Visitors will be able to see the Smithsonian traveling exhibit
The Wake Forest Historical Museum, closed for six months, opened for visitors, 10 at a time, on Sept. 15. The museum has been short-staffed since Assistant Director Jennifer Smart left, the remaining staff is just unpacking and installing Water/Ways, the Smithsonian traveling exhibit which will remain until Oct. 10, and the museum also needs a thorough cleaning.
Executive Director Ed Morris said that the museum will be open its usual hours: Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. but closed from 12 to 1 p.m. for lunch. It is also open Sunday afternoons from 2 to 5 p.m.
The museum will continue its virtual book club and talks by experts that will explore the cultural, social and spiritual significance of water in our community. Those are:
*Virtual book club, The Waterman’s Song, with special guest and author David Cecelski, Thursday, Oct. 8, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. In partnership with Page 158 Books, the museum is excited to announce our second book club, featuring The Waterman’s Song: Slavery and Freedom in Maritime North Carolina, featuring special guest and author David Cecelski.
Join fellow book lovers as we read The Waterman’s Song and learn about the lives of black boatmen, pilots, ferrymen, fishermen, sailors, and artisans in nineteenth-century North Carolina. From the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Outer Banks, The Waterman’s Song demonstrates the variety and significance of African American maritime culture in North Carolina.
Special guest and author David S. Cecelski will provide opening remarks before participants launch into a discussion about the book.
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To register for this free online event, go to the museum website, wakeforestmuseum.org, go to events and follow the directions. After you register you will get an email telling you your registration has been recorded at the museum.
The program is free, but registration is required. Participants will also need access to a copy of the book, an internet connection, and a computer or smartphone to fully participate in our discussion. Copies of the book are available for purchase through Page 158 Books, although you may purchase the book wherever copies are sold.
If you would like to participate but cannot easily afford a copy of the book, please reach out to museum staff. We are working with Page 158’s Literary Foundation to ensure that individuals facing financial hardship are able to access the book. If you would like to donate a copy of the book to another participant, please reach out to the museum or call Page 158 for details on how to make a tax-deductible donation through their Literary Foundation.
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HostingWater/Ways at the Wake Forest Historical Museum was made possible through the cooperation of the North Carolina Humanities Council. The exhibit is part pf the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street program, and is the second Smithsonian exhibit at the museum. The first was Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America which was at the museum from April 16 through May 31 in 2015.
The museum staff includes Executive Director Ed Morris, Manager of Community and Academic Learning Sarah Soleim and Collections Assistant Anissa Harry.
The museum is at 414 North Main Street in Wake Forest, on land which once was Wake Forest College’s baseball field.
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