“We Didn’t Wait For Freedom”: Civil War Narrative Quilts by Vera Hall
2023-08-26 10:00 - 2024-02-18 17:00 UTC
“We Didn’t Wait For Freedom”: Civil War Narrative Quilts by Vera Hall
August 26, 2023 – February 18, 2024
The Upcountry History Museum is honored to host a selection of quilts created by quilter and history maker, Vera P. Hall.
A retired educator and councilwoman from Baltimore, Maryland, Hall is described by Baltimore residents as a “trailblazer”. In her We Didn’t Wait For Freedom quilt series, Hall bridges the gap between history and her love of textiles with her quilt creations, honoring the lives of famous African Americans whose actions inspired change in America.
An activist in her own right, Hall studied Education at Coppin College. She became the first African American teacher assigned to an all-white school in Baltimore’s Little Italy and taught in Baltimore City elementary schools as a reading specialist. Her concern for improving public education led her to work with the Maryland Department of Education and then to run for public office. She served on the Baltimore City Council from 1985-1992. In 1992 she made history when she was elected Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, becoming the first African American female chair of a state Democratic Party.
Following her retirement, Hall became an active member of the African American Quilters of Baltimore, and created “We Too Sing America,” focused on her desire to teach other quilters black perspectives on Civil War History. Since then, she has created numerous story quilts, including a series of black history quilts, focused on her interest in Blacks during the transition from slavery to freedom.
The We Didn’t Wait for Freedom exhibition features 5 quilts from Hall’s We Didn’t Wait For Freedom quilt series, plus a sixth quilt hand and machine pieced by Hall using original Civil War era quilt blocks.
In its commitment to “connecting people, history, and culture,” the Upcountry History Museum will include Black History, Civil War era materials from its permanent collection.

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Splash & Bubbles Dive In, Lend A Fin
2023-09-23 10:00 - 2024-02-04 17:00
September 23, 2023 – February 4, 2024
Explorers of all ages will dive into the incredible world of ocean exploration when Splash and Bubbles: Dive In, Lend a Fin makes it’s only South Carolina stop at the Upcountry History Museum. Visitors will join Splash, Bubbles, and the Reeftown Rangers in exploring marine biology, ocean science, and different ocean ecosystems.
Based on the popular PBS KIDS TV show, Splash and Bubbles, a hit animated series that encourages children to explore ocean science through character-driven comedy, the series is co-produced by The Jim Henson Company and Herschend Entertainment Studios.
Both the television series and the exhibition follow the adventures of Splash, a yellow fusilier fish who has migrated all of the oceans before settling down in Reeftown, where he befriends three inquisitive fellow sea creatures. Until Splash came along, Bubbles, Dunk, Ripple, and most of the other Reeftown residents had no idea what lay beyond the cozy confines of their coral walls.
The 2,500 square foot, interactive exhibition, builds on kids’ connections to the characters and their habitats, immersing them in a larger-than-life marine environment and introducing them to the incredible world of ocean exploration.
While exploring the early childhood STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) based exhibit, children are encouraged to build both scientific inquiry and social emotional skills as they learn how to protect the ocean and its ecosystems. Ocean conservation is a key message throughout the exhibit, encouraging families to understand that they can create “a small ripple to help our big ocean.”
Featuring a variety of hands-on exhibit components, Splash and Bubbles invites children to discover a whole new world as they navigate an under-the-sea maze in a kelp forest, explore a sunken ship that has become an artificial reef, interact with puppet characters created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, become a Reeftown Ranger, dress up as a stingray or a sea turtle, and learn fun “Fin Facts” at Flo’s School of Fish.

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The Bias Inside Us
2023-10-07 10:00 - 2023-11-05 17:00
The Bias Inside Us
October 7, – November 5, 2023

October 7, – November 5, 2023
The Bias Inside Us—an exhibition and community engagement project from the Smithsonian—is an exploration of the social science, psychology, and consequences of implicit bias. Bias is an innate human trait; we all have it. Being aware of our bias can help us recognize their influence and impact on our behaviors and worldview. The Bias Inside Us offers an opportunity to learn how to challenge bias in the world through awareness of one’s own bias.
The Bias Inside Us organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. Major support is provided by The Otto Bremer Trust.

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Hard Earned: The Military Photographs of Stacy Pearsall & The Veteran’s Portrait Project
2023-10-21 10:00 - 2024-01-14 17:00
October 21, 2023 – January 14, 2024
“I carry a gun, but my real weapon is my camera.”
Stacy Pearsall
Retired Air Force Staff Sergeant and aerial combat photojournalist Stacy Pearsall has spent most of her adult life focused on two passions: photography and the military. Pearsall began her career as an Air Force still-photographer at the age of 17. At age 21 she became one of the few women to ever be accepted into the 1-Combat Camera Squadron, an elite unite of the Air Force that provides photographs of military operations to high-ranking government officials in order to inform decision making and preserve a historical record.
During her years of military service, Pearsall traveled to over 41 countries and served in three combat tours of Iraq. She is a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal and Air Force Commendation with valor for her combat actions in Iraq. She is one of only two women to have won the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) Military Photographer of the Year competition, and the only woman to have earned it twice. In 2013 she was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from The Citadel for her many contributions to the college, to American veterans, and to the U.S. Armed Forces.
Soon after being medically retired from military service, Pearsall found a new way to continue her dual passions through the award-winning Veterans Portrait Project. The project began in 2008 while Pearsall was rehabilitating from combat injuries sustained in Iraq. She found her inspiration in the hours spent in VA waiting rooms, surrounded by fellow veterans, and was compelled to honor and thank them through photography with the Veterans Portrait Project. To date she has documented over 7,500 veterans across all 50 states.
In partnership with Syracuse University, the Upcountry History Museum will present a selection of 45 photographs from Pearsall’s career as a combat photographer, as well as works from her ongoing Veterans Portrait Project. Each series approaches the military from different angles – in her combat series viewers are confronted with scenes from the conflict in the Middle East. These landscapes with lone or few figures speak to an experience fraught with hidden dangers, and hours spent alone in unforgiving territory. This experience and understanding of combat allow Pearsall to connect to the veterans she now photographs for the national Portrait Project. In both her combat images and veterans’ portraits, Pearsall’s eye for light and emotion creates an honest photograph that provides insight into the military experience.
The Upcountry History Museum will include military objects and archival materials from its permanent collection, as well as loaned objects, within the Hard Earned exhibit experience.

