informed of future closings and delays, or just to see some pictures of their snow-covered zoo, like them on Facebook or check their website for updates.

9). Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex (www.museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov) announces the 15th Annual Civil War Quiz Bowl. Are you a fan of game shows but can’t travel to Hollywood to be part of a “live studio audience?” Consider attending the Museum of the Cape Fear’s 15th Annual Civil War Quiz Bowl on Thursday, January 28th, starting at 7:00 p.m. Join us as a contestant or spectator in the Pate Room of the Headquarters Library.  The quiz bowl is like a game show. Contestants are asked questions by the host, Jim Greathouse, who founded the program 15 years ago while employed at the Museum of the Cape Fear. Contestants choose from one of 14 categories. They are asked a question from that category. If they answer correctly, of course they remain in the game. If they answer incorrectly they receive a strike. Three strikes and they’re out. Winners are chosen among the last contestants remaining in two age groups: 16 and under for the youth category and 17 and up as the adult category. Their prize? A gift card to spend on more Civil War books.  If you are interested in being a contestant you can call the museum at 910/486-1330 to register, or, for the first time, people can register online at  http://museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov/Events. Spectators are welcome!


10). Hands On! (www.handsonwnc.org), a Child's Gallery in Hendersonville, is pleased to announce the opening of a new exhibit, Makerspace. Makerspaces are mentor-led learning environments where children use real materials and tools to encourage curiosity. Guests tinker, repurpose, upcycle, take apart and put back together to make a creation or discovery all their own. These programs strengthen community-based learning, particularly for critical thinking, problem solving and engagement in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Makerspace at Hands On! will take place in the STEAM Room, located just outside the Main Street museum entrance. Children and adults are invited to use their imaginations to design and build bridges, Franken toys, robots, and more! Other activities include a Magnet Wall Challenge and a Problem Solving Table. Makerspace will be open every Thursday and Friday from 2:00-5:00 p.m. in February and March.  Children must be accompanied by an adult. This exhibit is free with $5 admission/free for members. Group rates are available. Makerspace at Hands On! is sponsored by Duke Energy Foundation.

Monday, January 11, 2016

NCMC Events from Around the State… January 11, 2016

1). Asheville Art Museum (www.ashevilleart.org) invites visitors to get a peek into the day-to-day activities of the Museum’s curatorial department through a new exhibition opening January 16th titled Vault Visible: Behind the Scenes at the Asheville Art Museum. The exhibition will appeal to all kinds of people — art collectors, museum studies students, and anyone curious about the inner workings of a Museum. Vault Visible will give visitors the chance to observe Museum professionals at work in the galleries as they carry out an inventory of the Permanent Collection, photograph objects, assemble crates and perform conservation treatments, all in the public eye. Accompanying displays and programming will reveal the compelling stories behind the Museum’s Collection of 20th- and 21st-century American art, while also helping visitors learn how to care for works of art, identify various mediums, and, in short, think like a curator. As a special component to the exhibition, the Museum will be re-creating several of its storage spaces in the public galleries, bringing large numbers of ceramics, glass works and paintings from the Permanent Collection out into public view. With the help of the transparent wall in the gallery, visitors will be able to peer into “the vault” to see how works of art are stored—an experience usually reserved for the Museum’s curatorial staff. In conjunction with the exhibition, the Museum will be holding a series of programs. These programs will include workshops designed to teach practical skills in caring for works of art, as well as discussions centered on the challenges and delights of curating and collecting. Displays will change during the run of the exhibition to highlight the exciting discoveries made as the inventory unfolds.  For more information about the exhibition and related programming, please visit www.ashevilleart.org.

2). Mount Airy Museum of Regional History (www.northcarolinamuseum.org) invites you to join them for In the Spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Surry Countians Continuing the Dream  on Saturday, January 16th from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.  This program of healing will focus on the sacrifices, love, learning, service, perseverance, and hope of the African-American community of Surry County. Light refreshments will follow the program. Free admission, donations accepted.

