Press Releases
March 5, 2001
Contact: Malory Truman
(508) 853-6015 ext. 26
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April Programs At The Higgins Armory Museum
Genealogy Brown Bag Lunch
April 12, Thursday, noon - 1 p.m.
Discover your roots! Bring your lunch and family history questions to genealogy expert Kay Sheldon and compare notes with other researchers. Beginners and advanced genealogists are all welcome! General admission applies for non-members. (Members of M.S.O.G. receive special reduced membership to Higgins Armory Museum.)
Castle Quest at the Higgins
School Vacation Adventure Week
April 16 - 20, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The student in your family can enjoy fun and educational activities during vacation week. Paper making and manuscript creation, fencing lessons in our Great Hall, medieval dancing and madrigal singing - all of these are classes offered at the Higgins Armory Museum during vacation week. Classes are offered in half-day segments. A certified teacher, trained instructors and museum educators conduct each class. Register your child for a full day or for your choice of classes. Some age restrictions apply. Please contact Jack Kelley at 508-853-6015 ext. 11 (Tues. to Fri. 10-4) to register and get your class catalogue, or get info and register by email (higgins@higgins.org) Children, age 6 -14. Reservations and prepayment are required. Full Day: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Members $18, non-Members $33 (includes Museum admission). Children may be dropped off as early as 8:30 a.m. for an additional cost of $5 per child. Please make sure you pack your children a lunch! Half Day: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 1 to 4 p.m. Members $9, non-Members $19 (includes Museum admission). Programs vary daily. "Drop-in" workshops are also available daily for an additional fee.
Dragons and Damsels: A Writer's Symposium
April 21, Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In conjunction with the Romance in Steel exhibit, this symposium looks at how modern writers of fantasy novels and stories keep the myths and legends of knights and chivalry alive for the next generation. Invited speakers include Esther Friesner, editor of the anthology Chicks in Chain Mail, who will discuss the challenges of portraying women warriors in a male-dominated genre; and Steven K. Voltan Brust, author of Gypsy, Phoenix Guards and the Vlad-Taltos cycle, who will discuss the creation of fantasy warrior codes. Limited enrollment. Fee is $35. PDPs are available. Please call 508-853-6015 ext. 15 or 20 for further information. Funded by a grant from the Fletcher Foundation.
National Volunteer Week of the International Year of Volunteers!
April 22-28, Sunday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Visit the Higgins with your red volunteer ribbon this week, and receive treatment befitting a Lord or a Lady . like free admission! 2001 is the International Year of Volunteers. Around the world, communities are celebrating all the work done by these very special people. "Thank you!" to all the volunteers who make our communities a better place to live. Central Massachusetts stands alone - the cultural organizations here are recognizing the valuable work of volunteers by offering free admission to all volunteers wearing their red "V" ribbon this week.
Volunteer Recognition Lunch
April 25, Wednesday, noon to 1:30 p.m.
Higgins Armory Museum's annual volunteer luncheon recognizes the contributions of our volunteers with a catered luncheon and appreciation gifts.
Annual Meeting
April 25, Wednesday, 4 to 6 p.m.
Trustees, Incorporators, and Members are invited to a review of the successful past year followed by entertainment and a reception in the Great Hall.
Genealogy Brown Bag Lunch
April 26, Thursday, noon - 1 p.m.
Discover your roots! Bring your lunch and family history questions to genealogy expert Kay Sheldon and compare notes with other researchers. Beginners and advanced genealogists are all welcome! General admission applies for non-members. (Members of M.S.O.G. receive special reduced membership to Higgins Armory Museum.)
SPECIAL EXHIBITION
Romance in Steel: The Heritage of Armor
Tuesday, January 2, 2001 through Sunday, June 3, 2001
Don't forget to visit the critically-acclaimed Romance in Steel show! This exhibition examines the ongoing romantic and antiquarian fascination with armor from the time of its disappearance from the battlefield to the present day. The exhibition draws on important private holdings as well as the Fogg Museum at Harvard, the Yale Museum of British Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Visitors will see relics of tournament revivals staged in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, reproductions and forgeries of armor, original suits of armor redecorated to reflect modern ideas of medieval taste, and examples of the uses of armor in home decoration and commercial images. Members free, non-Members free with Museum admission. This exhibition is made possible in part by a general operating grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and the Museum's Corporate Membership supporters.
MAY PROGRAMS AT THE HIGGINS ARMORY MUSEUM
The Higgins is packed with a rotating schedule of demonstrations and activities. Below is a list of events and interpretive programs available at Castle Higgins. There's always something new and exciting to see! Check out each week's offerings!
Scavenger Hunts:
Saturday, May 12 - Hidden Ladies of the Higgins: Who says the Middle Ages were all about knights in armor? Learn about some of the fascinating women who made their own medieval marks on the world they lived in.
Saturday, May 26 - A Knight's Tale: What did it mean to be a knight? How did a young man prepare and train for this very important role, and for how long? What duties and responsibilities were expected of him? Find out on this hunt.
Special Presentations:
Saturday, May 12 - Joan of Arc: Get to know the woman who inspired a country to battle for its independence. Joan will discuss her youth, growing up as a medieval girl and the challenges of being a woman leading a company of men.