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A Very Grinchy Christmas
2023-11-04 10:00 - 2024-01-21 17:00
A Very Grinchy Christmas
November 4, 2023 – January 21, 2024
“Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot. But the Grinch who lived just North of Whoville did not.”
from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, published 1957

It began as a children’s book on the biggest theft in history. Then it transformed into a classic television special.
On December 18, 1966, 3.8 million people tuned in to CBS-TV to witness the birth of what would become one of the most watched holiday specials in the history of American television – “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
The made-for-television, 26-minute animated story by legendary animation director Chuck Jones (of Looney Tunes fame), was based on the 1957 book by Theodor Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss). Featuring a grouchy curmudgeon who tries to ruin Christmas, it went on to become an instant holiday classic, beloved by generations.
The Upcountry History Museum will celebrate the holiday season with the small-hearted creature who hates it the most, when it hosts A Very Grinchy Christmas. The special exhibition, featuring over 150 original animation cels, Dr. Seuss sketches, backgrounds, and ephemera, will make its Southeastern U.S. debut in Greenville, SC.
The exhibition items – selected from a private collection – illustrate Jones’ approach to adapting the story for the screen. In contrast to the book’s black, white, and red palette, Chuck Jones unleashed a riotous array of vivid colors to depict the story’s settings and characters. The 1966 film, narrated by Boris Karloff, showcased Jones’s unparalleled character animation and comic timing, creating an utterly believable, villainous – but ultimately redeemed – Grinch that became the standard for all subsequent adaptations.
Whereas today’s studios and production companies provide project funding, television specials of the past, like How the Grinch Stole Christmas, had to rely on company sponsorship in order to get made. With storyboards in hand, Jones pitched the Grinch to more than two dozen potential sponsors – breakfast foods and candy companies – without any luck. Down to the wire, he finally found a sponsor in an unlikely source – the Foundation for Commercial Banks. Coming in at over $300,000, or $2.2 million in today’s dollars, the special’s budget was unheard of at the time for a 26-minute cartoon adaptation.
Funny, heartwarming, and visually stunning, the exhibition will reflect both the book and the television special’s universal story about the spirit of giving and the indomitable power of optimism.

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Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend
2024-02-03 10:00 - 2024-06-16 17:00
Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend
February 3, 2024 – June 16, 2024
Dive deep into the world of nature’s most mystical sea-creature.
The Upcountry History Museum will invite visitors to “Meet the Unicorn of the Sea” when it hosts Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend, a Smithsonian traveling exhibition, February-June 2024.
What is a narwhal? It is, in fact a mammal, part of the whale lineage. Narwhals only live near the Arctic Circle, where climate and sea-ice changes pose a mounting challenge to their survival.
From their depiction in the 1500s as angry sea monsters to their status as icons of pop culture today, the narwhal, with its unique spiral tusk (which is a tooth), has inspired legend in Inuit and European society and fascinated people across cultures for centuries. This mysterious animal and its changing ecosystem are highlighted in this special exhibition developed by the National Museum of Natural History and its Arctic Studies Center.
Through first-hand accounts from scientists and Inuit community members, the exhibition reveals how traditional knowledge and experience, coupled with the latest scientific research, heighten our understanding of these fascinating animals and our changing global climate.
The 2,000 square-foot exhibition features an 18-foot fiberglass model of an adult male narwhal suspended from the ceiling. The model is surrounded by banners, graphic panels, object cases, and physical and digital interactives that engage audiences of all ages in the narwhal story.
Visitors will learn what the narwhal tusk is for, test their tooth knowledge, examine a cast of a skull from a prehistoric narwhal relative and compare the different ways that narwhals and their whale relatives have adapted to the changing Arctic environment. Panoramic images of landscapes and a soundscape of narwhal vocalizations, ice and water flows and other Arctic wildlife, will immerse visitors in the Arctic environment of the narwhal.
As a Smithsonian Affiliate, the Upcountry History Museum is committed to bringing “Smithsonian experiences” to South Carolina and to connecting Upstate South Carolina with Earth’s unfolding story.

