March 2012
Issue No 2.
NotesandNotables
Greetings!

It's an exciting time at the Transylvania Heritage Museum. Over the past month, we've held our annual board retreat, reopened the museum for the upcoming year, launched our newest exhibit and so much more. Please take a moment to read about everything that's happening at the museum!

Sincerely - Rebecca Suddeth, Executive Director
Opening Day Was A Great Success!
 
Exhibit2
Frederick Gordon

Rev. Frederick Gordon, City Councilman Maurice Jones, and TCIO Member Edith Darity addressed the crowd with both words of welcome and wisdom to kick off the opening exhibit at the museum "Perseverance, Strength and Faith:  The African American Experience in Transylvania County."

Dozens of visitors spent time at the museum browsing through newspaper articles, family photos and interpretive panels depicting the African American Story here in Transylvania County.

 

Exhibit1
Rebecca Suddeth and Edith Darity

Visitors are encouraged to "Add their Voice" to the voices that speak from the exhibit by leaving comments in several locations in the museum.  Visitors are also encouraged to do a quick 'Exit Poll' after they have viewed the exhibit.  Those with more time are encouraged to sit down and fill out an interview form about their experience with the exhibit.

 

Your History is Our History

 

The 150th Anniversary Celebration built a foundation and created an opportunity.  It raised awareness of history and reminded us of what we value in Transylvania County.  The 150th Community Representatives Committee is taking advantage of this opportunity.  Its name may have changed to the Community Coalition but its mission is still the same - to celebrate, to educate and to preserve our heritage.

 

It will work as a committee of the Transylvania Heritage Museum, taking our message out to the communities by hosting programs and events that stimulate an interest in history and by encouraging the preservation of photos and artifacts.

 

Their community histories do come together to make up our Transylvania County history.  As advocates for their communities, these representatives will help meet the Museum's goal of "telling the story." 

Straus Painting Needs Restoration
Straus Panting
Straus Painting
With a slight kindly smile on his face, the portrait of Harry S. Straus hung over the fireplace in the Ecusta cafeteria for many years. 
 
As the demise of the paper mill approached a few years ago, Transylvania County Planner Mark Burrows was contacted by the local volunteers at the county's archives, to investigate the possibility of saving the Straus portrait and other historical photos from the plant. After Burrows spoke with David Poor, the last plant manager of the paper mill, the items were promised by Poor who stored them in his home until the opportunity to turn them over to the county's archives committee.  

The portrait needs to be restored. The Transylvania Heritage Museum is seeking donations to aid in this restoration project. Checks should be made out to The Transylvania Heritage Museum and marked for "Straus painting restoration." Please mail your check to the museum at P.O. Box. 2347, Brevard, NC 28712. 
Come Volunteer!
Volunteers
Charles Whitmire and Yvonne Dickson
The Museum is always looking for new volunteers. Greeter training will include training in the Gift Shop as well as background on the current exhibit. It is not necessary to attend both sessions-the alternative days are set to make sure everyone has the opportunity to attend one session. There will be scheduled Guided Walking Tours in Brevard this year between May and October. If you would like to be a greeter, or a Walking Tour guide, please contact us by calling (828) 884-2347 or by emailing [email protected].

 


Media Center



 
Need photos or additional information? Contact Leigh Trapp, Publicity Chair at 949.610.5570 or email [email protected]
In This Issue
Opening Day Review
Your History
Straus Painting Restoration
Come Volunteer
Media Center/Press
Grant Awarded
Calendar of Events
Museum Hosts Group
Museum Awarded Grant

The Transylvania Heritage Museum has been awarded a grant from the North Carolina Humanities Council for program support of the exhibit Perseverance, Strength and Faith:  The African American Experience in Transylvania County.  The grant will support a Music program at the museum on April 27th as well as the program "Understanding Black History as American History" at the Rogow Room on May 19th.  

Notable Comments:

 

I brought my son who is almost nineteen and he 'met' for the first time, his great grandparents."

 
Calendar Items

* March 8:

Museum hosted the Western Region Museums in Partnership Group.



* March 15:
Children's Garden Activity - 3:30-4:30 p.m. If your child would like to attend, please call for reservations:884-2347

 

* March 19th: 

THM to present at the North Carolina Museum Council Conference. 

Visit the website:

www.ncmuseums.org/

conf_program.asp  for more information on the program!

 

Museum Hosts the Western Region Museums in Partnership Group 

 

The Museum was closed to visitors on Thursday, March 8th, to host the Western Region Meeting of Museums in Partnership (MIP). MIP is a program of the Friends of Mountain Hisotry, a non-profit group that provides advocacy, educational support and financial assistance to heritage organizations, museum, and cultural organizations with heritage-related programs throughout a twenty-four county region of Western North Carolina. The organization works to build alliances, to fund regional heritage projects, and to develop and promote educational programs that strengthen and preserve our unique and diverse cultural resources.