Events | Charlotte

august
2008
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	During the month of August, Elder Gallery will donate 20% of proceeds to Charlotte’s regional land trust, Catawba Lands Conservancy. The August exhibition, The Naturalist’s World , runs from August 1-30. The Naturalist’s World is an exhibition of paintings, photographs and ceramics aimed at drawing attention to the natural beauty of the world. “Larry Elder and Elder Gallery have been longtime supporters of the Conservancy, and we are honored and grateful to be the beneficiary of The Naturalist’s World. This exhibition is a unique and robust expression of our natural world and landscapes, and dramatically characterizes the product of the Conservancy’s land protection efforts,” said Dave Cable, Executive Director at Catawba Lands Conservancy. Along with artists from eight states, North Carolina ceramist Warner Hyde will present a body of work that originated from the Carolina elements. “A harmony is reached when I have given my life to the ceramic work and hand it over to fire, which in the end process, deposits its wisdom as beauty to the work” says Hyde, Associate Professor of Art at Meredith College. Elder Gallery is located at 1427 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203. Visit Elderart.com for details.
	Thanks to Collaborative Arts, free Shakespeare returns to McGlohon Theatre this summer with multiple performances of “Much Ado About Nothing.” Showtimes can be found at CollaborativeArtsTheatre.com.
	Justify a shopping spree—it’s tax-free weekend!
	Maria Mitchell, the first professional female astronomer in the United States, was born on this day in 1818. Mitchell was raised in a Quaker community, which was one of the few groups that felt women should have equal educational opportunities as men. She had the notable discovery that sunspots are “whirling vertical cavities” and not, as thought at the time, clouds.
	Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium will run tonight at dusk at the amphitheater in Freedom Park. Bring your own blanket or chairs and enjoy free popcorn under the night sky. Visit WatershedCharlotte.com for more information.
	Get a taste for Japanese dance and culture at the Bon Odori Festival held from 11am to 5pm at the Wachovia Atrium and Plaza. Look forward to a martial arts and tea exhibition, food, crafts, and traditional dance. To learn more, call 704.333.2775.
	Wildlife biologist Susan Campbell will conduct a Wild Wings Hummingbird Banding demonstration today from 9am to 3pm at the Four Seasons Lawn and White Garden at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. You may even have the unique opportunity to hold a bird, which weighs less than a penny! For details, visit dsbg.org.
	Interested in learning basket weaving from a professional artist? Weaving on Wednesdays at the McColl Center for Visual Art is held each week from 11am to 2pm with artist Bev Nagy for a cost of $40. Call 704.332.5535 for details.
	Life is not a having and a getting, but a being and a becoming.” Myrna Loy would have been 103 today. She used her fame in the 1930s-40s to champion the rights of black actors and to give them dignity onscreen, rather than the stereotypes they often played at the time.
	Martha Stewart’s birthday is today. Bake a cake entirely out of the flour you hand-milled from your personal wheat crop and decorate it with homemade buttercream frosting and fruit from your organic orchard to celebrate.
	Today is the 52nd birthday of Meg Whitman, former President and CEO of eBay. Since resigning from eBay in March 2008, she is considering a run for Governor of California in 2010.
	Have a secret passion to decorate like Martha or cook like Miss Ray? Cakeman, a local custom cake creations company, is offering summer classes to teach you the skills of the pros. Today you can learn to cover cakes, create fondant flowers and mold figures with “Fondant Techniques” held at 2pm and 6pm for a cost of $30 for the class and all materials. Class is held at the Cookie CafÃ, 113 E.Main St. in downtown Rock Hill, SC. Space is limited, so register by Friday July 25. Vist Cakemanonline.com for pictures of some of the sweetest creations and for more information.
	Dame Miriam Rothschild, a leading entomologist and zoologist, was born on this day in 1908. Scientifically, she was a foremost expert on fleas and was the first person to figure out the biology of how fleas jump. Socially, she campaigned for the legalization of homosexuality in the U.K. in the 1960s and was a vegetarian—she refused to wear any form of leather or fur.
	Lucille Ball’s birthday is today…she clashed with CBS execs after they tried not to let her have a pregnancy storyline in her show. They finally caved, but still wouldn’t allow her to say “pregnant.” Throughout the episode, they had to refer to her as “expecting” instead.
	Grandma Moses was born 148 years ago today. She started painting in her 70s after arthritis made it difficult for her to continue her art of embroidery. She went on to become one of America’s most popular folk artists and lived to the age of 101.