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Vision & Spirit: Black Artists in the Bank of America Collection
2024-02-17 10:00 - 2024-06-02 17:00
Vision & Spirit: Black Artists in the Bank of America Collection
February 17, 2024 – June 2, 2024
Vision & Spirit: Black Artists in the Bank of America Collection, is an exhibition composed of more than 100 paintings, prints, drawings, photographs and mixed media works by 48 renowned African American artists born in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Highlighting key aspects of their lives, as well as the important objects they created, the exhibition focuses on these artists’ strength and resilience as creative forces whose work continues to shape our understanding of the world.

On loan from Bank of America’s Art in Our Communities program, the exhibition was curated in partnership with the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture, Charlotte, NC. In selecting works of art for the exhibition, guest curator Dexter Wimbley sought images and concepts that embody the exhibition’s central theme of resilience. Throughout this process he continually reflected on the social and political times in which the works of art were created.
The exhibit features work from artists born in the 19th and 20th centuries, but the images and concepts depicted span an even greater period in time. There are pieces that depict the middle passage – the taking of enslaved Africans by boat across the Atlantic – the Underground Railroad and the Great Migration of Black Americans from the South during the Jim Crow era.
The breadth of work in the exhibition further includes portraits of unknown and well-known individuals, including influential figures such as Muhammad Ali, Harriet Tubman, John and Alice Coltrane, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It also includes photographs taken during the Harlem Renaissance and the civil rights movement, as well as intimate and quiet moments in early to mid- century and contemporary Black life.
Artists in the exhibition include Rev. Henry Clay Anderson, Chelle Barbour, Romare Bearden, Dawoud Bey, Willie Cole, Murry DePillars, Jacob Lawrence, Whitfield Lovell, Gordon Parks, Faith Ringgold, Jamel Shabazz, and James VanDerZee.
Seeking to balance the presentation of figuration and abstraction, Vision & Spirit also includes the work of several emerging or lesser-known contemporary African American artists to explore the idea that all art exists on a continuum, and that art being made today is both historically and psychologically influenced by art made in the past.
Vision & Spirit inspires viewers to go on a journey of revelation and discovery and opens the door for greater discussions about the past, present, and future of African Americans.

This exhibition has been loaned through the Bank of America Art in Our Communities® program.

Salley Mavor’s Bedtime Stitches
2024-03-02 10:00 - 2024-05-05 17:00
Salley Mavor’s Bedtime Stitches
March 2, 2024 – May 5, 2024
Award winning fiber artist Salley Mavor has spent four decades developing her signature style, carving out her own niche within the children’s book world and the fiber art community. Mavor’s three-dimensional embroidered tableaus have been used as children’s book illustrations, social commentary, and stop-motion animation.
For Salley Mavor, a needle is her tool, thread her medium, and stitches are her marks. From her home studio in Falmouth, Massachusetts, she has illustrated 11 children’s picture books using her distinctive blend of materials and hand-stitching techniques.
The Upcountry History Museum will partner with Salley Mavor for the third time, when it hosts original artwork from her latest book, My Bed: Enchanting Ways to Fall Asleep around the World, published in 2020. The book, illustrated by Mavor, features three-dimensional art showcasing “the universal theme of children sleeping safe in their beds”.
From Afghanistan to Ghana to Scandinavia and South America, both the story and the art connect visitors with a sense of home and familiarity. Visual clues, made with a variety of materials including fabric, beads, wire, and found objects, provide unique opportunities for visitors of all ages to experience the three-dimensional quality of Salley’s storytelling.
The exhibit, titled Salley Mavor: Bedtime Stitches, features eighteen pieces of original artwork created for the book. Each of the distinctive sculptural artworks is created like a shadow box, containing Mavor’s detailed, intricate designs and embroideries in a 3-D picture, assembled like a tiny stage set with its own scenery and characters.
The miniature children fall asleep in an endless variety of ways, on hammocks, straw mats, colorful woven rugs and futons; in curtained cupboards, cubby holes, and quilt-covered four-posters. They nod off in houseboats rocking on the water; next to a warm stove or under the stars on a rooftop; with their favorite toys nearby. The tiny animals that accompany the children in each frame provide what Mavor calls “visual clues” to each geographic region, as do the traditional designs and patterns found within each illustration.
The result is a colorful and immersive experience for a multi-generational audience, highlighting the universal act of cozying into bed.

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D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Memory Lives On
2024-05-18 10:00 - 2025-04-27 17:00
D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Memory Lives On
May 18, 2024 – April 27, 2025
Normandy, France will forever be marked by the June 6, 1944, D-Day Landings and the Battle of Normandy that led to the liberation of France and Europe. 2024 will mark the 80th Anniversary of this historic event. The Upcountry History Museum, in its commitment to collecting, preserving, and disseminating the Upstate’s local history and to connecting it to national and international history, will honor this momentous occasion with a special exhibition.
June 6, 1944: More than 156,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, as part of the largest seaborne invasion in history. Known as “D-Day,” the name and date loom large in the memory of WWII. D-Day put the Allies on a decisive path toward victory. Beginning with the Normandy beaches, they pushed back the Axis forces until Germany was forced to surrender less than a year later. Their achievements were not accomplished without tremendous sacrifice, as the Normandy invasion resulted in over 6,000 American casualties.
The Upcountry History Museum, in partnership with the Naval History and Heritage Command, Washington, DC, will honor the individuals without whom D-Day would not have been a success: soldiers and sailors, doctors and nurses, engineers and pilots, enlisted men and officers, seasoned fighters and those who had never been in combat. These veterans stormed the beaches, directed the landings, sailed or flew in support of the invasion, parachuted or piloted gliders into France, and arrived in the days after June 6, to continue the perilous work of pushing back and defeating the German Army.
Artifacts, uniforms, archival materials, ephemera, art and more will share this remarkable moment in history and provide answers to What is D-Day? How do you get an army across the English Channel and into France when your enemy is well armed, well trained, and expecting you? How did a single day and its aftermath ultimately liberate Western Europe, defeat Nazi Germany and end the Second World War?
The exhibition will include the contributions and sacrifices of Upstate South Carolinians, many of whom were in their teens, to commemorate their participation in the largest invasion ever assembled and to ensure that “the memory lives on.”