3). Fort Fisher State Historic Site (www.nchistoricsites.org/fisher) will commemorate the 151st anniversary of the 2nd battle of Fort Fisher on Saturday, January 16th by hosting “Distinguished by Their Gallantry in Action: Fort Fisher’s Medal of Honor Recipients” program.  Open to the public, this one day living history will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will include periodic cannon firings, special tours, free lectures, kid’s activities, dozens of Union and Confederate reenactors, and a new exhibit highlighting the 72 soldiers, sailors, and Marines who received the Medal of Honor for their actions at Fort Fisher toward the end of the Civil War. Although never presented to their recipients, five Medals of Honor on loan from the U.S. Navy will be among the articles featured in the new exhibit.  Please call (910) 458-5538 for speaker line-up and other event information.

4). North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville (www.naturalsciences.org) invites you to learn “All About Snakes” in the upcoming family-friendly monthly science program, Meet Me at the Museum, on Saturday, January 16th at 1:30 p.m. Ever wonder what snake species are at home in eastern North Carolina? Which ones are venomous and which ones are not? Join the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville as they welcome Shane Freeman, Park Superintendent of Jones Lake State Park and Little Bit, the corn snake. Freeman will explore the various snake species that call our area home. Participants will learn about snake biology, identification and a few do’s and don’ts. Admission is free, but donations are greatly appreciated.  For more information, please contact the Museum at 910-914-4185 or whiteville@naturalsciences.org.

5). The Blowing Rock Art & History Museum (www.blowingrockmuseum.org) invites birders, naturalists, conservationists, and anyone interested in learning something new to the Museum’s next Scholars and Scones program, Birds of the High Country: Amazing Stories from a Remarkable Place, on Thursday, January 21st, at 11 a.m.  The Director of Land Bird Conservation at Audubon North Carolina, Curtis Smalling, will lead this informative and energetic talk which will introduce the audience to some amazing facts and stories about the birds that call North Carolina’s High Country home.  It will conclude with some simple ways that you can get involved in helping our birds thrive.  Hatchet Coffee and locally-baked goods will be served. Admission is a suggested donation of $5. For more information visit www.BlowingRockMuseum.org or call 828-295.9099.

6). The Museum of the Albemarle (www.museumofthealbemarle.com) will host Preschooler Time on Thursday, January 14th at 10 a.m.  Participants between the ages of 3 to 5 years old and accompanied by an adult will discover how deep NASCAR’s roots are in North Carolina.  Find out, and learn about a few of the legendary drivers that come from our state and participate in a hands-on activity. For more information, please call (252) 335-1453.

7). Cape Fear Museum (www.capefearmuseum.com) offers Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle Film Screenings.  In the more than 50 years since the 1963 March on Washington For Jobs and Freedom, the Civil Rights movement has helped transform U.S. society. Explore the movement’s history with Cape Fear Museum and its partners, the New Hanover County Public Library and New Beginning Church. Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities that uses the power of documentary films to encourage community discussion of America’s civil rights history. New Hanover County Public Library will screen the following films in the New Hanover Room at their main branch located at 201 Chestnut Street:  Freedom Riders on Saturday, January 16, at 2:00 p.m. and the The Loving Story on Saturday, January 30, at 2:00 p.m.

8). North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (www.naturalsciences.org) hosts Town Hall featuring Greg Fishel plus United Nations, White House and Museum experts in the Museum’s WRAL 3D Theater on Thursday, January 14th from 7-8:30 p.m., followed by a caual reception to meet the speakers.  Apollo’s 1969 photographs of the blue-green Earth with its wafer-thin atmosphere and nighttime sparkle of city lights have become among the world’s most evocative images. They stimulated the environmental stewardship movement and influenced the designation of this latest moment in Earth history as the Anthropocene to highlight, and try to mitigate, the cumulative extent of human impacts on natural systems. As the human population approaches 7.5 billion, how can societies and environments best be sustained?  Forging a sustainable future, both globally and locally, depends on the United Nations and institutions such as universities and museums working in new ways to build a public base of science-related knowledge. Join WRAL Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel and his three guests — Ramu Damodaran, Chief of the United Nations Academic Impact; Lori Foster, Professor of Psychology at NC State University and Fellow with the White House Social and Behavioral Sciences Team; and Emlyn Koster, Director of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences — for the next program in the Museum series, “The Nature of Science: A Town Hall with Greg Fishel.” The event is made possible by the Friends of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and Capitol Broadcasting Company.

