West Baton Rouge Museum
2013 Calendar
(Updated 5/31/13)
April 2 through June 9: Heroes: Photographs by Steve Shapiro. Photo journalist Steve Schapiro's “Heroes” documents his personally selected collection of iconic images from his encounters with artists, writers, actors, athletes, and politicians throughout the second half of the 20th Century. His work ranges from dramatic images of the Civil Rights movement, as he followed the many marches led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his fellow patriots, to archetypal images of several groundbreaking and influential personalities, newsmakers, and thinkers of the era. Striking portraits, from Bobby Kennedy to Andy Warhol and James Baldwin, fill the exhibition with a sense of the depth and breadth of Schapiro's extraordinary life in photography.
June 15 through September 15: Hunt for Treasure! This national touring exhibit explores the intrigue and excitement of treasures and treasure hunting and is fun for all ages. Visitors learn about shipwrecks, pirates and other treasure-seekers, and the tools and methods used in treasure-hunting — past and present. The exhibit has four themes: Sunken Treasure; Buried Treasure; Metal Detecting; and Modern Treasure Hunts.
June 15-August 25: Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? Well, he's at the West Baton Rouge Museum this summer! The museum is hosting the exhibit, Scott Innes: West Baton Rouge’s Own Scooby-Doo. Scott Innes, collector, actor, musician, and DJ, has provided a selection of items from his vast collection of ephemera from the long running and still popular cartoon, Scooby Doo.
June: Blast from the Past History Camp: The Treasure Hunt for Fun Begins!
Session One: June 17-21
Session Two: June 24-28
July 11: noon Lunchtime Lecture, “The 4th Louisiana at the Battle of Baton Rouge.”. Dr. Thomas Richey, local historian and author, will present an illustrated talk sponsored by the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area’s Civil War Speakers Bureau. Free.
July 16, 17, 18: Teachers Institute: From the U.S. Civil War to Civil Rights: Teaching with Primary Sources and the New Common Core Curriculum. Registration required.
July 31: noon Lunchtime Lecture, “Both Sides of the River: Highland and Bird Cemeteries”. Kenny Kleinpeter, sexton for the Highland Cemetery in East Baton Rouge, will present his research on the Highland Cemetery and the Bird Cemetery in West Baton Rouge. Free.
August 8: noon Lunchtime Lecture, Charles Elliott, local historian and author, will present “A Yankee Blitzkrieg Stumbles: Baton Rouge, August 5, 1862.’ This talk is sponsored by the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area’s Civil War Speakers Bureau. Free.
August 24: 10:30-11:30am Workshop “Geocaching.” Learn how to search for hidden pockets of finds using GPS devices and smart phones. Educator Memory Seymour will teach participants methods and strategies. This workshop is for all ages. Documentary at noon. Free.
August 28: 10:30-noon Workshop “Caring for Your Family’s Treasures” Local experts will present practical advice on the care and maintenance of family treasures, from properly storing everyday items to the preservation of more fragile items. Although there are numerous products and guidelines out there about preservation, the challenge is finding the right information and safest materials. Information will be provided with hands-on examples related to caring for textiles, silver, furniture, books and documents, art and photos. Learn how to care for photographs, collectibles, papers, and clothing. Free.
September 13: 6:30pm Scavenger Hunt followed by 7:00pm movie “National Treasure” (2004) Your evening adventure awaits! Join us on Friday the 13th for a fun seek-and-find activity followed by the exciting film premised on America’s treasured historic documents. This movie night program includes a real life scavenger hunt for treasure through the museum as well as edge of your seat mystery, thrills, and excitement in the feature film starring Academy Award winner, Nicolas Cage. Free.
September through October: Perique: Photographs by Charles Martin. The exhibit is on loan from the Historic New Orleans Collection. Photographer Charles Martin spent eight years documenting the tradition of Perique tobacco cultivation, which is now cultivated only one place on earth--a 30-mile tract of land in St. James Parish. The labor-intensive cultivation process dates to the early 19th century, and its rituals have descended as occupational folklore through a handful of local families, including Martin’s.
September 28 through December 29: Capturing Camelot: The Kennedy Years. This photography exhibit is timed to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy. The American people embarked on a journey of one thousand days into a mythical land that former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy would recall as Camelot, the idealistic realm of King Arthur. Kennedy’s presidency placed him and his young family at the center of the world’s stage, where they inspired a cultural reassessment of the American way of life.
