NCMC Events from Around the State… February 15, 2016

1). The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher (www.ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher) hosts a day of discovery designed for children and adults living with autism and their families on Sunday, February 21st. Autism Friendly Day programs and activities are free with Aquarium admission. The dive program, scheduled for 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., will include an educator assisting guests in finding animals in the Cape Fear Shoals, the 235,000 gallon exhibit featuring sharks, rays and a green sea turtle. Visitors also can collect seven Aquarium passport stamps to guide them through the Aquarium and help identify animal-touching opportunities. A calm-space to help provide comfort, relaxation or a break will be available to families and their children. In addition, staff will offer three, hour-long programs throughout the day as a preview for upcoming autism friendly bi-monthly programs at the Aquarium.  The Aquarium hosts Autism Friendly Day with the assistance of the University of North Carolina TEACCH Autism Program to better serve the needs and interests of children and adults living with autism. For more information about Autism Friendly Day call (910) 772-0500 or email FFmail@fortfisher.com.

2). Historic Wilmington Foundation (www.historicwilmington.org) invites you to share in a very special part of Wilmington, NC.  2016’s Azalea Festival Home Tour will feature nine beautiful homes and one historic church, spanning 250 years of architectural history.  The Tour is the area’s largest of its kind a very popular part of Wilmington’s Azalea Festival.  Tour dates and times are April 9, 1:00 – 6:00 p.m., and April 10, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.  A ribbon cutting ceremony will kick-off the tour at 311 Front street at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday April 9.  All ticket holders are welcome to join Azalea belles in touring this magnificent home and enjoying free ice cream provided by Dairy Queen.  Tickets are $30 per person prior to the event and $35 during the event weekend.  Please call 910.762.2511 or visit http://www.historicwilmington.org/azalea-festival-home-tour/ for tickets and more information.

3). The Spencer Doll and Toy Museum (www.spencerdollandtoymuseum.com) will host the Black History Month's 2nd Annual Fashion Show on Saturday, February 20th. The event will be held from 6-8 p.m. including refreshments at the Spencer Women's Club, 100 Third St. Community Leaders Thomasina Paige, member of Dorset Chapel Church, Vincia Benjamin Miller, member of AME Zion Church of Concord and 2nd Vice President of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, and Brenda Neely, Owner of A Perfect Dress and member of Miller's Chapel AME Zion will be hosting this event. Thomasina will be demonstrating original African fabrics which show the beautiful patterns and how they evolved over time.  Vincia will be organizing the local models with Brenda and also showcasing church fashions. Brenda will be donating her expertise and time to show the newer fashions and prom dresses.  This event also includes refreshments, sponsored by Chic-Fil-A, and admission to the Spencer Doll and Toy Museum to showcase Black History Month exhibits from 10-3 p.m. All ages are welcome! We welcome sponsorships for advertising, door prizes and sponsorships. Attendees are encouraged to wear their African Attire.  To purchase $10 admission tickets, please call the museum at (704) 762-9359 Thursday- Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tickets are being sold now and credit cards are accepted.

4). Earl Scruggs Center (www.earlscruggscenter.org) invites you to visit their latest exhibit, Carolina Faces: The Photography of Don Sturkey, which will be on view until May 15, 2016.  A young, unrecognized Elvis Presley being turned away from the Charlotte Coliseum. The ladies’ auxiliary of the Ku Klux Klan in hoods and robes. Children living in poverty, the public moments of government officials, the grief of ordinary citizens who have lost their jobs, their homes, their loved ones. In nearly forty years as a photojournalist (1952-1989), Don Sturkey captured thousands of Carolina faces. While most of the photos in this exhibition documented the societal changes that took place over his career, many recalled everyday life in the Carolinas during that time. Regardless of subject, all of Sturkey’s photographs demonstrated his philosophy of “capturing emotion first” and making “composition and technique secondary.”

5). New Winston Museum (www.newwinston.org) invites you to their latest Salon Series, “Illuminating Disabilities: Friends or Foes: Winston-Salem's Shades of Gray” on Thursday, February 25th from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. This program will focus on how local institutions impact those living with disabilities. Panelists include representatives from The Centers for Exceptional Children, The Enrichment Center, Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, and The Adaptables, Inc Center for Independent Living.  Event is free  and will take place at New Winston Museum, 713 S. Marshall Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. For more information contact us at info@newwinston.org or 336.724.2842.

6). Charlotte Museum of History (www.charlottemuseum.org) invites you to their Black History Month Program on February 20, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. In commemoration of Black History Month, The Charlotte Museum of History is hosting a family program that will celebrate the history of African Americans.  The event is free and open to the public! To register, please call 704-568-1774 or visit us online at http://www.charlottemuseum.org/RegisterFree.asp.   

7). Greensboro Historical Museum (www.greensborohistory.org) invites you to “High Point’s Early Black Communities” with local historian and author Glenn Chavis on Saturday, February 20th from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.  Glenn Chavis has been described as a man on a history mission. He has written two books and more than 300 newspaper columns about High Point. Come hear how voices change history. Free admission.

8). President James K. Polk State Historic Site (www.jameskpolk.net) invites you to “Shaping the Tar Heel Sound”, a three-part series that will explore how African Americans shaped North Carolina music over time. Lecturers will explore how African folk music and European musical traditions mixed from the 18th-20th centuries to create the distinct sounds of the Carolina Piedmont and the Appalachian Mountains.  Lecturers will also consider how cultural exchanges between black and white musicians in the South shaped the evolution of popular music as we know it, and help develop musical genres like bluegrass and rock. All lectures will include audience discussion, and some will include instrument demonstrations and the chance to hear audio recordings. Series will take place February 18-20 , please visit www.jameskpolk.net for a full schedule.  Free Admission.

9). The High Point Museum Guild (www.highpointmuseum.org) continues their informative series of programs on the history of the Greater High Point area on Wednesday, February 17th at 10:00 a.m. at the High Point Museum. Mike Vaughan, Ph.D. will present a new twist on the Piedmont prairie with his research on the vanishing bison. This lecture is free and open to the public.

10). North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville (www.naturalsciences.org) invites you to “Meet Me at the Museum: Saturday Explorations,” a free family-friendly science and nature program offered the third Saturday of every month.  This month, the museum welcomes Martha Fisk, Coordinator of Community Outreach with the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. Fisk will present “Animal Tracks and Signs” on Saturday, February 20, 1:30 p.m. Participants will meet live animals and learn how to use their senses to uncover the different clues they leave behind. This  program is geared toward ages 4 and older.  Admission is free, but donations are greatly appreciated. For more information, please contact the Museum at 910-914-4185 or whiteville@naturalsciences.org.