Since we introduced our blog series about the SERVICE mural a few weeks ago, we needed to go see the mural for ourselves. A small group of us from UNC Press took a short walk on a hot day over to UNC’s School of Government, located in the Knapp-Sanders Building on the perimeter of UNC’s campus.

Founding of the University of North Carolina - Francis Vandeveer Kughler, artist (image from UNC School of Government)

We were greeted by Ann Simpson, the SOG’s Associate Dean for Development and Communications and photographer featured in three UNC Press books by her husband Bland, Into the Sound Country, The Great Dismal and The Inner Islands.  She began our tour by showing us the inspiration for the newest installment of art.

The School of Government houses several murals from a series commissioned in the 1950s that depicts the history and growth of North Carolina. These 11-foot tall murals, however, are not very representative of North Carolina at all.  There was a stark lack of diversity in all of the panels; while the artist portrayed dozens of people, the number of non-Caucasians could be counted on two hands.

When extensive renovations to the School of Government were completed in 2004, administrators decided to re-hang some of the 1950s murals and commission four new works to give a more complete history of the state. Years of historical research, fundraising, and creativity later, the first of the new works, SERVICE, by Colin Quashie, was finally revealed.

Ann took us downstairs to see the new mural, stretched 50 feet along a wall right at the door to the often frequented dining hall, in a space the artist chose himself.

Ann Simpson explaining how the 5' x 50' SERVICE mural was attached to the wall

Using the menu-like informational guides provided at the mural site, we were able to see which African American leaders were depicted in each panel, as well as an explanation of the symbolism scattered through the painting.  The subjects, gathered around a diner counter, are dressed in modern clothing in order to make the painting more cohesive.  The four men standing in white chef’s coats are the students, portrayed at an older age, who led the 1960s Greensboro sit-in.  Ann explained that Quashie even painted on the coffee mugs in the mural the logos of local schools whose students had joined in solidarity with the Greensboro sit-in students. From the newspapers depicting historical civil rights events to the pink carnations (a flower of remembrance) on the plates of unnamed slaves, the mural was captivating in its detail.

Ann was an exceptional tour guide, and we can’t thank her and the School of Government enough for having us, and, more important, for bringing a fuller portrayal of North Carolina history into view on its walls.

Check back next week for a special guest post by author David Cecelski, author of The Waterman’s Song and coauthor of Democracy Betrayed, as we reach our discussion of the third panel, Menhaden Fishing Fleet and Chanteymen. To see all our posts on the SERVICE mural, click here.

The online NCpedia, maintained by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, offers an excerpt from Marshall’s Encyclopedia article, accompanied by a great slideshow that provides an inside view of yesteryear’s furniture factories. She writes about the marketing strategy that led North Carolina to become a national leader in furniture making:

…Cities such as New York and Chicago became national exhibition sites where manufacturers displayed their products and took orders. Furniture dealers and buyers visited these halls at least twice a year, viewing a variety of lines from across the country. North Carolina manufacturers brought the concept home to High Point and eventually created the largest marketing center for home furnishings in the world. On 20 June 1921 the Southern Furniture Exposition, Inc., opened a ten-story building in High Point, complete with 249,600 square feet of exhibition space. Over two weeks, 700 dealers viewed 149 exhibits, and sales came close to $2.25 million.

To continue reading and see the slideshow, you can visit the NCpedia website.

If you’re in the area, we highly recommend this indoor activity on a weekend with high temperatures and speckles of thunderstorms in the forecast. While in the area, we have some recommendations for things to do.

Once part of the Cherokee Nation, Henderson County has a rich history accompanied by a beautiful mountainous backdrop. Hendersonville, once called “the little Charleston of the mountains,” has a downtown with well-preserved buildings that highlight Neoclassical and Italianate architecture. The Historic Henderson County Courthouse, erected in 1905 and adjoined with a brick jail in 1926, is one of the highlighted buildings, as well as the Hendersonville City Hall, built between 1926 and 1928.

The historic buildings and homes are described in detail in A Guide to the Historic Architecture of Western North Carolina. The authors provide geographical locations to significant places of interest in this series of books, including places to stay if visiting overnight. Parks, lakes and campgrounds are also featured; Lake Summit, in historic Tuxedo, is a great destination to take a dip on a hot summer day.

