October programs will cover a range of topics at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. For example, the governor’s gardener, Gerald Adams, will highlight the history of the Executive Mansion and its gardens. Children’s programs will focus on El Diá de los Muertos, a Mexican celebration honoring deceased loved ones.
A performance of traditional Russian-Romany music and a screening of “The Admiral” will complement two exhibitions opening Friday, Oct. 4. These magnificent exhibitions are The Tsars’ Cabinet: Two Hundred Years of Russian Decorative Arts Under the Romanovs and Windows into Heaven: Russian Icons from the Lilly and Francis Robicsek Collection of Religious Art. The Tsars’ Cabinet will feature more than 200 porcelain and decorative arts objects that exemplify the craftsmanship of artisans under the Romanov tsars. Windows into Heaven brings together Russian Orthodox icons dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. For admission information, go to ncmuseumofhistory.org or call 919-807-7900.
The Tsars’ Cabinet is organized by the Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William & Mary from the Kathleen Durdin Collection, in collaboration with International Arts & Artists. Major sponsors of the exhibitions include North Carolina News Network, Duke Energy, News & Observer, Ragland Family Foundation, and Mr. and Mrs. Everette C. Sherrill.
October programs are free unless otherwise noted. Parking is free on weekends.
*Time for Tots: A Clean Sweep
Tuesdays, Oct. 1 or 8
10-10:45 a.m.
Ages 3-5 (with adult)
$1 per child
To register, call 919-807-7992.
Find out how housecleaning has changed over time, and make your own miniature broom to take home.
*History Corner: Halloween en Español
Wednesday, Oct. 2
10-11 a.m.
Ages 6-9 (with adult)
$1 per child
To register, call 919-807-7992.
What do good food, costumes, candles and memories have in common? They are all parts of El Diá de los Muertos, a Mexican celebration for remembering deceased loved ones.
*History Hunters: El Diá de los Muertos
Wednesday, Oct. 2
11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Ages 10-13
$1 per child
To register, call 919-807-7992.
Is the Mexican Day of the Dead the same as Halloween? Do people celebrate it in North Carolina? Find out and learn more about this fall holiday.
*Storytime in the Gallery
Ages 3 and up (with adult)
Thursdays, Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31
10-10:30 a.m.
Meet a staff member at the information desk and follow your guide to one of the museum galleries. There, you can look around and listen to a history-related story.
*Make It, Take It: The Write Way
Saturday, Oct. 5
1-3 p.m. (drop-in program)
How’s your penmanship? Could you use a steel-nib pen like the pens that were common in the 19th century? Come and try your hand.
History à la Carte: The Governor’s Garden
Wednesday, Oct. 9
Noon-1 p.m.
Bring your lunch; beverages provided.
Meet the governor’s gardener, Gerald Adams, and hear him talk about the history of the Executive Mansion and its gardens and grounds. He will also share some green thumb tips that everyone can enjoy.
Saturdays in the Garden
Saturday, Oct. 12
1:30-2:30 p.m.
Join our garden staff for an informal tour of History of the Harvest, along Bicentennial Plaza. Tours begin at the information desk in the lobby.
Music of the Carolinas: The Via Romen Guitar Duo
Sunday, Oct. 13
3-4 p.m.
Vadim Kolpakov and Alex Gorodesky will transport you through traditional Russian-Romany music, performed as closely to the original as possible, as well as the duo’s own original compositions that reflect the band’s commitment to authenticity and a new sound they call Nuevo Russian-Romany music. The performance is presented with PineCone, with support from the N.C. Museum of History Associates, Williams Mullen, and WLHC-FM/WLQC-FM.
At the Movies: “The Admiral”
Sunday, Oct. 20
1 p.m.
Dr. Donald J. Raleigh, UNC Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies
“The Admiral” (2008, Russian with subtitles) glorifies Admiral Alexander Kolchak, a naval hero who led White Russian forces into battle against the Bolsheviks in Siberia and briefly became supreme governor of Russia — before meeting his end at the hands of a communist firing squad. Raleigh will introduce the film and lead a discussion following.
For more information about October programs, call 919-807-7900 or go to ncmuseumofhistory.org or Facebook.
* marks programs of interest to children or families
