Monthly Calendar

March 12 to March 13 in Fort Worth, Texas:
Dolly Johnson Antique and Art Show—The oldest antiques show in the American West features Flower Power, an exhibit of floral antiques from the Mayflower to mid-century modern. More than 75 dealers sell antique and vintage furniture, primitives, art, sterling, ironstone, folk art, and more. At the Will Rogers Memorial Center. For more information: Dolly Johnson, (817) 291-3952.

March 13 to March 14 in Natchitoches, Louisiana:
French and Indian War Encampment—The largest replicated French fort in the United States hosts an encampment along the Cane River. Registration required. For more information: Fort St. Jean Baptiste, (888) 677-7853.

March 13 to March 14 in St. Charles, Illinois:
Fox Valley Antiques Show—Antiques from the 17th, 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries will be offered. Produced by the Chicago Suburban Antiques Dealers Association, collaborating with its sponsor, Garfield Farm Museum in LaFox, Illinois, benefiting the only surviving, historically-intact Illinois farmstead restored as a working 1840’s living history farm and inn, a true asset for teaching American history. Show hours: Saturday 10A to 6P, Sunday 10A to 4P at the Kane County Fairgrounds (located on Randall Road between Routes 38 and 64). For more information: Chicago Suburban Antiques Dealers Assn., (815) 838-0606.

March 18 to March 19 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina:
MESDA Textile Seminar—Two-day seminar celebrates the opening of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts's new Textile Study Gallery. The seminar focus is on MESDA's unparalleled collection of southern needlework and household textiles. For more information: Old Salem, (336) 721-7360.

OPENINGS

March 18 to April 17 in Charleston, South Carolina:
Spring Festival of Houses and Gardens—Held during the peak of the blooming season in the historic port city, the 63rd Spring Festival of Houses and Gardens allows visitors to see the private interiors of nearly 150 magnificent colonial and antebellum houses and gardens. The walking tours, either on your own or led by licensed guides, cover private homes and gardens in a dozen neighborhoods. Other events include an oyster roast and picnic at Drayton Hall, a luncheon lecture series, and period concerts. For more information: Historic Charleston Foundation, (843) 722-3405.

ON-GOING EXHIBITIONS

Now through December 31 in Charlottesville, Virginia:
Making Monticello: Jeffersons ‘Experiment in Architecture’—The exhibition in the recently opened Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center and Smith Education Center explores the architectural origins, construction, and evolution of the home Jefferson built. The designs changed over time, from the first house erected in 1770 to the completion of the house and its dependencies in 1809. It also examines the enslaved and free workers who performed the myriad tasks required to build the house. On display are drafting instruments, architectural references, Jeffersons drawings and notebooks, and three detailed models of the structure. In the David Bruce Smith Gallery. For more information: Monticello, (434) 984-9822.

Now through January 2, 2011 in Williamsburg, Virginia:
Pottery with a Past: Stoneware in Early America—More than 300 intact objects and archaeological fragments show the diversity of drinking, dining, and storage vessels available to Americans from the first English settlements through 1800. First made in Germany in the Middle Ages, salt-glazed stoneware vessels were suited for preparing and storing various liquids and foodstuffs. Potters in England and then American soon developed their own wares. At the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum. For more information: Colonial Williamsburg, (800) 447-8679.

Now through May 30 in Portland, Maine:
Re/Collected: Great Works and New Discoveries from the Brown Library—The exhibition celebrates the breadth and depth of the collections at the Brown Library, including books, manuscripts, maps, broadsides, photographs, ephemera, architectural and engineering drawings, and other holdings. Highlighted are objects related to 17th-Century Maine settlements, the Civil War, and the Abyssinian Meeting House in Portland. For more information: Maine Historical Society, (207) 774-1822.

Now through April 1 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:
May Your Glass Be Ever Full: Drinking in Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century Europe—The consumption of alcohol was an important component of social life during the Age of Enlightenment. The exhibition, drawn from the museum collection, features objects employed in the service and consumption of alcoholic beverages—wine, beer, and punch. For more information: Philadelphia Museum of Art, (215) 763-8100.

