Gaston County Museum
January - February 2012
Patriots or Traitors
at Gaston County Museum
September 20, 2011 - March 10, 2012
To help illustrate what life would have been like for everyone involved in the war, the visitors will be following five different characters throughout the exhibit – an enlisted soldier, an officer, a slave, a woman, and a child. Each character will tell about a unique aspect of the war that affected them; some will be based on actual people from North Carolina, while others will be a representation.
Throughout the exhibit, there will be hands on activities for adults and children to participate in – they can sign an oath of service to the Confederacy, they can huddle down in the trenches and dress up like a North Carolina soldier, they can prepare a campsite and learn about what type of food soldiers and their families would eat, and much more. We hope you will come and experience this exciting, interactive new exhibit.
Let's Build a County Seat - Home School Day
January 11
9:30 - 11:00 AM
$3/child
Join us for this first-time offering! In this special program staff members will lead students in a study of how a 19th century county seat was developed. Contemporary examples of government agencies will be studied as comparisons. A secondary art-based station will be included in the program!
• Pre-registration is required before January 9
• The program will take place from 9:30 am to 11:00 am.
• The cost is $3 per child.
• Minimum age of 8.
• 45 student maximum. Pre-register early!
To pre-register please contact Robert Bemis - 704.922.7681 x 110 or
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The Divided Mind of Civil War North Carolina
- Dr. Richard D. Starnes
January 21
1-2 PM
FREE program
Bad Weather Date - January 28 - 1-2 PM
Free multi-media public presentation appropriate for adults and high school students presented by the Gaston County Museum of Art & History and Gaston County Public Library and Friends of the Gaston County Public Library in conjunction with the North Carolina Humanities Council’s Road Scholars Speakers Series. Reservations suggested to insure seating to Jeff Pruett at 704.922.7681 x101.
Confederate North Carolina was a complex and contradictory place. Among the last to secede, the state ultimately provided more soldiers than any other to the Confederate Army. Governor Zebulon Vance was an outspoken proponent of secession, but constantly battled the central government over issues of states* rights. Vance also faced various degrees of Unionism within his own state. In this program, Dr. Richard Starnes explores the complex way North Carolinians from all stations of society viewed the Civil War, and examines the roots of these divisions. Dr. Richard Starnes is the Sossomon Associate Professor and Head of the Department of History at Western Carolina University. His books include Creating the Land of the Sky: Tourism and Society in Western North Carolina. He is also the founder of the Western North Carolina Oral History Project, which seeks to record the memories and experiences of the region’s history for future generations.
Terrific Toddler Tuesday - The Groundhog's Shadow!
January 24
10 - 11 AM
$2 per child/Free to Family Members
This program is geared towards preschoolers ages 1-4. Will the groundhog see his shadow? Learn about this tradition and how groundhogs and other animals survive the cold weather. Make groundhog puppets, hear a story and make shadows on the walls.At the end of the program, there will be a snack. For information on upcoming monthly Toddler Programs, please click here.
Coffee with the Curator
February 1
10:30 - 11:30 AM
FREE program
Curator, Stephanie Elliott identifies objects and provides preservation assistance on pieces brought to the museum. If objects are too large please bring photographs. Object donations to the museum will also be considered. No appointment needed, three item limit per person, and no monetary appraisals at this program.
Music at the Depot - Featuring Michael Reno Harrell
February 10
6:30 - 8:30 PM
$10/Advance, $15/Door
Online tickets - https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/215775
RSVP required to Jeff Pruett at 704.922.7681 x100
Michael Reno Harrell is an award winning songwriter, as well as a veteran storyteller and entertainer, and he’s from the South… the Southern Appalachian Mountains to hone it a bit finer. Michael's recordings top the Americana Music Association charts year after year. His original songs and stories have been described as “Appalachian grit and wit” but, as his writing shows, Michael’s awareness is much broader than the bounds of his boyhood home or even the Southern Experience. Having toured throughout the British Isles and much of Europe, as well as most of the US, the songs he writes and the stories he creates reflect an insight into people’s experiences that catch the ear like an old friend's voice.
Michael's natural knack for storytelling, in print, song and spoken word has earned him praise from not only the music community but from the literary and storytelling worlds as well, having had the honor of being a Featured Teller at the National Storytelling Festival and to be Teller In Residence at the International Storytelling Center, as well as performing at major music events like MerleFest and the Walnut Valley Festival. His humor and wit, as well as the emotional depth of his work, keep his fan base growing and staying tuned in for whatever comes next. Don’t miss the chance to experience what those faithful fans keep returning again and again to enjoy.
Family Fun Night - Civil War Focus
February 16
5:30 - 7:30 PM
$5/child, under 2 - free
Kids, ever wonder what a Civil War soldier’s life was like. Then join us from 5:30 – 7:30 PM for our special Civil War Family Fun Night. During this program, for $5 per child (under 3 & adults – free, unless eating, then $1) visitors to the museum will enjoy a pizza dinner beginning at 5:30 PM, learn period military marching drills, and observe firing demonstrations. After this, kids will learn about communication during the Civil War and create their own copy book to take home.
PLEASE NOTE, RSVP’S ARE REQUIRED BY February 14 to LYNN DUNCAN AT 704.922.7681 x106. Come join us!