The Maria V. Howard Art Center at the Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences in Rocky Mount, NC, will present its summer season of exhibits beginning on June 9, 2017. This season’s exhibits include a fun look at some of the most iconic magazine covers and behind the scenes action from Rolling Stone magazine, a poetry and art collaborative exhibit highlighting the struggle of Native Americans, an exhibit that will literally encourage you to explore the outer limits of space, and a National Juried Art show that will highlight works of art from around the country. There is something for everyone this summer at the Maria V. Howard Art Center.

Have you ever dreamed of exploring the vastness of outer space? Artist, Christine Zuercher, will transport you out of this world into the outer limits of space with her exhibit, Distant Transmissions. As part of the fictitious “American Interterrestrial Society”, Zuercher uses photography, audio, and sculpture to imagine space exploration using a handcrafted spacesuit and interplanetary communication using shortwave radio. This unique exhibit will immerse you in the sights and sounds of worlds unknown to anyone but the bravest explorers. After visiting Distant Transmissions, be sure to head to the Children’s Museum and Science Center, also located in the Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences, to view their planetarium shown, Astronaut. This show will teach you about what it takes to become an astronaut. This summer at the Imperial Centre you can use your imagination and explore the reality of outer space exploration. It is sure to be an “Out of This World” experience for visitors of all ages. Distant Transmission can be viewed from June 9 to Sept 10, 2017.

The written word meets visual arts in Women of the Red Earth, a joint exhibit featuring the poems of Tonya Holy Elk Locklear, who is Lumbee/Oglala Lakota, and the visual art work of Margie Beth Labadie, who is Ashkenazi-Kohen. Though their work tells the stories of their Native American ancestors, Tonya and Margie hope that their collaboration will cross cultural boundaries and open up lines of communication between all communities. This powerful exhibit will allow all who experience it to view the world through the lens of a different culture. Women of the Red Earth will be on exhibit from June 9 through September 10, 2017.

The Maria V. Howard Art Center is proud to host its 60th National Juried Art Show. This year’s show features 53 individual works of art from 50 artists from around the country and was jurored by Harriet Hoover, coordinator of teen and college programming at the North Carolina Museum of Art. You are sure to find something to enjoy in this exhibit, which features many different mediums. The public is invited to an Artists Reception on Sunday, June 21 from 6:00-8:00 pm. Live music and refreshments will be provided and award winners will be announced at 6:30 pm during the reception.
Backstage Pass: Baron Wolman and the Early Years of Rolling Stone explores one of the most iconic periods in rock-n-roll history. This exhibit, featuring artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, showcases photographs, contact sheets, and original magazine covers that have become a part of American history. During the tumultuous times of the 60s and 70s, Wolman used his photography to highlight and capture the emotions of an entire generation expressing themselves through their music. The Imperial Centre will host several unique opportunities to listen to music in an outdoor concert event as part of their Downtown Live! Concert series. On June 22, July 6, July 20, and August 3 beginning at 6 p.m., guests can listen to music outside and beat the heat indoors during special evening viewings of the exhibit. Backstage Pass: Baron Wolman and the Early Years of Rolling Stone will run from June 16 through August 13.

The Maria V. Howard Art Center at the Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences is located at 270 Gay St in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. You may visit Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 pm. and on Sunday from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. For the latest information on exhibits and special programs, please visit our website at www.imperialcentre.org or follow us on Facebook by searching @ImperialCentreAandS.