A Great Night for 'Changing Places'

Last evening I attended the opening reception for Changing Places: From Black and White to Technicolor at the Levine Museum of the New South. The new exhibit is the centerpiece of a yearlong project that is "exploring how people in the Charlotte region are dealing with the growing cultural diversity and change created by the influx of newcomers from across the U.S. and around the globe." The museum is touting it as its most ambitious project to date, and I believe it based on the excellent opening.

Photos by Ron J.Deshaies/Treasured Events of Charlotte

A few hundred Charlotteans from all backgrounds attended and we started by filling out name tags on which we listed where we're originally from. That struck up many conversations throughout the evening, as it was intended. I talked to a nice lady who came up to me because my name tag said South Carolina. She was an SC native too and told me that she used to teach at a school near where I grew up, and that it was before desegregation. You couldn't have picked a more fitting place for this conversation than the Levine Museum of the New South. Coincidentally, part of the exhibit includes a "video-talkback," in which visitors can record their responses to questions and those responses will become part of the exhibit, with the purpose of creating an ongoing conversation between newcomers and longtime residents.

Several business, arts, and government leaders were there, including city councilman and newly announced mayoral candidate John Lassiter. (Johnnyboy has big shoes to fill because outgoing Mayor Pat McCrory is known for always being present at public events like this. You gotta get on the ball, Anthony Foxx.)

The highlight of the evening was the entertainment. Dancers and musicians from various cultures, from pop-and-lock to mariachi, epitomized the new exhibit. I always feel smarter and more cultured when I attend a museum event--it's something about knowing that I chose to come here over going to see a movie or something. The Levine really does offer great programming throughout the year and it's one of the most affordable forms of entertainment, which can be a particularly great option during this recession. And opening nights are always tops. It's a great chance to meet new people and converse with a glass of wine in hand. Plus, I've mastered the art of attracting the servers carrying the passed hors d'oeuvres.

Changing Places: From Black and White to Technicolor officially kicked off today during a free community day at the museum. Click here to visit the museum's website for more details on the exhibit and its related programming. There's a community conversation event taking place Wednesday.