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Curious George™: Let’s Get Curious!
2024-05-25 10:00 - 2024-10-06 17:00
Curious George™: Let’s Get Curious!
May 25, 2024 – October 6, 2024*
For 85 years, he’s romped, played, explored and experienced an array of adventures with countless young children eager to know more about the world around them.
Curious George™, the childlike monkey in the popular children’s book series by H.A. and Margret Rey, as well as the star of the #1 PBS KIDS television show – will make Greenville his summer home, when he visits the Upcountry History Museum.
Curious George™: Let’s Get Curious! is an interactive learning experience, developed for children ages 2-8 and their caregivers. Opening May 25, 2024, the 2500 square foot exhibit, designed in partnership with Universal Studios Consumer Products Group, invites visitors to step into the world of Curious George.
The hands-on, bi-lingual (English and Spanish) adventure takes place in the neighborhood where Curious George™ lives with his friend, The Man in the Yellow Hat. Letting curiosity and inquiry be their guides, visitors explore familiar buildings and locales with multigenerational appeal from the Curious George™ book series and television show on PBS.
Encouraging visitors to “learn like George” through direct experience and problem solving, the exhibit emphasizes early STEAM concepts – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. Learning experiences are based on educational standards developed by an advisory panel from the PBS KIDS series, as well as national science, math and literacy standards for young children.
Supporting characters appear throughout the exhibit, helping to provide context, and to deliver both caregiver and take-home messages.
The result is a three-dimensional, fully developed world that resonates with young visitors, while still appealing to the grown-ups in their lives who are just as fond of the loveable little monkey created in 1939 by H.A. and Margret Rey.
Curious George television series merchandise © Universal Studios. Curious George and related characters, created by Margret and H. A. Rey, are copyrighted and trademarked by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company and used under license. Licensed by Universal Studios Licensing LLLP. All rights reserved.

*Please note, the Museum is closed on Mondays.

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Finding the Force...Awakening An Empire
2024-06-15 10:00 - 2024-11-03 17:00
Star Wars: Finding the Force… Awakening An Empire
June 15, 2024 – November 3, 2024*
Since the debut of George Lucas’ “Star Wars: A New Hope” on May 25, 1977, the “Force” has grown stronger through the iconic characters, costumes, and content of each subsequent “Star Wars” movie, creating an empire of distinctive storytelling, collectibles, and audience appreciation.
Finding the Force…Awakening an Empire, a Star Wars exhibition, brings together a unique presentation of the history, the costuming, the creatives, and the characters, highlighting the legends and legacies of this storied franchise, and providing insight into the elements that have consistently connected us to a galaxy far, far away for over 45 years.
Though “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” brought audiences back to the theater in 2015, it had been 10 years since the Resistance had faced off with the First Order. Fans discovered, however, that the same “Force” which guided the now legendary cast of characters through an original storyline of balancing the showdown between good and evil had channeled their legacies into a blend of similarities and differences setting the stage for the introduction of new characters, deeper subplots, and even more intense intergalactic adventures.
The Upcountry History Museum, in partnership with Walt Disney Archives and private collectors across the country, will deliver a once-in-a-lifetime Star Wars experience through a 2000 square foot exhibition of original costumes, props, conceptual drawings, ephemera, and collectibles from the 2015 film, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and the Star Wars franchise.
Visitors will experience the Star Wars universe as characters are brought to life through a dramatic presentation of original costumes and film assets including Chewbaca, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Darth Vader, Rey, Poe, Finn, Kylo Ren, Captain Phasma, and the notorious Stormtroopers. Film assets will include beloved characters R2-D2, C-3PO, and BB-8. Poe’s X-Wing fighter model, maquettes, concept art, and more, will highlight the creative process, encompassing the essence of Star Wars creator George Lucas’ vision and the exciting challenge of translating his iconic characters into a dynamic reality.
Additionally, the exhibit will explore how Star Wars impacted the 1977-1985 Kenner Toys, Star Wars toy line, changing the toy industry and creating the movie collectibles industry. The Kenner Toys are as iconic as the Star Wars movies themselves. The exhibit will feature a private collection that includes every action figure toy (over 200) made by Kenner Toys from 1978-1985 based on the original three Star Wars movies.
Star Wars is an important cultural touchstone across generations, and the Upcountry History Museum is proud to bring this Star Wars exhibit experience to the Carolinas.
*Please note, the Museum is closed on Mondays.