South of Hendersonville is Flat Rock, a small village that was once home to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Carl Sandburg. Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains is a guide to novelists and poets from the past and in the present who have lived in and written about the western part of the state. Sandburg’s home is open daily for a guided tour, and the grounds are open for exploring and hiking.

The Literary Trails guidebook mentions other authors who have graced the area, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, who spent time writing essays in Hendersonville at the Skyland Hotel. The book suggests visiting the Mountain Lore Books & More, a downtown favorite of local novelist Ann Ross, the author of The Miss Julia Novels.

Should weather permit, going for a hike is a great group activity. Walking the Blue Ridge: A Guide to the Trails of the Blue Ridge Parkway details the trails down to the tenth of a mile, rating the difficulty and giving a background on the trail. Home to many of these trails is Pisgah National Forest, just west of Hendersonville. The trails are both fun and challenging, and with the greenery in full bloom, the scenery will surely impress. This book is essential for both casual and experienced hikers seeking an adventure along the Blue Ridge.

The summer is just getting started, and the opportunities for fun this weekend don’t stop at the Blue Ridge Book Fest!

-alyssa

Walking the Blue Ridge by Leonard M. Adkins is in its third edition.

Catherine W. Bishir, joined by Michael T. Southern and Jennifer F. Martin, has written about architecture in all of North Carolina’s regions.

Georgann Eubanks has also written The Literary Trails of the North Carolina Piedmont, coming out in October 2010 but available for pre-order now.

During the mid-1800s, Thomas Day was the most successful cabinet maker working  in North Carolina.  A significant figure in the history of woodworking, equally as important for his role in American history as an astoundingly successful free man of color in the Antebellum South, Day developed a truly original aesthetic and showed unmatched skill as a maker of cabinets, furniture, and other highly detailed works, the popularity of which elevated his status in white society on a scale unseen among other free blacks.  His signature style, full of flowing lines, spirals, and original motifs, shaped an entire era of American furniture making.

In honor of the publication of THOMAS DAY: MASTER CRAFTSMAN AND FREE MAN OF COLOR, the North Carolina Museum of History will open its exhibit “Beneath the Veneer: Thomas Day Cabinet Maker” on May 22nd, the day of the book’s release.  The following day, the Thomas Day House, located in historic Milton, NC will host a book signing event, where “visitors will also have a chance to see examples of Day’s fine craftsmanship at Union Tavern, Milton Presbyterian Church, and other locations.”

Authors Patricia Marshall, curator of decorative arts for the North Carolina Executive Mansion and the North Carolina Museum of History,  and  Jo Ramsay Leimenstoll, professor of interior architecture at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, have brought Day’s legacy to its rightful place in North Carolina and American history with their detailed and thoughtful approach to one of our state’s most valuable treasures.

In conjunction with its Thomas Day exhibit, the Museum of History will host a panel on turning points in North Carolina African American history.   The panel will feature UNC Press authors Tim Tyson and Blair LM Kelley.

-Rachel

Among those featured are potter and former owner of Jugtown Pottery, Nancy Sweezy, and potter Mark Hewitt. Sweezy and Hewitt are also coauthors of The Potter’s Eye: Art and Tradition in North Carolina Pottery. Mark Hewitt is owner of Mark Hewitt Pottery.

Also featured on the show is Vernon Owens, master potter and owner of Jugtown Pottery in Seagrove, North Carolina. Vernon, a sixth generation potter, has been making pots at Jugtown for over 50 years, having started making pots for sale at the age of ten. He owns Jugtown Pottery along with his wife, Pam Owens. Their son Travis, age 24, and daughter Bayle, age 19, both work at Jugtown and continue the family craft.

Don’t forget to tune in tonight! PBS-TV, 8-10pm.

-Rose Florence

One summer we took the ferry to an island.  We stayed in a little house on the beach and watched the ocean move.  We put on suntan lotion and laid towels out on the sand.  We built castles that ceased to stand and saw the waves come closer and closer to our little house.  The days were hot, the nights were dark.  We climbed Old Baldy to see what we could see, and we saw, of course, the sea.

