Cinco de Mayo Comes to the Museum of the Albemarle

Administrator:  Bill McCrea
Contact    :  Charlotte Patterson (252) 335-1453                

Release:  April 16, 2014                   
                                                                                                                                                                  
News Release


        Cinco de Mayo Comes to the Museum of the Albemarle May 3

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Spicy adventures in cooking, colorfully-clad dancers and piñatas for the kids will highlight the buzz of activity at the Museum of the Albemarle May 3 Cinco de Mayo:  A Fiesta and Information Fair. Currently exhibiting Al Norte al Norte:  Latino Life in North Carolina, the day of celebration is one of the related free programs for the free photography exhibit, running through July 5.

Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist Jose Galvez moved to North Carolina from Arizona in 2004 and began documenting life in the Latino community, of business owners, farm laborers and grandparents alike. The 2010 U.S. Census reports that 8.4 per cent of the state’s population is Latino, compared to 1.2 percent 20 years earlier.  In 51 photographs, Galvez reflects the Latino community adapting to and shaping life across North Carolina.

Galvez will conduct tours of the exhibit in English and Spanish the fiesta and fair. Al Norte al Norte is the museum’s first bilingual exhibit. Featured artist Cornelio Campos also will exhibit and sell paintings that reflect the complex realities of migrant life that often are concealed, including immigration, the U.S. Mexico border difficulties, and cultural identity.

Ballet Folklorico—Espirito from Pitt County will perform three dances throughout the day in traditional costumes.  Local chef Jack Baumbaugh, graduate of San Francisco’s California Culinary Academy, will tantalize the taste buds with various salsas for tasting. Local vendors will have food for purchase also.

Jewelry, scarves, purses, and children’s items will be sold by local vendors as well. Hands-on children’s activities will include making Cascarones, piñatas, and maracas. A storytelling session will feed the imagination and “Shine Boy Stories and Photographs” by Jose Galvez is available in the museum gift shop. Handcrafted items from the Albemarle region, including jewelry, pottery and ornaments also are available.

The Association of Mexicans in North Carolina, Inc. (AMEXCAN) Community Resources Center will sponsor an informational fair with information on health care, safety, education, and activities in the area. Eastern North Carolina Stop Human Trafficking Now will participate and also sell handmade items to support their efforts.

The museum is seeking additional food and craft vendors for the fiesta. Application information is available by email at moa@ncdcr.gov or by calling (252) 335-1453. Informational fair vendors may submit a copy of their non-profit status and the application fee will be waived.  
Al Norte al Norte and the Cinco de Mayo: A Fiesta and Information Fair builds on the examination of faith, family, culture and work of the Latino community in North Carolina. Take advantage of the free exhibit, related programs and events.

For additional information call (252) 355-1453. Follow us on Facebook for additional details including a schedule of fiesta events.

Al Norte al Norte received support from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, North Carolina Humanities Council, N.C. Museum of History Associates, and Friends of the Museum of the Albemarle.

About the Museum of the Albemarle
The Museum of the Albemarle is located at 501 S. Water Street, Elizabeth City, NC. (252)335-1453. www.museumofthealbemarle.com. Find us on Facebook! Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Closed Sundays, Mondays and State Holidays. Serving Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell and Washington counties, the Museum is the northeast regional history museum of the North Carolina Division of State History Museums within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

About the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources

The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (NCDCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state's cultural resources to build the social, cultural and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan Kluttz, NCDCR's mission is to enrich lives and communities by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history and libraries in North Carolina that will spark creativity, stimulate learning, preserve the state's history and promote the creative economy. NCDCR was the first state organization in the nation to include all agencies for arts and culture under one umbrella.

Through arts efforts led by the N.C. Arts Council, the N.C. Symphony and the N.C. Museum of Art, NCDCR offers the opportunity for enriching arts education for young and old alike and spurring the economic stimulus engine for our state's communities. NCDCR's Divisions of State Archives, Historical Resources, State Historic Sites and State History Museums preserve, document and interpret North Carolina's rich cultural heritage to offer experiences of learning and reflection. NCDCR's State Library of North Carolina is the principal library of state government and builds the capacity of all libraries in our state to develop and to offer access to educational resources through traditional and online collections including genealogy and resources for the blind and physically handicapped.

NCDCR annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation's first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council and the State Archives. NCDCR champions our state's creative industry that accounts for more than 300,000 jobs and generates nearly $18.5 billion in revenues. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.