9). Hands On! (www.handsonwnc.org), a Child's Gallery in Hendersonville, announces Literacy Week at Hands On!  Join Hands On Tuesday, January 19th – Friday, January 22nd for early reading and writing literacy exploration! Ages 3 years and above will enjoy learning about letters. Gain competence with pre-writing skills and letter recognition through engaging hands-on games. These activities are located in our party room and are free for members/free with $5 admission.


10). Weatherspoon Art Museum (www.weatherspoon.uncg.edu) invites you to Pan American Modernism Opening on Friday, January 29th from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.  Join them for a special evening celebrating Pan American Modernism: Avant-Garde Art in Latin America and the United States. Drawn from the University of Miami's Lowe Art Museum collection, Pan American Modernism explores the rich visual dialogue that occurred across the two Americas between 1919 and 1979. Included are 70 significant artists from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico, the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela. 5pm: Director's Preview with Nancy Doll.  By invitation for Contributor level WAM members and above. 6pm: Members Gallery Talk. 6:30-8pm: Public Reception, free and open to the public. No reservations required.

Monday, January 04, 2016

NCMC Events from Around the State… January 4, 2016

1). The Blowing Rock Art & History Museum (www.blowingrockmuseum.org) is kicking off a new film series called Movies at the Museum on Tuesday, January 5th at 6:00 p.m. The featured film is Sunny Side of Life (1985), directed by Scott Faulkner, Anthony Slone, and Jack Wright. The speaker for the evening is Dr. Gary Boye, a professor and music librarian at Appalachian State University. During the 1920s and ’30s, the records and radio shows of A.P. Carter, his wife Sara, and sister-in-law Maybelle, spread the music of the southern mountains around the world and earned the Carter family international fame. Sunny Side of Life celebrates the legacy of this country music dynasty by focusing on the Carter Family Fold in Maces Spring, Virginia. This film screening is funded by BRAHM’s Appalachian Culture and Heritage Education Fund. Admission is $7 for nonmembers, $5 for members and students. For more information, please call (828) 295-9099 or visit www.blowingrockmuseum.org.     

2). Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (www.secca.org) invites you to Point & Counterpoint: An Event with Artist Jeana Eve Klein on Thursday, January 7th in the Main Gallery.  Participate in Jeana Eve Klein's artwork, Trading Time, by learning the craft of French Knot embroidery directly from the artist. The event is limited to three slots, first come first served. 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. slots are available. Please email Jeana Eve Klein to reserve a spot: kleinje@appstate.edu.

3). North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (www.naturalsciences.org) invites you to learn how mammals survive extreme environmental change on Thursday, January 7th at 7:00 p.m.  From explorations in the remotest parts of New Guinea, the high forests of the Andes, and the plains of East Africa, find out how extreme mammals cope with extreme environmental threats on a rapidly changing planet when Smithsonian zoologist Kristofer Helgen presents “Mammals in an Age of Extreme Environmental Change,” at the Museum.  In this presentation, held in conjunction with the Museum’s current featured exhibition “Extreme Mammals,” Helgen will also explain how modern scientific expeditions and detective work in museum collections can lead to the discovery of new species of mammals, as well as a better understanding of the ways that mammal species are increasingly endangered in a human-dominated world. Tickets are $10. 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 (www.naturalsciences.org/extreme) or at the Museum Box Office (919-707-9950).