Old Baldy Lighthouse (image: tripadvisor.com)

Okay, that’s enough of that.

Home to some of North Carolina’s most beautiful beaches, Brunswick County boasts oceanfront views and the last miles of the mighty Cape Fear River before it mixes with the sea.  Located in the Coastal Plain region of Southeastern North Carolina,  it is truly a county of water with some intriguing points of interest on dry land, as well.

Orton Plantation (image: 4windsand7seas.com)

According to A Guide to the Historic Architecture of Eatern North Carolina, Orton Plantation “epitomizes the romanticized ideal of the southern mansion.”  Built in 1730, Orton is “the lone survivor of the great plantations that once fluorished along the lower Cape Fear.”  I visited Orton once; our family’s wood-paneled station wagon pulled up to the gigantic white columned house just as a torrential downpour began.  When I think of Orton, I think of eating our picnic lunch in the back of the car and drawing things in the fog on the windows.  A good memory, but alas, not much help to you, traveler.

A colonial port of great prominence, Brunswick Town was the first permanent European settlement on the lower Cape Fear.  In his Encyclopedia of North Carolina, William S. Powell writes , “The ruins of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church remain, with brick walls 3 feet thick and 25 feet high.”  These ruins are a sight to see, and though the sky intrudes where the ceiling once was, visitors get the sense that they are experiencing North Carolina as it once was.

The ruins of St. Philip's Episcopal Church at Brunswick Town State Historic Site (image: Wikipedia)

If you’re more of a people person, Brunswick County hosts festivals and events throughout the year: the Christmas-by-the-Sea Festival, the North Carolina-by-the-Sea Festival, and the North Carolina Oyster Festival.  I’m noticing a trend here.  Whether you plan to stay on land or venture into the sea, Brunswick County is sure to be a wonderful Tar Heel Trek.

-Rachel

Continuing along the North Carolina piedmont, Davidson County is worthy of a pitstop. Founded in 1822 and named for Revolutionary War General William Lee Davidson, Davidson County is home to many unique and historical sites.

North Carolina is well known for it’s barbecue, but none is quite like the kind you get in Lexington–defining its own category, “Lexington-style barbecue.” Home to many of the great barbecue restaurants –Stamey’s, Speedy’s, Lexington BBQ,  Troutman’s–Davidson County knows its ‘que. In fact, since 1984, Lexington has hosted the Lexington Barbecue Festival, one of the biggest barbecue celebrations in the state, which sees more than 100,000 visitors every year.

Thomasville, known to many as North Carolina’s “Chairtown,” is a national furniture-making center and comprises one of the major industries in Davidson County, accompanied by textiles and tobacco. The town, named for legislator John W. Thomas,  welcomed  its first chairmaker, David Westmoreland, when he moved his shop from Forsyth County in the mid-1850s. He began the first chair factory in 1879, soon followed by many others. The importance of the industry to Davidson County was symbolized by the construction of “The Big Chair” in 1922. Thirteen feet tall–the world’s largest–it was later replaced by an 18-foot-tall steel reproduction in 1949. The oversized chair in Thomasville, symbol of Davidson County’s world famous furniture industry.

Uwharrie National Forest is home to many incredible plants, birds, and hiking trails that are sure to thrill even the most intense nature junky. The 20.5-mile figure-eight Uwharrie Trail offers a variety of habitats from open fields to high rocky ridges of pine and hardwoods where Wild Turkey, raptors and songbirds might be spotted. Creeks offer additional habitats for woodland bird species.

Davidson County also offers Boone’s Cave Park , a 100-acre site that offers hiking trails through a rolling forest of mixed hardwoods. It is here that Daniel Boone is rumored to have hidden in order to escape Native Americans.

Now if you are in need of something sweet after a meal at Lexington Barbecue, Carrie Blair of Davidson County offers you a little banana pound cake to round off culinary sampling of Davidson County. “This was passed down to me from a girl I used to work with at Old Dominion Freight Line,” said Blair. “I’ve had this recipe for at least twenty years. I make it quite a bit, and everyone likes it.”

