Customs House Museum & Cultural Center events in February

CLARKSVILLE, TN – Here are the events upcoming at the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center in February.

Exhibits

Rising Voices 2: The Bennett Prize for Women Figurative Realist Painters, Feb 3 – April 24 | Crouch & Bruner Galleries: The depiction of the human figure is central in the history of art, and this exhibition brings a contemporary view to a timeless subject. The $50,000 Bennett Prize is awarded biennially to a woman fine art painter whose principal artistic focus is figurative painting in a primarily realistic style. Rising Voices 2 is comprised of paintings by the ten 2021 Bennett Prize finalists, including Prize winner Ayana Ross.

Aneka Ingold: Transfiguration, Feb 3 – April 24 | Orgain Gallery: Aneka Ingold’s dramatically staged paintings present mysterious allegories informed by the stories and lives of women. Drawn from self-reflection and the shared experiences of peers and women throughout history, her narratives are relayed through symbols and patterns that culminate in a central, goddess-like figure. Ingold’s powerful characters, rendered in precise layers of colored pencil and paint, earned her the honor of being named the inaugural winner of The Bennett Prize for Women Figurative Realist Painters in 2019.

The Infirmary, Jan 11 – April 17 | Lobby: Dr. Robert T. Burt was a skilled surgeon who opened Clarksville’s first hospital in 1906. He performed over 300 operations per year, including C-sections long before they were common practice. This exhibit features photographs and other artifacts that tell the story of Dr. Burt and his colleagues at the Home Infirmary.

Celebrating Our Korean Community, Jan 7 – Feb 27 | Jostens Gallery: This year, February 1 marks the Lunar New Year, one of the most important traditional Korean holidays. Share in the celebrations and view cultural items like clothing, instruments and more.

New to the Museum Collection, Through Feb 20 | Kimbrough Gallery: The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is home to more than 21,000 artifacts, documents, photographs and works of art. Come and see a variety of recent additions to our collection!

The Petite Voyage: Small Works by Paul Harmon, Through Feb 6 | Harvill Gallery: This collection of small oil paintings is an homage to the little amateur landscapes found in Paris flea markets. Paul Harmon is the recipient of many major international painting awards and his work is well represented in galleries, museums and collections around the world.

Explorers Landing: Exploring Our Town, Opening Jan. 29 | Lower Level: New memories, new adventures, new Explorers Landing! Explore our town with timeless favorites like the Bubble Cave and McGregor’s Market and new discoveries like the Landing and Car Ramp. It’s an adventure for all ages.

Events

First Thursday Art Walk, Feb 3, 5 – 8 pm: The Museum will offer free admission during First Thursday Art Walk Clarksville from 5 – 8 pm. We’re celebrating Black History Month with Black artists and vendors.

Magic of the Mind Starring Jeff & Kimberly Bornstein, March 18, 8 pm & March 19, 7 pm: Prepare to be mystified and enthralled by the “Dynamic Duo of Deception,” Jeff & Kimberly Bornstein. Magic of the Mind entertains guests with world-class magic and mind reading that ventures beyond mere illusion and verges on the unexplainable. For two nights only, experience the extraordinary in a brand-new show seen only at the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center’s Turner Auditorium in Downtown Clarksville. $25 general admission tickets go on sale Feb. 1.

Programs

Little Explorers: Winter Wonderland, Feb 11, drop by between 10:30 am – 12:30 pm | Ages 2 – 5, with adult, Free with membership or paid admission | Hudson Classroom: Play in the snow with polar animals, create a blizzard in a jar, throw snowballs at a snowman and make a giant snowflake to take home. All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children. Activities may include items that are a choking hazard.

Discovery Saturday: Winter Science, Feb 12, drop by between 1:30 – 3:30 pm | Kindergarten and above, with adult, Free with membership or paid admission | Family Art Studio: Conduct fun experiments with Ms. Pat this month. Find out how animals like polar bears and penguins stay warm in freezing temperatures, investigate how salt affects ice and play with artificial snow. All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.

To Tell the Tooth: A Program with a Lot of Bite! Feb 26, drop by between 1:30 – 3:30 pm, Free with membership or paid admission | We’re celebrating teeth during National Children’s Dental Health Month! Join us and Clarksville Dental Center to learn about good oral health in a fun, hands-on program. Examine skulls and teeth of other animals and touch an actual 10,000-year-old mastodon tooth! Keep an eye out for a special visit from the Tooth Fairy – she’ll be passing out tooth saver necklaces. For younger visitors, join Ms. Pat at 2 pm for Picture Book Story Time accompanied by fun songs and fingerplays.

Family Art Saturday: Tooth Painting, Feb 26, drop by between 10 am – 12 pm & 1:30 – 3:30 pm | Ages 3 & above, with adult Free with membership or paid admission | Family Art Studio: Encourage the proper way of brushing your teeth with this fun painting activity. Paint a large picture of a tooth with a toothbrush, using the up and down strokes of proper brushing. Some paint may stain, please dress appropriately. All parents are expected to participate with and supervise their children.

Museum Discovery Quest, Free with membership or paid admission | Developed for school-age children Free Take It N’ Make It Activity: Explore Museum exhibits with your family in a creative way with Museum Discovery Quests – entertaining, self-guided “scavenger hunts” that pique kids’ curiosities and captivate their attention. Several different themes are offered, and all of them include a free Take It N’ Make It activity packet for kids to make a fun project at home. Sign up for a Perks Pass to win a free prize from Seasons: The Museum Store after finishing three Quests.

F&M Bank Huff & Puff Express Model Trains, Exhibit open daily | Volunteer Train Crew members run trains Sundays, 1 – 4 pm and Wednesdays, 10 am – 12 pm: Enjoy one of the largest model railroad layouts in the region boasting a miniature castle, UFO and scenic landscape. Interact with the miniature world by making automobiles move and helicopters fly. The model train exhibit is open daily and themes change every season.