National attention is focused on North Carolina, a battleground state in the presidential election. Well-known Tar Heel political analysts will share their opinions on the election during the Oct. 4 program North Carolina: Battleground State at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh.
October also kicks off Southern Style, a three-part lecture series on decorative arts, featuring nationally recognized scholars and authors. On Oct. 11 hear about the latest research findings on Southern furniture. Another October lecture highlights Virginia silversmiths.
To complement the highly popular exhibit Real to Reel: The Making of Gone with the Wind, the museum offers the program The Civil War in Fiction and Film, presented by David Sachsman, Professor of Communications at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Choose from a wide range of October programs, which are free unless otherwise noted. Parking is free on weekends. An asterisk (*) marks programs of interest to children or families.
PROGRAMS
*Time for Tots: Fun at the Fair
Tuesday, Oct. 2 , Tuesday, Oct. 9, 10-10:45 a.m.
Ages 3-5 with adult
$1 per person
Learn about the start of the North Carolina State Fair, then create a little fair fun of your own! To register, call 919-807-7992.
*History Corner: Holidays Around the World
Wednesday, Oct. 3, 10-11 a.m.
Ages 6-9 with adult
$1 per person
What do Halloween, All Saints’ Day, and Día de los Muertos have in common? Discover how these holidays are celebrated and make a fall craft. The program is presented with Cameron Village Regional Library. To register, call 919-807-7992.
*History Hunters: Carolina del Norte
Wednesday, Oct. 3, 10-11 a.m.
Ages 10-13
$1 per person
What’s it like to move to a new place and learn a new language and culture? Find out about Latino life in our state. To register, call 919-807-7992.
North Carolina: Battleground State
Thursday, Oct. 4, 7-9 p.m.
North Carolinais a battleground state with national attention focused on the races for president, governor, and Congress. A panel of analysts will look at how the battle is progressing. Rob Christensen, political columnist for the News and Observer, will serve as moderator. Democratic consultants Gary Pearce and Brad Crone, Republican consultant Carter Wrenn, John Hood of the John Locke Foundation, and political scientist Andrew Taylor will participate.
Play: When I Leave
Friday, Oct. 5, 7-9 p.m.
$8 ($5 members); ages 12 and under free
Local writer EJ Stewart’s new play tells of the son of aNorth Carolinafarming family in the early 1960s. Grappling with segregation, he must decide how to respond to current events close to home. A Q&A follows. Purchase tickets at ncmuseumofhistory.org or on the night of event in Museum Shop.
The Civil War in Fiction and Film
Sunday, Oct. 7, 2 p.m.
Learn how the memory of the Civil War has been manipulated and its history reinterpreted with David Sachsman, Professor of Communications at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Sachsman, author of Memory and Myth: The Civil War in Fiction and Film, will sign books following his talk.
History à la Carte: Gravestone Art of the Carolina Backcountry
Wednesday, Oct. 10, 12:10-1 p.m.
Bring your lunch; beverages provided.
Using historical records, oral lore, and gravestone texts and iconography, Daniel W. Patterson, Kenan Professor Emeritus of English and Folklore, at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, throws new light on Scotch Irish history and culture in the Carolina Piedmont.
Southern Furniture Studies: Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Going
Thursday, Oct. 11, 7-9 p.m.
$10 per person ($5 members); $25 for three-lecture series ($12 members)
Purchase tickets at ncmuseumofhistory.org or call 919-807-7835.
Ronald L. Hurst, Vice President for Collections, Conservation and Museums with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, will examine the history of Southern furniture studies and highlight recent trends in research and discovery. Purchase tickets at ncmuseumofhistory.org or call 919-807-7835.
Music of the Carolinas: The Outliers
Sunday, Oct. 14, 3-4 p.m.
This bluegrass band spans genres from reggae to Delta blues, making each style its own. The performance is presented with PineCone, with support from the N.C. Museum of History Associates, Williams Mullen, and WLHC-FM/WLQC-FM.
Conservation Assistance Day
Friday, Oct. 19, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Got questions about caring for your treasured possessions? You’re invited to bring up to three objects to the museum for assessment and advice on care from our conservators. Appointment required. Call Jan Sweatt at 919-807-7823.
Tar Heel Political Commercials: Hide the Children
Sunday, Oct. 21, 2-3 p.m.
Candidates communicate to voters through TV ads, and the results are often not pretty. Rob Christensen, political columnist for the News and Observer, will take a look at a few of the more famous ads that have aired in the state since 1984.
Virginia Silversmiths: The Branching of the Trade
Thursday, Oct. 25, 7-9 p.m.
$10 per person ($5 members); $25 for three-lecture series ($12 members)
Drawing on her book Virginia Silversmiths, Jewelers, Clock- and Watchmakers, 1607-1860, Their Lives and Marks, Catherine B. Hollan, a decorative arts scholar, will discuss the lives and careers of Virginia’s luxury metals craftsmen and their activity in North Carolina.
North Carolina’s Emerging Latino Population
Sunday, Oct. 28, 2-3 p.m.
José Villalba, with the Department of Counseling at Wake Forest University will discuss how Latinos are handling the realities, opportunities and challenges of life in the Tar Heel State. This program is made possible by a grant from the North Carolina Humanities Council, a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
For more information about October programs, call (919) 807-7900, go to ncmuseumofhistory.org, or connect with us Facebook or Twitter.