	Pineville Art Guild is a newly founded organization in Pineville, NC. Join the group for monthly meetings, the first Thursday of each month at 7 pm. This month’s meeting features photographer Glen Ostel. His photos and articles have appeared in numerous trade publications as well as dive and travel magazines including Sport Diver, Rodale's Scuba Diving, Skin Diver, Shark Diver, Outdoor California, Caribbean Travel & Life, Islands and Times of the Islands. The meeting will be held at The Hut, 413 Johnston Drive, Pineville, NC. For directions, please call the Pineville ParknRec at 704.889.2400.
	Allison Luce will lead a panel discussion today on Women and Ceramic Sculpture. With recently renewed interest in feminism in contemporary art as a backdrop for discussion, the panel will address the use of ceramics, often viewed as craft laden with gender associations, by female artists using clay in non-traditional ways. The discussion will be held at the McColl Center for Visual Art during Open Studio Saturday from 2-3:30pm. Visit McCollCenter.org for details.
	Janie Porter Barrett was born on this day in 1865. She founded the Virginia Industrial School for Colored Girls, a rehabilitation center for troubled girls which was centered on self-reliance and self-discipline. It became a model for other similar schools and was extremely successful—the majority of students found jobs and had families after leaving the facility. It became integrated in 1965 and still exists today under the name of the Barrett Learning Center.
	Mary Gove Nichols was born 198 years ago, today. She traveled the country speaking about women’s health and anatomy, but was scorned by many of her time for her belief in “free love” instead of marriage, which Nichols considered to be the “annihilation of women.” She believed that health, freedom and sexual liberation were all linked was an outspoken advocate for all three.
	Cultivate a calm mind with Yoga in the Preserve at Reedy Creek Nature Center every Tuesday from 6pm to 7pm. For an extra challenge, take advantage of a guided hike at 5pm. Call 704.598.8857 for pricing and details.
	Today would have been the 91st birthday of Gladys Bentley, a Harlem Renaissance blues singer. Openly lesbian during her early career (she dressed in tuxedos and top hats with a drag queen chorus line singing back-up and flirted with female patrons), during the McCarthy era, she put on dresses, married a man and claimed that taking female hormones had “cured” her, in order to avoid being put on trial.
	Left-hander’s Day is today. Approximately 7-10% of the population is left-handed, and left-handed females are rarer than males. Joan of Arc, Queen Victoria, Eudora Welty, Greta Garbo and Ruth Bader Ginsberg are some of these unique, southpawed females.
	Today, August 23 and 28, visit Earth Fare in Rock Hill, SC to meet and greet some of the adoptable pets that Richardson Animal Rescue has to offer. Earth Fare is located at 725 Cherry Road. Call 803.327.1030 for details.
	It’s time again for Laugh for the Cure, a fundraising event benefiting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Laugh for the Cure is a night of comedy held at the McGlohonTheater in Spirit Square in Uptown Charlotte. Tonight's events begin with a silent auction and horsd'oeuvres at 6 o’clock, followed by a live auction at 7:00 pm and then the comedy show featuring David L. and Billy Gardell. Tickets are $42 each plus a $5.50 processing fee if you buy your tickets online or by phone. Alternatively, you can buy tickets at the Blumenthal box office in Founder’s Hall. Call 704.372.1000 or visit carolinatix.org for tickets. Visit LaughForTheCure for details!
	Letitia Elizabeth Landon (often known as L.E.L.), a poet, was born on this day in 1802. While her poetry has not withstood the test of time, she was respected by her contemporaries for paving the way for other female writers. Christina G. Rossetti and Elizabeth Barrett Browning were just a few of her literary admirers who wrote tributes to her.
	A reception featuring oil paintings by Heidi Kirschner will be held from 7pm to 10pm at Zebra Restaurant and Wine Bar. Sip on wine and buy beautiful artwork because a portion of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Call 704.344.9548 to RSVP.
	Julia Child, former assistant in the OSS’s Secret Intelligence division and celebrity chef and author, would have been 96 today. Her legendary persona and accessible recipes made her a pop culture icon.
	The Mint Museum of Craft and Design’s newest exhibit is about flair you can wear. Ornament as Art features 275 pieces from the Helen Drutt Collection and explores the impact of avant-garde jewelry as a global art form. Call 704.337.2000 for more information.
	Madonna turns 50 today. From “Like a Virgin” to “4 Minutes,” she manages to push the envelope on the issue of sexuality and proves to be an enormous influence to society (Kabbalah, anyone?) while putting out an endless stream of shake-your-booty tunes.