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Away From Home: Native American Boarding Schools
2024-08-31 10:00 - 2024-10-20 17:00
Away From Home: Native American Boarding Schools
August 31, 2024 – October 20, 2024
Away From Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories, a National Endowment for the Humanities national traveling exhibition, will make its only South Carolina stop at the Upcountry History Museum, August 31 – October 20, 2024.
Beginning in the 1870s, the US government attempted to educate and assimilate Native Americans into “civilized” society by placing children – of all ages, from thousands of homes and hundreds of diverse tribes – in distant, residential boarding schools. Many were forcibly taken from their families and communities and stripped of all signs of their culture, even forbidden to speak their own language among themselves.
Up until the 1930s, students were trained for domestic work and trade in a highly regimented environment. Many children went years without familial contact, and these events had a lasting, generational impact.
Some suffered in silence, some struggled bitterly, some succumbed to physical abuse, Tuberculosis or Influenza and lost their lives. Others flourished and built a new sense of self within a wider world, while preserving their identity in their hearts.
The 2000 square foot exhibition explores the off-reservation boarding schools through a kaleidoscope of first-person voices. Stories of student resistance, accommodation, creative resolve, devoted participation, escape and faith in oneself and heritage, speak individually across eras. Visitors will explore photographs, artwork, objects, interviews, interactive timelines and immersive environments, including classroom and dormitory settings.
Boarding schools were designed to remake Native Americans, but it was Native Americans who changed the schools. The exhibit also examines these unintended outcomes, such as a sense of “Pan-Indianism,” the growth of support networks on campuses, and the demand for reform by advocates. Following graduation, many students became involved in tribal political offices, the formation of civil rights, and Native sovereignty organizations.
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Black Pioneers: Legacy In The American West
2024-10-26 10:00 - 2025-03-02 17:00
Black Pioneers: Legacy In The American West
October 26, 2024 – March 2, 2025
“When thinking about the American Wild West, many imagine characters from a classic western movie. But the reality is, the West is – and was – a melting pot. This ground-breaking exhibit fills in the mostly missing historical record of Black people in 19th-century America.”
– Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi
The Upcountry History Museum will invite visitors to experience a first-of-its kind exhibit when it hosts Black Pioneers: Legacy in the American West. The national touring exhibit, organized by The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, St. Petersburg, FL and Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, artist, renowned historian and one of the foremost experts on African American quilting history and traditions, explores Black history in the American West.
The exhibit follows the path of Black history in the West through a timeline of original pictorial quilts. These colorful, richly detailed works of art chronicle the arrival of Africans in the American West in 1528, all the way through the Civil Rights Movement, bringing to life forgotten stories and lesser-known chapters in history. Dispelling the myth that Black people in the old West were mostly cowboys, Black Pioneers reveals the breadth of their occupations and achievements in society, religion, education, and the arts.
Quilts were chosen as the visual medium for the exhibit to highlight the intersections of African Americans in the Western Frontier while informing visitors about the art form and its important role in African American history. For African American women, quilts have always been at the core of artistic expression, taking form in the social, economic, and spiritual lives of the women who make them.
The 50 quilts, designed for the exhibit, were created by the Women of Color Quilters Network (WCQN) especially for the exhibition. Each quilt features a different Black pioneer, their life story researched and depicted in fabric by the quilt’s creator.
Founded by Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi in 1985, WCQN is a non-profit national organization whose mission is to educate, preserve, exhibit, promote and document quilts made by African Americans.

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White Christmas: The Exhibition
2024-11-16 10:00 - 2025-02-02 17:00
White Christmas: The Exhibition
November 16, 2024 – February 2, 2025
In December of 1941, seventeen days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Bing Crosby made the first live radio performance of a new song called “White Christmas.” Crosby’s unforgettable voice, singing what would become one of the most iconic Christmas songs ever written, went almost unnoticed in the flurry of activity around the United States entry into World War II.
The song had been created by songwriter Irving Berlin, a Jewish Russian immigrant. Its nostalgic view of an ideal snowy northeastern Christmas had to wait until the August 1942 release of the movie Holiday Inn before its popularity would take off. Within a month of the film’s premiere, sheet music and record sales propelled “White Christmas” to the top of the Hit Parade music chart for 10 weeks beginning in November 1942. From that point on, “White Christmas” became an instant classic and one of the most patriotic songs of World War II.
The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1942 and was such a hit, that Berlin decided to write an entire movie around it.
Prior to the film’s release in the fall of 1954, Variety wrote that “White Christmas should be a natural at the box office…with a hot ensemble including Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen, and an Irving Berlin score.” Variety was right; White Christmas became the highest grossing film of 1954 and the highest grossing musical film of all-time.

The Upcountry History Museum in partnership with the Rosemary Clooney House, Augusta, Kentucky and a private collector, will host White Christmas – The Exhibition in the Winter of 2024. Greenville, South Carolina became the second U.S. city to host the 2000 square foot exhibit in 2020.
Original White Christmas film costumes created by legendary designer Edith Head, props, sheet music, cast member’s personal memorabilia, archival materials, replica backdrops and more will invite visitors to experience first-hand the musical genius of Irving Berlin and the making of this beloved holiday film about two WWII veterans who team up with a singing sister duo to save a faltering Vermont lodge owned by the veteran’s former commanding officer.

