North Carolina Museum of Art

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EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

FESTIVALS

Earth Day at the NCMA | Saturday, April 18 | 11 am–3 pm | Museum Park and Trails

This celebration of art and nature features guided Park tours, children's art workshops, live music on the big stage, and environmental demonstrations throughout the 164-acre Museum Park. Earth Day at the NCMA, presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, is part of Earth Day Raleigh 2009. The festival and all workshops and activities are free.

Workshops and Activities | Music and Storytelling | Environmental Education | Concessions

WORKSHOPS AND ACTIVITIES
Children and families will discover fun and easy ways to be green with art activities and creative workshops.

The Scrap Exchange
Build imaginative sculpture using reused materials from the famous blue barrels of The Scrap Exchange, a nonprofit creative reuse center in Durham.

Be Active North Carolina
Recycling relay races and games will be led by Be Active North Carolina, an organization dedicated to increasing physical activity levels and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Pottery Workshop
Create your own whimsical nature-inspired works of art with clay in a pottery workshop led by Seagrove potter Sid Luck.

Mini Basket Weaving
Experience a new twist on recycled cardboard and plastic bags as they come together to create a mini basket.

Letterboxing
Join the letterbox journaling adventure through the Park—follow the clues, and when you find the letterbox, get your book stamped.

Leaf Printing
Create your own nature print using discarded plant materials from the Museum Park.

Nest Egg for the Earth
Participants in this large-scale community art project will help create a large, eco-friendly nest egg in Lowe’s Pavilion in the Park. Eggs created by visitors and inscribed with their thoughts and dreams for the earth will fill the large nest.

MAIN STAGE PERFORMANCES

11:00 a.m.	No Strings Attached Energetic bluegrass band No Strings Attached comprises an all-star cast of local musicians who will play favorites from their deep repertoire of original contemporary songs, traditional favorites, and blazing instrumentals.
11:45 a.m.	Storyteller Louise Omoto Kessel and Percussionist Beverly Botsford Louise Omoto Kessel brings her love of the natural world to her storytelling program for Earth Day. Percussionist Beverly Botsford brings bells, chimes, drums, gongs, and shakers from around the world to create a soundscape for the stories.
12:30 p.m.	Sandbox Sandbox returns to the Earth Day festival stage to charm both young and old with their high-energy, upbeat, and twangy sound.
1:30 p.m.	The Old Ceremony Local favorite The Old Ceremony, armed with a new album and fresh off a stint of sold-out shows across the Triangle, hits our stage with their powerful and orchestral pop/rock.
2:30 p.m.	Carnavalito Carnavalito grabs hold of every Latin sound imaginable and explodes with percussive fire. Celebrate the 20th-anniversary year of the Triangle's best-loved Latin jazz and salsa band.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Environmental educators will share information about ways to incorporate conservation, composting, reducing, and recycling into daily routines. Opportunities include:

City of Raleigh environmentalists will lead recycling games and teach visitors how to turn trash into treasure, compost kitchen scraps, and create compost bins.
Prairie Ridge EcoStation Educators will introduce visitors to live program animals— bullfrog, yellow-bellied slider, painted turtle, snapping turtle, and a small water snake—many of which live in the Museum Park and pond.
East Coast Greenway representatives will discuss the East Coast Greenway Trail, a developing trail system spanning nearly 3,000 miles from Canada to Key West, of which the Museum Park will be a part.
The Museum’s Director of Planning and Design will give updates on the new gallery building and its green elements.

Soles4Souls Shoe Drive
In conjunction with Earth Day at the NCMA, the Museum and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina will collect gently worn shoes to be recycled for people in need worldwide. The donations will benefit Soles4Souls, a Nashville-based nonprofit that facilitates the donations of both new and used shoes. The shoe drive kicks off on Monday, March 23, and culminates at the Earth Day festival. Collection boxes are located in the Museum’s Education Lobby through April 18. Donations will also be accepted at the Earth Day festival in the Museum Park on April 18.

CONCESSIONS
Concessions available for purchase will include healthy lunches on compostable serving materials provided by Blue Ridge, the Museum Restaurant, and a selection of Popsicles from Locopops.

Earth Day at the NCMA is a part of Earth Day Raleigh 2009. For more information about Earth Day events happening around the city and state, visit www.visitraleigh.com and greatoutdoorprovision.com/earthday.

For all the latest updates on the festival and other happenings, be sure to sign up for eView, the Museum's monthly e-mail newsletter.