Here it is:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup shortening

2 3/4 cups sugar

5 eggs, beaten

3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon banana extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter, shortening, and sugar. Add the eggs and milk; mix well. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in thirds, beating well after each addition. Add the flavorings and bananas. Blend until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 min or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

-Rose

For more information on food, facts, history, architecture, and nature around North Carolina, be sure to check out:

Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue, by John Shelton Reed & Dale Volberg Reed

The North Carolina Gazetteer: A Dictionary of Tar Heel Places, by William S. Powell

The North Carolina Birding Trail: Piedmont Trail Guide

A Guide to the Historic Architecture of Piedmont North Carolina by Catherine W. Bishir & Michael T. Southern

Sweet Carolina: Favorite Desserts and Candies from the Old North State, by Foy Allen Edelman

Located in the state’s Piedmont region, the area that makes up Forsyth County has existed as a cultural and economic force since before it was created in 1849. From Salem’s Moravian community to the rise of the tobacco industry (there’s even a town called Tobaccoville) and the area’s present-day participation in the New South, Forsyth County has always been an integral part of North Carolina’s history.

The county’s skyline is dominated by two Winston-Salem buildings that represent the histories of the area. The R.J. Reynolds Building, opened in 1929, looks familiar to many for a reason – architectural firm Shreve & Lamb used the tower as a prototype for their more famous Art Deco structure, the Empire State Building, erected in 1931. With the Reynolds Buildings representing the city of Winston’s history, Salem’s past is present in the Wachovia Center, which borrows Moravian architectural themes like the Moravian arch and star in its design.

While Winston-Salem’s skyscrapers are worthwhile, they may be overshadowed by a much more diminutive structure in neighboring Kernersville. Constructed over many years in the late 19th century, Körner’s Folly is billed as “The Strangest House in the World.” The house’s 22 room have ceiling heights that range between 6 and 25 feet. Each of the 15 fireplaces is different from the next, and the same goes with every door in the place. Those are just the “normal” parts of the house – the trap doors, pivoting windows, and muralled ceilings take the oddness (and fun) to another level altogether.

Maybe more than any other place in North Carolina, Forsyth County is known for dessert. The first Krispy Kreme store opened there in 1937. Moravian cookies and sugar cake are distributed out of the county by Dewey’s. Following in the tradition of sweet baking is Tom Brown, a Forsyth County resident who uses heirloom apples  (he’s found more than 500 varieties in his lifetime) to make what he calls “Big Mama’s Apple Cake.”

3 cups tart apples

1 1/4 cup oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Peel and core the apples and chop into small pieces; set aside. Combine the oil, sugar, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat well. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mix; add the vanilla extract. Fold in the apples and nuts and pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
serves 10-12

For the information included here, and more on Forsyth County and North Carolina, check out the following titles:
A Guide to the Historic Architecture of Piedmont North Carolina, by Catherine W. Bishir & Michael T. Southern
Sweet Carolina, by Foy Allen Edelman
The North Carolina Birding Trail – Piedmont Trail Guide
Holy Smoke, by John Shelton Reed & Dale Volberg Reed
Encyclopedia of North Carolina, edited by William S. Powell

- Matt

My family vacations as a child were often in the mountains around Boone and Asheville. I’ve hiked Grandfather Mountain countless times. One of the most memorable, though, was when I must have been six or seven years old, and our family had gone to Grandfather to watch hang gliders take off from a cliff on the edge of the mountain. Getting to the official festivities required crossing the “mile-high” footbridge, and this editor-child was terrified of heights. The bridge really does swing a little, and it really is a loooong way down to the two-lane highway road below. The cars were so small! (Go feel the vertigo by visiting the insanely awesome 360-degree photo tours at the website! Scroll down to #8, “From the Center of the Mile High Swinging Bridge.” Ugh. Feeling queasy again….)

I forced one foot in front of the other, so slowly, afraid that any slight misstep would send me — and who knew? maybe everyone else on that footbridge, too! — hurtling down to the pavement with a fading whistle a la Wile E. Coyote. Splat.