September 28: 10:30am Guided Tour of the temporary exhibition, Kennedy Years: America’s Camelot. The museum’s curatorial staff will lead a tour on the opening day of the exhibit. Light refreshments will be served. Free.
October 6: Sugar Fest
October: Halloween Event
November through December: Faulkner’s World: Photographs of Martin J. Dain. Photographer Martin J. Dain was one of the few who photographed author William Faulkner at Rowan Oak, the writer’s home in Oxford, Mississippi. The collection features an outstanding selection of those images that were compiled for this national traveling exhibit.
November 13: noon Lunchtime Lecture, “How to Weed Your Attic: Getting Rid of the Stuff without Destroying History.” LSU Library Science professor, Elizabeth Dow, will go over some of the rules to guide you in sorting your papers. There comes a time in everyone's life – when we move or when an older relative leaves the home they've been in for decades, leaving the attic and cellar full of family memorabilia for us to manage – when we must confront mountains of old papers. Some of the stuff is worth keeping and some of it is junk, but how can we tell the difference? Free.
December 1: Holiday Open House
Click Here For PDF
Previous Events
Exhibit Continues through February 3: From Morning to Night: Domestic Service in the Gilded Age (December 8, 2012-February 3, 2013): The upstairs-downstairs tensions among servants and households are the rarely talked about realities of life in the Gilded Age. This exhibit from the Maymont Foundation of Virginia tells the story of the predominantly African American workers who staffed the homes of the wealthy white citizens during the late 19th century. The exhibit focuses on the everyday interactions between black and white southerners and gives visitors an intimate view of this pivotal period in American history.
January 14: Annual meeting of the West Baton Rouge Historical Association, 1-2pm.
January 19 through March 24: Color in Freedom: Journey along the Underground Railroad is an exhibition of 49 paintings, etchings and drawings by Joseph Holston. The art works are divided into four movements that track the flow of events in the lives of the enslaved men, women and children who traveled along the Underground Railroad: The Unknown World, Living in Bondage, The Journey of Escape, and Color in Freedom. The exhibition is organized by the Arts Program of the University of Maryland.
January 21, Monday: The museum will be OPEN in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Documentary "Citizen King" will be shown at 10:30am and 2:00pm. This film traces Dr. King's efforts to recast himself by embracing causes beyond the Civil Rights movement by becoming a champion of the poor and an outspoken opponent of the war in Vietnam. Tapping into a rich archive of photographs and film footage and using diaries, archives and letters this film brings fresh insights to King's journey, leadership and impact. The museum will be free to the public this day.
January 24: Lunchtime Lecture featuring Dr. Lee Smith "History of Mulatto Bend in West Baton Rouge" Dr. Smith will share the history of the historic community and cemetery located in Port Allen. Mulatto Bend dates back to the 19th century. Lecture at noon and bring along your sack lunch. Free.
February 9 through March 30: West Baton Rouge Talented Art Student Exhibition, with an opening reception on Sunday February 17, from 2:30pm to 4pm. Free.
February 23: “Freedom is Coming: Underground Railroad” This Family Workshop from 10:30am to noon, engages children and adults in exploring “Freedom is Coming”: Songs of Freedom, Resistance & the Underground Railroad” on the music CD series produced by the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. The program will include musical performances, storytelling, a small craft project, and light talk about the music associated with the Underground Railroad. Free.
March 2: National History Day local regional competition held at the West Baton Rouge Museum. This year’s theme is Turning Points in History: People, Ideas, Events. For more information visit www.nhd.org or call (225) 336-2422 x 14.
March 7, 8, 9: Dulcimer Fete. The theme this year is Joie de Vie, Music…The Joy of Life. To register for classes and for more information please visit www.lagniappedulcimer.org.
March 12, 10:30am: A Battle for Food: Civil War Era Southern Recipe Books. This cooking program focuses on recipe books in the South during the Civil War. Menus and diets of Americans in the South were dramatically impacted by war. Gayle Smith will engage participants in open hearth cooking using the food stuffs and recipes from the Civil War era that reflect the changes and shortages between 1861 and 1865. Registration is required; please call (225) 336-2422 x15.
April 7, 2pm: 45th Anniversary Celebration for the West Baton Rouge Historical Association and the West Baton Rouge Museum.
May 15, noon: Lunchtime Lecture, “West Baton Rouge and the U.S. Civil War,” is presented by local historian Richard Holloway. Free.
