History Museum Hosting Closing Events for Award-Winning Exhibit
Pieces of Now: Murals, Masks, Community Stories and Conversations has won numerous awards, but this innovative, community-inspired, collaborative exhibition will only be open through Sunday, November 28. The Greensboro History Museum is celebrating the exhibit with “Picking up Pieces: Music and Stories,” at 4 pm, Sunday, November 21, at 130 Summit Ave. The museum will be open special hours from 10 am to 5 pm on Friday, November 26, to allow people to visit over the Thanksgiving holiday. The virtual exhibition and videos will remain available online at https://greensborohistory.org/piecesofnow.
“Picking up Pieces: Music and Stories,” is a free event that will include a conversation about the exhibition and its local arts connections with creative leaders Darlene McClinton and Rasheem Pugh, plus a sneak peek at a new video about Greensboro hip-hop and democracy. The event will also include a live performance by singer Brandon Green, one of the many community members whose experiences, creations and guidance helped create Pieces of Now.
The Pieces of Now exhibition, which opened in September 2020, features more than 20 pieces of street art created as part of that summer’s social justice protests, along with photos, objects and video interviews with artists and organizers. The exhibition also invited the community to share experiences, stories and objects related to the protests, pandemic and economic crisis.
Pieces of Now has earned international attention for its innovative and responsive approach to history happening now. Global attractions industry news source Bloolooprecently recognized the museum’s Curator of Exhibits, Robert Harris, as one of its Top 50 2021 Museum Influencers worldwide for his work on the exhibition. The honor puts him in company with leaders from the Louvre, British Museum, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Museum of the City of New York and the National WWII Museum as “people whose innovation and creativity have been key in guiding museums through a turbulent 12 months.”
Other recognitions for the exhibition include an inaugural DEAI Award from the North Carolina Museums Council; a History in Progress Award from the American Association of State & Local History; and two Media & Technology MUSE Awards from the American Alliance of Museums, a Gold Award in Research & Innovation and a Silver Award for 2020 Response.
The Greensboro History Museum, an AAM-accredited Smithsonian Affiliate, is a division of the City of Greensboro Library Department and operates as a public-private partnership with the nonprofit GHM Inc. In partnership with the community, the Greensboro History Museum collects the city’s diverse history and connects people to that history and one another through engaging exhibits, educational programs and community dialogue. Located in Downtown Greensboro’s Cultural District, the museum is open Tuesdays–Saturdays 10 am to 5 pm and Sundays 2-5 pm. Admission is free. Learn more at www.greensborohistory.org.