Quaker Heritage Center to host 'New Harmonies' exhibit
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A musical part of the Smithsonian Institution’s collection is coming to Wilmington College March 16 through April 12 with an exhibit, “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music,” at the Meriam R. Hare Quaker Heritage Center.
An exhibit-opening concert featuring Wild Carrot & the Roots Band and SOTIW (Sketches of the Inner World) will be held March 16, at 7:30 p.m., in Heiland Theatre, concurrent with the gallery opening. It is free of charge.
Both the Quaker Heritage Theatre and Heiland Theatre are located in the Boyd Cultural Arts Center, College and Douglas streets, at Wilmington College.
Wild Carrot’s appearance and the exhibit opening will kick off a month of special events, concerts and programming associated with the “New Harmonies” exhibit.
Special gallery hours for “New Harmonies” exhibit will be Mondays and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Saturdays, 1 to 4 p.m.
The “New Harmonies” traveling exhibit is part of the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street project. Its 26-day stop in Wilmington will be the first of several in a tour of Ohio during 2011 that is coordinated by the Ohio Humanities Council.
Ruth Dobyns is curator of the Quaker Heritage Center.
She said the exhibit conveys that one can “hear the story of freedom” by listening to American music. Both the Native American and American immigrant experiences are prevalent in the music.
“It is the story of people in a New World, places they have left behind and ideas they have brought with them,” she said. “It is also the story of people who were already here, but whose world is remade.”
The distinct cultural identities of all these people are carried in song — both sacred and secular. Their music tracks the unique history of many peoples reshaping each other into one “incredibly diverse and complex people — Americans.”
Their music reflects the roots of American music.
“The exhibition provides a fascinating and inspiring listen to the American story of multicultural exchange,” she said, noting the story is full of surprises and familiar songs, histories of instruments, the roles of religion and technology, and the continuity of musical roots from “Yankee Doodle Dandy” to the latest hip-hop release.
Dobyns added that the local story of American roots music is highlighted through a supplemental exhibit on riverboat musician and Clinton County native Vic Tooker and a meet-the-author event with Randy McNutt, author of the book King Records of Cincinnati.
Wild Carrot is the award-winning, Cincinnati-based acoustic musicians Pam Temple and Spencer Funk. Rooted in traditional American music, their repertoire branches in diverse directions: jazz, blues, traditional and nontraditional folk songs, show tunes and original music.
Completing the quartet is the Roots Band, which features Brenda Wolfersberger and Brandt Smith. The ensemble performs arrangements with such instruments as guitar, mandolin, concertina, penny whistle, dulcimer and bowed psaltery.
SOTIW (Sketches of the Inner World), which will open the show, features Derek Mortland.
Other events during the month will include lecture performances, brown bag lunch concerts, film showings, book signings, concerts and other events both on campus and at various other Wilmington venues. Details will be forthcoming.[[In-content Ad]]
Both the Quaker Heritage Theatre and Heiland Theatre are located in the Boyd Cultural Arts Center, College and Douglas streets, at Wilmington College.
Wild Carrot’s appearance and the exhibit opening will kick off a month of special events, concerts and programming associated with the “New Harmonies” exhibit.
Special gallery hours for “New Harmonies” exhibit will be Mondays and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Saturdays, 1 to 4 p.m.
The “New Harmonies” traveling exhibit is part of the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street project. Its 26-day stop in Wilmington will be the first of several in a tour of Ohio during 2011 that is coordinated by the Ohio Humanities Council.
Ruth Dobyns is curator of the Quaker Heritage Center.
She said the exhibit conveys that one can “hear the story of freedom” by listening to American music. Both the Native American and American immigrant experiences are prevalent in the music.
“It is the story of people in a New World, places they have left behind and ideas they have brought with them,” she said. “It is also the story of people who were already here, but whose world is remade.”
The distinct cultural identities of all these people are carried in song — both sacred and secular. Their music tracks the unique history of many peoples reshaping each other into one “incredibly diverse and complex people — Americans.”
Their music reflects the roots of American music.
“The exhibition provides a fascinating and inspiring listen to the American story of multicultural exchange,” she said, noting the story is full of surprises and familiar songs, histories of instruments, the roles of religion and technology, and the continuity of musical roots from “Yankee Doodle Dandy” to the latest hip-hop release.
Dobyns added that the local story of American roots music is highlighted through a supplemental exhibit on riverboat musician and Clinton County native Vic Tooker and a meet-the-author event with Randy McNutt, author of the book King Records of Cincinnati.
Wild Carrot is the award-winning, Cincinnati-based acoustic musicians Pam Temple and Spencer Funk. Rooted in traditional American music, their repertoire branches in diverse directions: jazz, blues, traditional and nontraditional folk songs, show tunes and original music.
Completing the quartet is the Roots Band, which features Brenda Wolfersberger and Brandt Smith. The ensemble performs arrangements with such instruments as guitar, mandolin, concertina, penny whistle, dulcimer and bowed psaltery.
SOTIW (Sketches of the Inner World), which will open the show, features Derek Mortland.
Other events during the month will include lecture performances, brown bag lunch concerts, film showings, book signings, concerts and other events both on campus and at various other Wilmington venues. Details will be forthcoming.[[In-content Ad]]