Press Releases

Raleigh, N.C. – Secretary of the N.C. Dept. of Natural and Cultural Resources Susi Hamilton will be volunteering at Scotts Hill Baptist Church Wednesday, Oct. 10 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Secretary Hamilton will be joining North Carolina Baptist Mission (NCBM) disaster relief volunteers assisting individuals in completing NCBM work request forms, prioritizing needs and distributing work orders to NCBM work teams.   DATE: Wednesday, Oct. 10 TIME: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The cooler weather, lower humidity and bright fall colors inspire many to decorate for the season. Pumpkins, dried corn and gourds become art objects. Bennett Place State Historic Site will host members of the North Carolina Gourd Society Saturday, Oct. 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a one-day craft making event. The fee is $10 and reservations are required. 

The recent heavy rains from Hurricane Florence caused the roofs of two North Carolina museums to fail, threatening two very different but equally important collections of historical artifacts. 

The great jobs of today and tomorrow are in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Yet people with disabilities remain underrepresented in these fields despite recent advances in the accessibility of information technology and other tools used by working professionals. To help turn that tide, the 6th annual STEM Career Showcase for Students with Disabilities will be held Tuesday, October 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

To commemorate 100 years since the Armistice of World War I, a new exhibit in the State Capitol focuses on North Carolinians during the war. The exhibit features and is built around a personal journal on loan to the Capitol. The journal, written by college student Mabel Grant from 1918-1919, chronicles everyday life at East Carolina Teachers Training School – the predecessor to East Carolina University. While a student at the school, Mabel’s journal recounts details of her loved ones serving in the military, as well as her own efforts to help the war effort. 

Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed October 2018 as Archives Month in North Carolina and the State Archives of North Carolina is cosponsoring an exhibit that displays both ordinary and extraordinary documents that record the history and culture of the state. 

Fall is in the air at Somerset Place State Historic Site, just in time for Crafts and Crops Day on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. With harvesttime in full swing, come and experience fun, food, arts, history and crafts for the whole family. Admission is $2 for children and $4 for adults.

The state’s highest civilian honor, the North Carolina Award, will be presented to six distinguished North Carolinians Friday, Nov. 16, at the Raleigh Convention Center. Governor Roy Cooper will present the award at a 7 p.m. banquet and ceremony. The award was created by the General Assembly in 1961 to recognize significant contributions to the state and nation in the fields of fine arts, literature, public service and science.

The North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) has named Valerie Hillings as its next Museum director. A Duke University graduate and curator with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation (Guggenheim) for over 14 years, Hillings is currently curator and associate director of curatorial affairs for the future Guggenheim Abu Dhabi museum. She will join the NCMA on November 1, 2018, when Dr. Larry Wheeler retires after 24 years at the helm of the Museum.

Learn how librarian Barbara Freedman uncovered her immigrant roots from Rogachev, Belarus – and found some surprises along the way – during “From Rogachev to Raleigh: Discovering Immigrant Roots,” a free program hosted by the North Carolina Government and Heritage Library, 109 E. Jones St., Raleigh, Oct. 10 at 2 p.m.