4). North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort (www.ncmaritimemuseums.com) invites you to Brown Bag Gam: United States Lifesaving Service in North Carolina on Thursday, January 7th from Noon – 1:00 p.m.  Pack a lunch for the Brown Bag Gam during your lunch hour and join Associate Curator Benjamin Wunderly to learn about the United States Lifesaving Service.  Listen to the story of the Lifesavers unfold over the history of their service to this country and the countless lives saved and the tragic loss of life suffered because of shipwrecks along the North Carolina coast.  Gam is defined as a friendly conversation between whalers or to visit with another ship while at sea.  Free Admission.  No advance registration.  Walk-ins welcome. 

5). Hands On! (www.handsonwnc.org), a Child's Gallery in Hendersonville, invites you to Curiosity Week at Hands On! Tuesday, January 12th – Friday, January 15th. Be as curious as a monkey all week! All ages can enjoy reading & writing about Curious George. This program is free with $5 admission/free for members and is sponsored by Etowah Valley Veterinary Hospital.

6). New Winston Museum (www.newwinston.org) is pleased to announce the upcoming program in concert with their latest exhibit, Planes, Trains & Automobiles: Winston-Salem’s Wheels of Change. Built for Speed: Motor Sports in the Triad will take place on Wednesday, January 13th, at 5:30 p.m. at the Museum. Event is free and open to the public.  In collaboration with Triad Stage and the Winston Cup Museum, NWM is hosting this panel discussion on the past, present, and future of regional motor sports. Panel will include Loren Pinilis of Bowman Gray Stadium, Will Spencer of the Winston Cup Museum and Janet Allared, author of Vrooommm! Come early or stay late to view the Winston Cup Museum race car. Vrooommm!, Triad Stage's latest production, is about the first female NASCAR driver and will run from January 27th – February 14th at Hanesbrands Theatre.

7). Museum of the Cape Fear (www.museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov) will host Preschool Pals on Wednesday, January 13th at 10:00 a.m. The theme will be “1897 Winter Fun” and will revolve around the 1897 Poe House and will include making some old fashioned crafts, and an on-site field trip to children’s playhouse. The program lasts for 45 minutes and is free to parents and their preschoolers aged 3 to 5. So that museum staff can have enough supplies on hand for all participants, please call the museum at 910-486-1330 to register. For information about the Museum of the Cape Fear, visit www.museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov or follow them on Facebook.

8). Spencer Doll & Toy Museum (www.spencerdollandtoymuseum.com) invites you to their Antiques Appraisal Fair (Roadshow Style) on January 22nd and 23rd from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  Antiques dealer Michael Hansen will take a look at your items and will offer advice and information regarding a broad spectrum of general merchandise including toys. Bring in your family heirlooms and yard sale bargains to find out the fascinating truths about these finds!  Cost is $5.00 per item. Limit 2 items per person. 

9). Charlotte Museum of History (www.charlottemuseum.org) invites you to a Robert Burns Supper on Monday, January 25th from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.  Born the son of a poverty stricken farmer in 1759, Robert Burns became one of the most famous Scottish poets. Every year on January 25th, people all over the world join together in honor and celebration of Burns and his talent for lyrics and poems. Join us in celebrating this outstanding poet for a traditional Burns Supper. Toast to the lassies while also enjoying a meal consisting of traditional Scottish food such as Cock - a - Leekie Soup, Chicken, Haggis, Neeps, Tatties and Cranachan for dessert. $30 for members; $35 for public. Please visit www.charlottemuseum.org to register.


10). Joel Lane Museum House (www.joellane.org) presents a lecture on “Gambrel Roof Houses of Northeastern North Carolina” by Reid Thomas on Thursday, January 28th at 7:00 p.m. at the Visitors Center of the Joel Lane Museum House.  Explore unique examples of gambrel roof houses in northeastern North Carolina and beyond.  This image-rich presentation looks at the origins of this style and raises the ultimate question, Why Gambrel? 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 or go to the Eventbrite web site to purchase tickets. Be sure to include the names of all in your party; nametags will serve as tickets. Tickets are non-refundable unless event is cancelled. For more information, call 919-833-3431, email joellane@bellsouth.net, or visit www.joellane.org