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Clyde Butcher's America the Beautiful
2025-02-15 10:00 - 2025-05-25 17:00
Clyde Butcher’s America the Beautiful
February 15, 2025 – May 25, 2025

“The earth is a magnificent piece of art… As a photographer, I am only sharing what I witness.”
– Clyde Butcher
Acclaimed photographer Clyde Butcher has spent more than 50 years capturing some of America’s most unique and beautiful landscapes, from the Redwood forests of California to the Everglade swamps of Florida. Butcher majestically captures the public natural lands set aside by the Federal and State governments for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.
As one of the most renowned photographers of our time, Clyde Butcher has dedicated his life to capturing the natural beauty of the world around us. The exhibit showcases his unparalleled talent and features a stunning collection of his best work from his illustrious career.
Butcher’s images of these treasured landscapes, including the Great Smoky Mountains, document the changing environment, capturing what is there today and encouraging us to enjoy the beauty of nature. His images speak for countless diverse places of wilderness and respite found throughout all of America, allowing us an appreciation of our land.
America the Beautiful includes 43 large-scale, black and white photographs of the American landscape, spanning beautiful sites across the United States. Butcher’s views include some of the same locations shot by the photographer Ansel Adams, demonstrating the unique light and clarity that his artistic vision brings to those scenes.
The beauty of Butcher’s photographs is further emphasized by the epic size of his works. The exceptional size of his compositions – the largest is 5 by 8.5 feet – allows viewers to experience the beauty of each site from an almost first–hand perspective.
Butcher’s unique technique enables him to capture a breathtaking amount of detail within his images. He shoots with an 8 x 10 wooden large-format view camera from the 1940s, creating an extraordinary depth of field through a synthesis of wide-angled lenses and a small lens opening. His large negatives, combined with orange and blue filters and a longer-than-average exposure time – up to ten minutes – allow for clarity and incredible detail within his compositions.
Clyde Butcher: America the Beautiful showcases Butcher’s skill in capturing the raw beauty of the United States most precious natural landscapes, while also highlighting his passion for preserving these spaces for generations to come.

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Beautification: The Environmental Legacy of Lady Bird Johnson
2025-03-15 10:00 - 2025-09-07 17:00
Beautification: The Environmental Legacy of Lady Bird Johnson
March 15, 2025 – September 7, 2025
Curated and produced by the LBJ Presidential Library, Austin, Texas, Beautification: The Environmental Legacy of Lady Bird Johnson, focuses on the life and legacy of Lady Bird Johnson, wife of the 36th President of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson. The Upcountry History Museum, Greenville, SC, will be the exhibit’s first stop on its limited national tour.
The former first lady is most often associated with promoting environmental conservation and the wildflowers that brighten the country’s landscape. This exhibition guides visitors through a comprehensive story of Mrs. Johnson’s life, providing more context to her education, family, campaign efforts, acumen as a businesswoman, leadership in education and environmental conservation, and her role as a philanthropist.
Throughout her time in the White House, Lady Bird fought to make American cities more beautiful by planting flowers or adding park benches and by removing billboards and junkyards from the nation’s highways. Her efforts in these areas pushed her further into the political arena, more than any First Lady before her. Even Eleanor Roosevelt, Lady Bird’s declared role model, had not sat in on a legislative strategy session or been given assignments to influence Congressional votes. Lyndon Johnson supported Lady Bird’s efforts, publicly promoting her projects in his State of the Union speeches and during Cabinet meetings.
Beautification: The Environmental Legacy of Lady Bird Johnson will guide visitors through a comprehensive story of Mrs. Johnson’s life, from childhood through her post-White House years. Visitors will be immersed in the life and legacy of Lady Bird Johnson on loan from the LBJ Presidential Library and the Johnsons daughters Lynda Bird Johnson Robb and Luci Baines Johnson include items from Whistle Stop campaign tours, gowns from White House galas, mementos from beautification projects; original art from The Lorax, created by Dr. Seuss; along with letters, photographs, oral histories, home movies, and artifacts – the majority of which have never been shared with the public.

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Janis Bandelin & Bill Fitzpatrick Mountain Laurel Garden Club of Travelers Rest

Privies, Pipes, and Progress...
2025-05-10 10:00 - 2025-10-05 17:00
Privies, Pipes, and Progress…
May 10, 2025 – October 5, 2026

Renewable Water Resources Celebrates 100 Years of Cleaning Water
November 1, 1928, ushered in a new era for the Upcountry as the then Greater Greenville Sewer District began operations at the recently completed Mauldin Road treatment plant. The realization of this “modern sewerage system” in the “first city in the South to be completely sewered” brought with it expectations, opportunities, and progress for the 20th century.
Over the next few decades, upgrades and advanced improvements were made to keep the utility on mission for cleaning water and protecting public health, while additional facilities were built to help meet the demands of a growing region. As the service area and functions expanded, the utility was renamed Greenville County Sewer Authority in 1968, and by 1969, S.C. Act 688 established it as the primary wastewater treatment provider in the Greenville area.
The succeeding years brought increased environmental responsibilities, escalating infrastructure demands, as well as an anticipated expansion in scope of responsibility for surrounding counties. So, the General Assembly authorized S.C. Act 1415 in 1974 to rename the utility to Western Carolina Regional Sewer Authority (WCRSA).
For the next 35 years, WCRSA made pioneering and groundbreaking advancements in numerous areas of wastewater treatment, many of which positioned the utility as the definitive leader at the state and national levels.
By the early 2000s, the utility’s vision had evolved to encompass a more thorough commitment to enhancing the quality of life for its communities by transforming wastewater into a clean, fresh, renewable resource. State legislators agreed and by approval of Act 102 in 2009, the name became Renewable Water Resources (ReWa).
Over the past 100 years, ReWa has established itself as an organization dedicated to protecting Upstate waterways, supporting public health, and promoting a cleaner environment. It has also become a steadfast community partner motivated to lead, engage, and serve.
This exhibition takes visitors on a journey through ReWa’s 100 years and features interactive displays, archived materials from early days of operations, photo collages highlighting the decades, and more.

