West Virginia State Museum celebrates reopening
Special Second Saturday program and concert are free to public
July 6, 2010
The West Virginia State Museum will host a celebration for the first year of its reopening Saturday, July 10, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during its Second Saturday program. In the evening, the celebration will continue with a reception from 5 to 6 p.m. and a concert by country band Matt Jones and The Road from Shady Spring, Raleigh County. All activities, the reception and the evening concert are free and open to the public.
“Visitors to the State Museum in this first year have said this is unlike any other museum when it comes to bringing history to life and engaging them from the entry to the final West Virginia video,” said Randall Reid- Smith, Commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. “Regardless of their ages and their affiliations with our state, guests to the museum find connections that draw them into the story of West Virginia.”
Commissioner Reid-Smith said it is fascinating to watch visitors interact in the museum. “Visitors share their stories with each other and soon they are learning as much about personal history as they are about state history,” he said. “It is a true measure of the museum that people feel comfortable taking their time and visiting, instead of walking through in hushed groups.”
During the July 10 Second Saturday program, children and adults will have the opportunity to participate in the museum’s popular multi-media learning program and enjoy Appalachian folk tales, storytelling and craft activities during the program.
9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Multi-media program with use of flip cameras in museum and computer lab
- Hands on History Cart – Celebrating the 1800s with a special selection of items from the State Museum collection
- West Virginia documentaries and films in the education media room
10 a.m. – 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- Story time – Museum staff will read When I was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Ryland
1 p.m. – 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
- Appalachian Folk Tales told by Suzi Whaples of the Storytelling Guild
- Walk ‘n’ Talk – Museum staff shares stories celebrating West Virginia in guided museum tours
5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. – Refreshments will be served in the Great Hall
- 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. – Matt Jones and The Road perform in the theater
As a special option for guests at the anniversary celebration, the museum will offer the popular multimedia education activity. This activity includes the use of flip video cameras and a visit to the education computer lab where guests download the images and record their museum visits.
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About the band: Matt Jones and The Road play traditional country music and, together, have more than 100 years of combined music experience. In April, they performed at the memorial service for the miners who died at the Upper Big Branch mine, where Jones brother-in-law was one of the 29 who lost his life.
Jones began performing in a small church in his hometown, Shady Spring, in Raleigh County. In Spring 2008, Jones fulfilled a lifelong dream when he was offered a sponsorship and recording opportunity in Nashville, TN. His debut album features traditional country and rock-a-billy songs.
Jones performs with The Road, a West Virginia band that includes Joe Dew, lead guitarist, Jeffrey Joe Buckland, bass guitarist, Larry Davis, steel guitarist and Dale Chappell, drummer.
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