Now through July 18 in Washington, District of Columbia:
Since Darwin: The Evolution of Evolution—The Smithsonian celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of his groundbreaking work On the Origin of the Species. Using specimens from the diverse museum collections and its ongoing research, the exhibition examines how Darwins theories have helped explain and unify all the biological sciences. For more information: National Museum of Natural History, (202) 633-1000.

Now through September 26 in Bedford, Pennsylvania:
Stay at Home and Use Me Well—On Saturday, a symposium by national textiles experts explores such topics as the development of American spinning wheels, European linen production, and Pennsylvania German household textiles. The exhibition opens Sunday with displays of the tools and processes used in home linen and wool production in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries. The museum also celebrates the 150 anniversary of the sites construction. Symposium registration required. For more information: National Museum of the Coverlet, (814) 623-1588.

Now through September 6 in Sturbridge, Massachusetts:
Convenient and Fashionable: Furniture of Inland Massachusetts 1790-1830—The exhibition highlights work by both well-known and newly discovered furniture makers in rural Massachusetts. The pieces on displlay were chosen for their provenance as well as the intricacies of their craftsmanship. Many are marked by their makers, and many have documented histories of ownership tracing back to the buyers who acquired them and those who inherited them. On October 24, master furniture maker Norm Abram, host of the PBS Television series The New Yankee Workshop, hosts a brunch and book signing. Registration required for brunch with Abram. For more information: Old Sturbridge Village, (800) 733-1830.

Now through December 31 in Saco, Maine:
A Factory Girl Boardinghouse Bedchamber—The permanent exhibition at the Saco Museum offers a glimpse into the lives of early-19th-Century factory girls, who came from farms throughout New England to work in the textile mills. These women were also active consumers. The artifacts displayed include period furniture, textiles, loom shuttles, letters, photographs, and sensational fiction. A dress-up trunk allows visitors to experience the fashion of the 1840s and 1850s. For more information: Saco Museum, (207) 283-3861.

Now through April 14 in Santa Fe, New Mexico:
Fashioning New Mexico: What We Wore to Mark Life’s Passages—For the first time, the museum displays some of the clothing and accessories collected over the last century to explore what people wore during such life milestones as christenings, weddings, military service, opera openings, and more. Interactive stations allow visitors to see a virtual image of themselves in one of the outfits. In the new Changing Gallery. For more information: New Mexico History Museum, (505) 476-5200.

Now through March 28 in Charleston, South Carolina:
Crazy Quilts—Twelve crazy quilts, a style popular during the last three decades of the 19th Century, are on view as part of the ongoing rotation of quilts from the Charleston Museum collection. The textiles are characterized by the use of lavish fabrics such as velvet, satins, and silks along with commemorative pieces, symbols, and embroidered embellishments. For more information: Charleston Museum, (843) 722-2996.

Now through December 31 in Mount Vernon, Virginia:
Blacksmith Program—Visitors can watch a blacksmith produce the same kind of household and agricultural items George Washington used in the 18th Century. Demonstrations are given in the new Blacksmith Shop, reconstructed after years of research and archaeology on the type of shop that operated during Washingtons time. For more information: George Washingtons Mount Vernon, (703) 780-2000.

Now through March 31 in Baltimore, Maryland:
On the Road: Travel and Transportation in Early Maryland—The exhibition examines aspects of travel and transportation in early Maryland, particularly in relation to local families such as the Carrolls of Homewood, through letters, newspaper advertisements, and travel-related objects. For more information: Homewood House Museum, (410) 516-5589.

LATER THIS MONTH

s March 19 to March 21 in Charleston, South Carolina: Charleston International Antiques Show

s March 20 to March 21 in Winder, Georgia: Fort Yargo Colonial Market Fair

s March 25 to March 28 in Savannah, Georgia: Savannah Tour of Homes and Gardens

s March 26 to March 28 in New Bern, North Carolina: The World of 1710: Material Culture in a New World

s March 28 in Boston, Massachusetts: Ladies of the House

s March 28 in St. Mary's City, Maryland: Maryland Day

EXHIBITIONS OPENING THIS MONTH

s April 1 to December 31 in Cooperstown, New York: Empire Waists, Bustles & Lace: A Century of New York Fashion

s April 3 to May 16 in Hampton, Virginia: A Place Very Pleasant to Inhabit