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Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice
2025-05-24 10:00 - 2025-09-21 17:00
Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice
May 24, 2025 – September 21, 2025

Dinosaurs will roar into Upstate South Carolina, when the Upcountry History Museum presents Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice.
Crossing the threshold of this special exhibition means traveling back in time to explore the Age of the Dinosaurs. As visitors move through the exhibit they encounter unfamiliar landscapes, touchable dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes, and opportunities to investigate clues about what the dinosaurs left behind. The exhibit builds on the popular fascination with dinosaurs and includes science, history, and literacy based activities to challenge all ages.
Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice, designed for children ages 3-10, is the first child-centered exhibit dedicated to expanding the understanding of dinosaur habitat and range. The bilingual (Spanish and English) exhibit features three distinct sections that build on a child’s innate curiosity about dinosaurs: Land of Fire (a warm dinosaur habitat), Land of Ice (a cold dinosaur habitat), and a Field Research Station (complete with a Big Dig experience).
The steamy Land of Fire – present day Montana – introduces visitors to the Triceratops, T-Rex, and the dinosaurs who called this environment home. Children can circle the land in insect costumes, buzz through a volcano with oozing lava, work through a swampy bog, and identify an ecosystem of animals and plants.
No coats are needed for a trip across the Land of Ice where visitors meet the dinosaurs who made their homes in the cold climate of present day Alaska. Activities include exploring an icy cave filled with northern lights effects, breezing down an icy slide, and creating a Cretaceous food chain in an environment based on cold dinosaur habitats 70 million years ago.
In the hands-on Field Research Station children and their caregivers don goggles and research vests, as they uncover dinosaur bones in a dig station and examine fossils to identify dinosaurs.
This immersive exhibit includes sculpted, touchable dinosaurs that feature the most recent scientific findings about the colors, textures and structural form of the dinosaurs. Designed to spark children’s interest in science and history, the exhibit will immerse visitors in meaningful science experiences and activities that use scientific thinking skills; focus on history, natural history, and paleontology; and provide opportunities to build literacy and vocabulary skills through interactive activities.

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Avengers: Endgame – The Exhibition
2025-06-07 10:00 - 2026-01-18 17:00
Avengers: Endgame — The Exhibition
June 7, 2025 – January 18, 2026
“In the comic books and the movies, the story is always the most important element.”
– Stan Lee, Writer, Editor, Comic Book Creator

For over 85 years, creating independent yet deeply connected stories has been the foundation of the Marvel Universe. Conceived from a simple idea of strange tales and journeys in 1939 with the publication of Marvel Comics #1, Marvel began to create a world with visual and cultural impact that has continued to influence readers and viewers today.
As the comic book industry gained momentum in the 1930s, Stan Lee, an aspiring writer, joined Timely Comics, the forerunner to Marvel Comics. In 1940, Timely introduced characters such as Captain America, Toro, the Whizzer, and even Miss America, who with the Human Torch, founded the Invaders, dedicated to combating Nazi forces in Europe. Following the war, the group was renamed the All-Winners Squad with the mission to fight crime in the U.S.
Over the next two decades, new characters in different genres expanded the growing repertoire of stories which furthered the narratives of heroes and villains. By the 1960s, Marvel had risen in popularity. Lee and artist Jack Kirby created the company’s first family with The Fantastic Four in 1961, followed in 1962 with Spider-Man, well Daredevil, Nick Fury, Incredible Hulk, and the X-Men.
In 1963 Marvel created a team of superheroes including Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Thor, Hawkeye, Hulk, and Black Panther. Named The Avengers, their mission was to stand as Earth’s first line of defense against the most powerful threats in the universe.
By 2012, movies and television shows were the outlets for Marvel Universe characters, the parent company became Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Avengers continued to provide audiences with thrilling storylines based on their mission as seen in 2012, 2015, and 2018 films.
Avengers: Endgame debuted in theaters in 2019 and became the highest-grossing film of all time that year. In partnership with The Walt Disney Company’s Marvel Studios and private collectors, the Upcountry History Museum will present an exclusive 2000 square foot exhibition featuring an extraordinary display of original costumes, props, and memorabilia showcasing the film’s messages of teamwork, courage, and perseverance.
The first exhibition of its kind in the United States, the project invites visitors of all ages to traverse the Marvel Universe. This once-in-a lifetime experience will explore the fourth installment in the Avengers saga and is the culmination of 22 interconnected Marvel films and the climax of a journey. The exhibit’s design and messaging will emulate Avengers: Endgame’s principles of friendship, teamwork, and setting aside differences to overcome impossible obstacles.