Saturday, May 12 - Sir Andrew the Walking Knight: Meet a living knight in shining armor as Sir Andrew clanks and clomps through the Great Hall! A great opportunity for children of all ages to see armor in action.
Saturday, May 26 - Renaissance Fencing: Errol Flynn WATCH OUT!!! This troupe demonstrates rapier and dagger fencing techniques from 16th and 17th century fencing manuals. Presented by the Higgins Renaissance Fencing Study Group.
Medieval Swordplay with John Waller
May 1 and 2, Tuesday and Wednesday, 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. each night
A rare chance to learn sword combat from a true master! John Waller, Head of Interpretation at the Royal Armouries Museum, England, will conduct two hands-on workshops on medieval sword combat at the Higgins Armory. Mr. Waller, internationally familiar from the History Channel program "Arms in Action", is one of the world's leading figures in the reconstruction of historical martial arts. He will be assisted by his son, Jonathan Waller, himself an internationally known fight choreographer, and by Andrew Deane, Senior Interpreter at the Royal Armouries. Enrollment is limited. No equipment necessary. Price: $45 museum members, $60 nonmembers. For reservations contact the Higgins Education Department at (508) 853-6015 x20, or by e-mail at higgins@higgins.org
Higgins Faire - A May Festival of Spring
May 5th, Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Celebrate the Merrie Month of May and join us all day for great family activities - this will be our biggest Higgins Faire ever! Highlights of the day include swordplay and fencing demonstrations, Pumpernickel Puppets production of "Sir George and the Dragon", Hands on History with a jousting knight and his pavilion, WPI Brass Ensemble, a magical wizard, appearances by Sir Andrew the Walking Knight and Joan of Arc, madrigal singers, jesters, jugglers and the popular "Crusader Caf/". There will be continuous "knightings" by the King and Queen of Castle Higgins for all who wish to be "ennobled". Learn about your family's history and coat of arms, and watch chain mail being created. Performances by area entertainers will create a festive air of medieval pageantry. $7; free for children age 5 and under (advance discount tickets of $6 for sale at the Museum prior to 5/1/01). Please note that this is a fund-raiser and the only day that members do not receive free admission and discount coupons are not honored. Funds raised will benefit youth programs at the Museum.
Take It To The Curator
May 9, Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Bring up to 5 arms and armor objects for historical, non-monetary evaluation from Walter J. Karcheski, Jr., the Senior Curator of Arms and Armor. Members free, non-Members $30 (includes Museum admission). Reservations are required.
Genealogy Brown Bag Lunch
May 10, Thursday, noon to 1 p.m.
Discover your roots! Bring your lunch and family history questions to genealogy expert Kay Sheldon and compare notes with other researchers. Beginners and advanced genealogists are all welcome! General admission applies for non-members. (Members of M.S.O.G. receive special reduced membership to Higgins Armory Museum.)
New England Masters Fencing Tournament
May 19, Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Come and participate, or just watch. Foil, ep/e and saber Open Championship. For more information, contact Doug Galpin of the United States Fencing Association, New England Division, at 508-966-4775. General admission applies for non-members.
"Knights of a Different Color" - An Armed Forces Day Celebration
May 20, Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.
In honor of our American Knights - the veterans of the armed forces - the Higgins is showcasing the history of other modern day "knights", their associations, and modern perceptions of knighthood. The Knights of Columbus, Wolfe Argent, Knights of Malta and the Society for Creative Anachronism are invited presenters. In addition, a special tour of the Armed Forces Flags in our Great Hall will be given at 1:00. Veterans receive free Museum admission. Funded by a grant from the Fletcher Foundation.
International Year of Volunteers Read Around the World Day
May 23, Wednesday, noon to 4 p.m.
Across the globe, volunteers will be taking some time today to read to young people. In celebration of this event, please come and listen to our volunteers as they share in this unique world-wide event. Naturally, our readers will be telling spellbinding stories of ladies, knights, and dragons.
Genealogy Brown Bag Lunch
May 24, Thursday, noon to 1 p.m.
Discover your roots! Bring your lunch and family history questions to genealogy expert Kay Sheldon and compare notes with other researchers. Beginners and advanced genealogists are all welcome! General admission applies for non-members. (Members of M.S.O.G. receive special reduced membership to Higgins Armory Museum.)
Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Rally Jousting event
June 2, Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Come see the "knights of the road" as they joust on motorcycles in the Higgins parking lot! Nerf noodles are the weapon of choice in the 21st century, and the horses sure aren't the same, but the modern motorcyclist has a lot in common with the chivalrous knight of old. Free with Museum admission. Held in conjunction with other Harley-Davidson rally events.
The Higgins Armory Museum and the Museum Store are located at 100 Barber Avenue in Worcester, Mass., and are open Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm and Sunday, 12 to 4pm.
The Museum is closed on Mondays and select holidays. General admission is $6.75, $6 for senior citizens, and $5.75 for children age 6 through 16. Children age 5 and under and members are admitted free. Ample free parking is available. www.higgins.org for more information or call (508) 853-6015.
The Higgins Armory Museum is the only Museum in the Western Hemisphere solely dedicated to arms, armor and related artifacts and the cultural impact that their development and use have had on the world today. Programs and operations are supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, and the Greater Worcester Community Foundation. A portion of the Museum's general operating funds for this fiscal year has been provided through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a Federal agency serving the public by strengthening museum and libraries.
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