For centuries, Western North Carolina artists have made the region renowned for handmade craft, from the living traditions of the Cherokee to today’s contemporary craft artisans.
Topics Related to Exhibits
RALEIGH, N.C. — Did you know that over 300 businesses in North Carolina were listed in the Negro Motorist Green Book? In fact, there were 327.
During the early 1800s, North Carolina was considered a sleepy, backward state with a sluggish economy and little interest in change. It became known as the “Rip Van Winkle State.” Mountain Gateway Museum & Heritage Center (MGM) will open a new exhibit Saturday, March 27 about the state’s transformation and the culture of mining in western North Carolina.
You may have heard the legends, read books, or even seen the recent movie, “Harriet,” but now you can see a larger-than-life statue of the heroic figure at Historic Halifax State Historic Site in observance of Women’s History Month. The 9-foot-tall image of Harriet Tubman leading a girl to freedom will be unveiled by the site on Facebook Live Friday, March 5 at 2 p.m.
The far-reaching and impactful accomplishments and contributions of women often have been often overlooked in North Carolina and the nation. During Women’s History Month in March agencies within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources will highlight some of the significant achievements of North Carolina Women through virtual programs and in-person exhibits.
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Hear stories of how freed people built Durham, the wealth and influence of the Cameron family, and how sharecropping shaped the lives of African American families post-Emancipation. All of this will be revealed during in-person tours at Historic Stagville in Durham, Feb. 20.
“Over 900 people were enslaved by the Cameron family in what is now part of Durham, Orange and Granville counties,” observes Site Manager Vera Cecelski. “The people and profits from these massive plantations shape the history of our communities to this day.”
Fort Dobbs in Statesville is the state’s only historic site about the French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years War, that spanned five continents from 1754 to 1763. Discover various aspects of the soldiers’ lives through a virtual program Feb. 27. Participants may sample subjects during the day, or make a day of it, from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
When north winds would blow with falling snow in the 1800s, handmade quilts kept families warm. Mountain Gateway Museum & Heritage Center in Old Fort presents an exhibit of vintage textiles, “Uncovered: Airing the Stories of Heirloom Bedcoverings” through Memorial Day.
Charlotte Hawkins Brown was a woman to stand up and speak out, and in that spirit the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum (CHB) will present an online celebration of women’s activism June 15-22. The “She Changed the World” initiative celebrates the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women, though not all women, the right to vote.
Lacey Wilson has been named the new site manager at the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum in Gibsonville, one of 29 state historic sites of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Wilson previously was a historic interpreter at the Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters in Savannah, Ga., where she designed and conducted tours with a focus on the role and lives of the enslaved inhabitants of the house.