PUBLICITY AND PHOTOS

African American Cultural Celebration

Bring the family to the ninth annual African American Cultural Celebration, featuring more than 50 presenters and loads of hands-on activities for all ages. Truly a celebration, the variety of dancers, musicians, actors, authors, storytellers, artists, craftspeople and others will bring to life the rich heritage of the state’s African Americans, past and present. Admission and parking are free.

This year’s African American Cultural Celebration continues its strong tradition of engaging presentations. For example, visitors will hear music performed by legendary bluesman Big Ron Hunter and nationally acclaimed musician Grenaldo Frazier, composer of the gospel off-Broadway musical “Mama I Want to Sing,” to name a few. But the event encompasses much more than music. Modern dance company Cyrus Art Productions will perform and teach dance moves, storytellers from the N.C. Association of Black Storytellers will captivate both young and old, Rhonda Muhammed will serve up hometown cooking tips, and artists like carver Frank Barrow and basketmaker Neal Thomas will demonstrate their talents. Stay for lunch and purchase foods from vendors on Bicentennial Plaza, directly outside the museum.

“Many cultural groups have made significant contributions to North Carolina, yet their achievements are not always recognized in textbooks,” says Emily Grant, the museum’s youth programs coordinator, who organizes the annual event. “This celebration gives us a wonderful opportunity to tell the stories of many individuals. We try to strike a balance between historical programs and presentations about contemporary topics.”

Special guests include staff from the Freelon Group, who will highlight Durham architect Philip Freelon’s recent projects, such as the Harvey Gantt Center in Charlotte and the International Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro. They will also share their plans for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. With construction slated to begin in 2012, this will be the first national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life.

History and drama will be part of the event. Visitors can watch scenes from the play “Phillis Wheatley and Friends”: see historical figures come to life from the museum’s upcoming exhibit on Thomas Day, who operated North Carolina’s largest furniture workshop in 1850 and became the state’s best-known cabinetmaker; or learn about the George Eastman School in northeastern North Carolina.

A sampling of activities follows. For a complete schedule or more information, go to ncmuseumofhistory.org or call 919-807-7900.

● Music and dance will take the stage with the gospel sounds of Gerald Hinton, the African dance moves of Collage Dance Company, and others.

● Watch craft demonstrations and take a workshop led by miniaturist Pinkie Strother. See Benny Baker make intricately carved pipes, Jerome Bias create furniture and other artisans at work.

● Games and crafts combine learning with fun. Play traditional African games, make a cowrie shell necklace, or join a quilting bee, to name a few.

● Individuals will highlight historical topics and literary milestones. For example, Zelda Lockhart will moderate a session on her project about collecting oral histories from Mama and Baba Shabu, and Scott Washington will discuss the George Eastman School in Enfield.

● Staff members from historic sites across North Carolina will share fascinating facts. Talk with representatives from the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum, Latta House Foundation, Somerset Place State Historic Site, W.E.B. DuBois Community Development Corp., and other sites.

Mark your calendar for the African American Cultural Celebration. This event is supported by AT&T and the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, with funds from the United Arts campaign as well as the North Carolina Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes a great nation deserves great art.

For more information, call 919-807-7900 or access ncmuseumofhistory.org or Facebook.

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