	At 3pm today, the African Diaspora Arts Program and Theatre (ADAPT) will present a play in the Great Hall of the Charlotte Museum of History. Thirty children, ages 5 to 15, will take part in the performance of “My Attic’s Treasures” to demonstrate how to locate and identify items discovered in your house. This presentation represents the culmination of a summer camp session during which the children participate in daily music, dance, writing and art workshops. Scholarships for selected students were funded by the Arts and Science Council, the Charlotte Observer and other contributors. Tickets may be purchased in advance or on the day of the play at the Charlotte Museum of History, 3500 Shamrock Drive. Call 704.568.1774 for details. Admission ranges from $3-$6 general, members free and free on Sundays from 1-5pm.
	“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” Mae West, stage and screen actress, who pushed the social limits on female sexuality, was born on this day in 1893.
	Coco Chanel, the revolutionary designer who liberated women from centuries of corsets with simple, menswear inspired fashions, was born 125 years ago today. “The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”
	The Charlotte Museum of History has designed a family fun night full of imagination, themed around their newest exhibit, “Charlotte Stories: Our Collections, Your Treasures.” The night begins at 5pm with a pizza dinner, artifact adventures with a princess and museologist, a showing of National Treasure and more. Details at CharlotteMuseum.org.
	The 5th Mooresville/Lake Norman Exchange Club’s Cotton Ketchie Arts Festival returns this Friday and Saturday to the Charles Mack Citizen Center. Proceeds from the event help support the SCAN/Child Parenting Centers in Iredell County. In 2007, $20,000 was donated to the Iredell Centers and $1,200 to the NC District Exchange Club’s Foundation for the Prevention of Child Abuse. Friday’s events feature a Gala and art auction. Advance tickets for the gala are $50 and available at Landmark Gallery or online at CottonKetchieArtsFestival.com. Saturday’s events are free to the public.
	Divas Wanted! Come sing with women from the Queen Charlotte Chorus of Sweet Adelines International. Learn a cappella harmony, barbershop style. Discover a great new hobby, new friends and international singing community. When: Saturday, October 4th Time: 9:30am to 12:30pm Where: University Library, 301 West WT Harris Blvd, Charlotte For more info call 704-556-0690 or visit www.queencharlottechorus.com.
	Visit the North Carolina wine county on a three stop “Hop On” Tour, the fourth Saturday of every month through October. Join the tour at Kenton Place, West Catawba Avenue or NC 73 in Cornelius in front of the old Palace Theatre. Tours are $35 per person. For an itinerary or to make a reservation, call 704.804.1547. Cheers!
	Today and August 28, visit Earth Fare in Rock Hill, SC to meet and greet some of the adoptable pets that Richardson Animal Rescue has to offer. Earth Fare is located at 725 Cherry Road. Call 803.327.1030 for details.
	Run the rugrats wild before school’s back in session at the Summer Rocks Festival. Free kid activities include live music, face painting, moon bounce and slide, disc golf, bowling, raffles and more. The first 200 families will receive a large re-usable Lowes Food shopping bag with free and discount coupons and candy inside. The event runs from 10am-1pm at Kenton Boulevard (17029 Kenton Drive). Call Faith Moyer at 704.492.1212 with questions.
	Battle Slam Jam 2008 is an eclectic festival showcasing urban athleticism, art, dance, and music. Events include hip-hop performances, skateboarding, breakdancing, and street art. Visit BattleSlamJam.com for details.
	Party like it’s 1920 at the Great Gatsby Gala! The evening begins at 8pm in Uptown Charlotte with cuisine from local restaurants, costume contest, dance competition, and silent auction, all to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Details at NationalMSSociety.org.
	Today is Women’s Equality Day or Susan B. Anthony Day—it’s the 88th anniversary of the passing of the 19th amendment to the Constitution, allowing women the right to vote.
	Today is also the 73rd birthday of Geraldine Ferraro, the first and only (so far) female Vice Presidential candidate for a major political party. In 1984 Walter Mondale selected her as his running mate in the campaign against Ronald Reagan. She went on to serve as a U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Commission of Human Rights under President Clinton’s administration, and also worked on Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
	Visit Earth Fare today in Rock Hill, SC to meet and greet some of the adoptable pets that Richardson Animal Rescue has to offer. Earth Fare is located at 725 Cherry Road. Call 803.327.1030 for details.
	Matthews Alive, the four-day family festival, returns this month with craft and food vendors, music, and one of the largest parades in the Southeast. For a schedule of events, visit MatthewsAlive.org.
	“Making Sweet Lemonade,” the new, inspirational memoir from author Pat J. Schulz, is the centerpiece of the book signing held at Borders Books at Morrow Croft Village Shopping Center today. The author will be available from 1:30-3:30pm. The book has been lauded by readers for its formula for turning bitter circumstances into the success of life – which is inner peace. To place have your copy of the book placed on reserve for $21.95, call Sandra Rutcho at 704.365.6261.

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