Jubilee of Freedom

Beaufort County Historical Society, Coastal States Bank and the Mitchelville Preservation Project will present Jubilee of Freedom commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation at the University Performing Arts Center, 6 pm, Thursday, Jan. 31st. 

This historical document was read in Beaufort on Jan, 1, 1863, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was passed by the House of Representatives on Jan. 31, 1863.

Cast members for the event include, Dr. Stephen Wise, Dr. Lawrence Rowland, Anita Singleton-Prather (Aunt Pearlie of Gullah Kinfolk), Evelene Stevenson (Spirit of Old Beaufort), Mary Legree, Dave Smoot, Erika Pyle, Peter Ovens, Darryl Murphy  and Marcus Humphrey.

Tickets are $20 and $15 for Beaufort County Historical Society members/seniors/and students. Tickets are available by calling the USCB Performing Arts Center at 843-521-4145.

Lunch & Listen to Dempsey play the Blues

Beaufort Branch Library's Lunch & Listen music series continues Mon., Nov. 14th with Chris Jones, guitar maestro, tracing the history of Blues guitar from the mid-1930s until today.

Bring your own lunch (or buy one at the Outtakes Cafe) to the USCB Performing Arts Center from Noon to 1 pm and enjoy this free concert. Everyone is welcomed.

This fall's Lunch & Listen series is brought to you by Beaufort Branch Library and the USCB Performing Arts Center.

Civil War Symposium

Penn Center, the University of South Carolina/Beaufort and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute of Beaufort are hosting a Civil War Symposium on Fri., Nov. 11th from 9 am until Noon in the USC Performing Arts Center.

• Civil War photography expert, Bob Zeller, will present Lincoln in 3D, a complete stereoscopic slide show on the history of the presidency of Abraham Lincoln and the battlefield photography of America’s epic Civil War.
  
• The panel presentation will also include Dr. Stephen Wise, historian and Director of the Parris Island Museum, who will present on “The Battle of Port Royal” and Dr. Larry Rowland, distinguished professor at the University of SC-Beaufort, who will speak about his new book, The Civil War in South Carolina.
  
• Re-enactor Donald Sweeper will begin with an opening monologue on Robert Smalls, Civil War hero and statesman. A book signing will be held after the panel presentation.

The Penn Center will also present a living history program by the 54^th Massachusetts Regiment Re-enactors on Saturday, November 12, 2011 at the Heritage Days Celebration, beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Fee. For reservations or tickets, please call the Penn Center at (843) 838-2432 or visit their website at www.penncenter.com.

Don't forget: The Beaufort County Library is closed tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 11th to observe Veterans Day.

Civil War Related Events

Civil War history fans have a broad variety of options over the next 2 weeks to satisfy their cravings to learn more about this pivotal event in United States history. Some opportunities are free. Some opportunities require tickets. Some opportunities require the payment of fees.

Port Royal Plantation is hosting an re-enactment event and lectures on Sat., Nov. 5th.

On the true anniversary of the Battle of Port Royal, Mon., Nov. 7th, we are hosting Mike Coker, author of the Battle of Port Royal in Bluffton Branch at 2 pm and again at 6:30pm in Frissell Hall, Penn Center. During the evening author book/talk, sale and signing session at Penn Center, Coker will be joined by Dr. Larry Rowland and Stephen Hoffius, editors of the Civil War in South Carolina, and Neil Baxley, author of No Prouder Fate. Penn Center is co-sponsor of the evening session.

On Thurs., Nov. 10th Kristine Dunn Johnson, author of No Holier Spot of Ground: Confederate Monuments and Cemeteries of South Carolina will share some of the history of the Beaufort US National Cemetery at the Beaufort County Historical Society meeting held in the Yacht Club on Lady's Island beginning at Noon.

Fri., Nov. 11th USC-B, Penn Center, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute are co-sponsoring a Civil War symposium at the USC Performing Arts Center, 9 am - Noon.

• Civil War photography expert, Bob Zeller, will present rare 3D digitized stereographs of President Abraham Lincoln, his inauguration, the White House, the hanging of the assassination conspirators, and many of the most famous Civil War battlefields, like Antietam and Gettysburg, taken by famous Civil War photographers. The audience gets to wear 3D glasses. The show also includes three of the earliest photographs of St. Helena Island. Zeller will autograph his new book, Lincoln in 3D.
  

• The Battle of Port Royal—“The Day of Big Gun Shoot” Presenter: Dr. Stephen Wise, Dir. of Parris Island Museum. November 7, 1861 heralded one of the earliest amphibious operations of the Civil War in the South. Dr. Wise expertly narrates the course of the military strategies implemented by the Union forces and the Confederacy and the unfolding of war in Beaufort, South Carolina and surrounding Sea Islands.
  

• Dr. Lawrence Rowland, co-editor of “The Civil War in SC” will discuss and sign his latest book.
  

The Civil War Symposium is a component of Penn Center's Annual Heritage Days celebration.

Lunch & Listen series lead-in to New Harmonies Exhibit

Amanda Brewer, Beaufort Branch Library, has put together a musical Lunch & Listen series as a lead-in to the arrival of the Smithsonian's New Harmonies exhibit in December.

She's a guitarist herself and it appears that she just might have called in a few favors from her performer friends to set up the free noontime concerts for the community.

Mon., Sept. 26th - Laura Lee Rose and Friends - Civil War and Folk Tunes

Mon., Oct. 10th - Craig Washington - Jazz on Electric Guitar

Mon., Oct. 24th - Kirk Dempsey - Blues on harmonica and guitar

Mon., Nov. 14th - Chris Jones - History of Blues guitar from the mid 1930s to present day.

Mon., Dec. 12th - Chris Jones - High energy performance showcasing guitar playing styles of iconic guitar players

Bring your lunch to the USC-Beaufort Center for the Arts auditorium on the historic Beaufort campus, 801 Carteret Street, and enjoy the music of Beaufort’s local musicians this fall through Lunch & Listen, a music series brought to you by the Beaufort Branch Library and the University of South Carolina Beaufort Center for the Arts.

These one hour lunchtime music performances are free, and open to all who are interested in enjoying music by local performers! The series is free and open to the public with doors opening at 11:30 am. and performances running from Noon to 1 p.m. Bring a lunch or purchase one at Outtakes Cafe next door to the Performing Arts Center.