I made it halfway across the bridge and froze in sheer terror, paralyzed by the audacity of our position, suspended in mid-air where it seemed no human belonged. I calculated that even if I made it to the other side, had a jolly time witnessing humans take flight like birds, I would in fact only be half-way done: there would have to be a return trip if I expected to ever go home again.

No. Way.

***

Besides Grandfather Mountain, among the many other treasures Hugh Morton left behind for the state he loved so much was a trove of exquisite photographs of some of the people, places, and things that define the state’s history, culture, and environment. He could capture the quintessential beauty of North Carolina in a photograph worthy of billboard advertising. Indeed it was billboard advertising — the tourism department made great use of Morton’s images. You’ll see them in nearly every highway rest stop in the state.

We published two collections of Morton’s iconic photographs: Hugh Morton’s North Carolina in 2003, and Hugh Morton, North Carolina Photographer in 2006. If you’ve ever driven through North Carolina, you’ll find images here you recognize.

acrophobically yours,

ellen

Ackland Director Emily Kass writes, “During the mid- to late 1950s, many American artists began to pare down their formal vocabulary to a few basic elements. Eliminating any reference to figure or landscape, they experimented with the many ways that line, color, and shape could assert the essential flatness of a canvas without the nuance of personal expression.”  Featuring work by Yoko Ono, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Claus Oldenberg, Andy Warhol, and others, CIRCA 1958 is an exhibit not to be missed.

We attended in late November and were blown away by the instantly recognizable paintings and sculptures.  As we went from room to room, each piece stood out from the last. George Brecht’s Three Chair Events (1961) involves three different chairs (one black, one white, and one yellow) placed in different settings. The “events,” referred to in the title reference all occurrences that take place around the chairs, including sitting on them—an interesting concept, considering “DO NOT TOUCH” is engrained in the minds of most museum goers.

Encouraging a participatory role as an art observer, Yoko Ono asks visitors to nail a strand of their hair into the mirror, adding to the aesthetic—you want me to do what?!? Bright colors and contrasting materials make this exhibit an amazing experience, even for untrained eyes (like ours).

Curator Roni Feinstein explains that the 1950s-’60s were a time when mass media was encroaching on all aspects of American life—and art was no exception. Artists started to experiment with new materials, subject matter and styles. Many paintings now had a three-dimensional aspect to them, with candy wrappers and newspaper pieces worked in.

This exhibit offers a variety of art—from medium, to subject matter, to material—and each piece held us a littler longer than the last. If you haven’t had a chance to check out Circa 1958, then you really should try and stop in. Hey, we even went on our lunch break!

UNC Press is the distributor for the book that accompanies the exhibit. The book is 9 x 11 and includes 61 color plates.

–Rose and Rachel

Island Press focuses on environmental issues. Their Eco-Compass blog features posts by authors discussing green development, conservation, wildlife, sustainability, population growth, and more.

NYU Press, whose blog From the Square has come back new and redesigned after a hiatus, features posts by authors, links to interviews and podcasts, and even a book trailer.

Princeton University Press has a new blog in full swing with articles from authors, interviews, publicity news, and a special post from the Press’s economics editor, who helped bring to print a host of books that provide good insight into the current financial crisis.

I look forward to reading news from these folks in the future.

Oh! And Happy Halloween! If you plan on spending the night in a North Carolina graveyard, take a flashlight and a copy of Sticks and Stones: Three Centuries of North Carolina Gravemarkers, by Ruth Little (with photos by Tim Buchman). Learn a little something while you watch for ghosts!

For more spooky stories, check out our previous post on ghosts of the Carolina coast!

[cue Vincent Price]

Bwwwaahahahahahahahaha . . .

–ellen

Anyway! The interview will charm your socks off. Roy talks about Obi-Wan Kenobi, violins vs. synthesizers, and being a locavore. He also suggests the five most important tools for beginner woodworkers.

The 28th season of “The Woodwright’s Shop” is underway, airing weekly on PBS stations across the country. At the PBS website you can search for local airtimes and watch archived episodes from previous seasons.

And remember, kids, “Just say no to power tools!”

(internet: good. power tools: bad.)

–ellen