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War Dogs: K9 Military Heroes
2025-09-20 10:00 - 2026-02-01 17:00
War Dogs: K9 Military Heroes
September 20, 2025 – February 1, 2026
“I want to pay tribute to the soldiers who served with great sacrifice by creating the sculptural allegory of wounded warrior dogs who were the soldier’s best friend and companion in battle.”
– artist, James Mellick

Since the American Revolutionary War, military working dogs have served with all branches of the United States Armed Forces. First used as pack animals, working dogs have expanded their military roles to include scouting, policing, detection, and combat. U.S. military dogs officially began serving in WWII, following the formation of the Dogs for Defense, Inc. coalition. Today, hundreds of dogs serve with U.S. military forces around the globe assisting with dangerous missions on today’s modern battlefields.
The Upcountry History Museum will spotlight and honor the important role of these four-legged warriors when it hosts War Dogs: K9 Military Heroes. The exhibition combines life-size sculptures designed by Ohio master craftsman James Mellick with combat art and objects on loan from the collections of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, the United States Coast Guard, and the Naval History & Heritage Command.
The project features eight Wounded Warrior and two Canine War Dog sculptures, bringing attention to the history, service and heroism of military working dogs. The collection represents Doberman Pinchers, German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers and Belgian Malinois who served in WWII, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan military campaigns.
One of the sculptures honors Lucca, a Marine Corps war dog. Lucca conducted more than 400 missions during two deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan. One of those missions cost Lucca her leg and severe burns but there were no human casualties under her watch. When she retired, Lucca’s handler adopted her.
Twenty pieces of art paint a more complete picture of dogs at work, detailing the most menacing war dogs to goggled high-flying dogs to sleeping warriors and keen detectives. Artifacts include items used by war dogs and their handlers. Dog uniforms, medical kits and Purple Hearts share poignant stories of perseverance and bravery. Military working dogs have served and protected countless lives in war, this inspiring exhibition tells their amazing story.

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Beyond Halloween Land: Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
2025-10-18 10:00 - 2026-03-01 17:00
Beyond Halloween Land : Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas
October 18, 2025 – March 1, 2026
Just in time for the holidays, the Upcountry History Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, will present an exhibition dedicated to Filmmaker Tim Burton. Beyond Halloween Land | Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas will offer visitors a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the enchanting world of the iconic 1993 stop-action animated film by showcasing a carefully curated collection of models and original artwork used to bring the beloved film to life.
The Nightmare Before Christmas originated from a poem written by Burton in 1982 while he was working as an animator at Walt Disney Productions. Burton then began to consider developing the poem into a short film or a half-hour television special, to no avail. Over the years his thoughts regularly returned to the project and in 1990, he made a development deal with Walt Disney Studios. The project’s production started in July 1991.
Made before the era of computer generated imagery, Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas used 109,490 photographs for the labor-intensive stop animation process. Released on October 29, 1993, the film was met with commercial and critical success, earning praise for its animation, particularly the innovation of stop-motion as an art form, as well as its characters, songs, and score.
In the 30+ years since its release, the film’s creepy holiday magic remains contagious. Now deemed an “annual must-see Christmas classic”, the beloved film tells the story of Jack Skellington, the King of “Halloween Town”, who stumbles upon “Christmas Town” and schemes to take over the holiday, which includes kidnapping Santa Claus. Jack’s plans go awry causing him to state “I’m afraid I’ve made a terrible mess of your holiday” to Santa, and to undoing the chaos that has been created. In return Santa assures Jack that there are no hard feelings between them and brings a snowfall to “Halloween Town”, thereby bringing the Christmas spirit to the town.
Organized by the Upcountry History Museum in partnership with private collectors, the exhibition will invite visitors to reconnect with the endearing yet quirky characters from Burton’s iconic The Nightmare Before Christmas, such as Oogie Boogie, Bone Crusher, Sally, Dr. Finkelstein, and the beloved hero Jack Skellington. The exhibit will weave together maquettes originally crafted for Burton’s iconic film, and an array of artworks, inviting visitors to embark on their own imaginative journeys into the realms of fantasy.

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Sue Reich's The Quilter's Night Before Christmas
2025-11-01 10:00 - 2026-01-11 17:00
Sue Reich’s The Quilter’s Night Before Christmas
November 1, 2025 – January 11, 2026

“A Visit from St. Nicholas,” referred to as “The Night Before Christmas” a poem by Clement C. Moore, was first published in 1823. For the past two hundred years, it has been reprinted in everything from almanacs to advertisements; it’s been dramatized, satirized, parodied, and set to music. It’s been published in newspapers, dramatized on stage, retold on film, recited over the radio, performed on television, and posted on the Internet. And most especially it’s been read and reread to ten generations of children around the world.
The poem’s depiction of Santa Claus as a jolly and generous figure influenced subsequent representations of the Christmas icon and became an integral part of the American holiday tradition. Its enduring popularity and cultural significance have solidified “A Visit from St. Nicholas” as a timeless tribute to the spirit of Christmas.
This holiday classic has been reimagined in a national traveling exhibit titled, Sue Reich’s The Quilter’s Night Before Christmas. Curated by Sue Reich, an award winning quilter, AQS quilt appraiser, quilt author, historian, and lecturer, the exhibit was created by quilters across the country. Each quilter was assigned a part of the holiday poem to interpret in color, theme, stitch, and story.
Reich challenged her quilt-making friends, to pick a stanza from the poem and re-create their “The Night Before Christmas” memories. Criteria for creating each quilt included the size, 24 x 30 inches, and each quilt had to include a miniature quilt or quilted image somewhere in the quilt. The result is a “Night Before Christmas” holiday treasure, featuring 29 quilts, that invite fans of the beloved holiday poem to experience it anew in three dimensions.
Sue Reich’s The Quilter’s Night Before Christmas exhibition, will make its first South Carolina appearance at the Upcountry History Museum, November 1, 2025, through January 11, 2026.

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