We’re stuck in our homes for a while – and for a legitimate reason. But there are still plenty of ways to enjoy Orange County from our abodes.
Experience the Arts
Download and print the Ackland Art Museum’s coloring sheets, play with a 3D digital model of an art object, register for an upcoming webinar, or search the collection database of over 19,000 objects. Carolina Performing Arts has created a little corner of the Internet with content for every scheduled performance from this spring, videos, playlists, staff highlights, and more. (Don’t miss Nathalie Joachim singing an excerpt from Discourse, created especially for the Chapel Hill community from her living room.) FRANK’s April virtual exhibit features member artists and painters Carroll Lassiter and Nerys Levy, along with guest furniture maker John Parkinson. Check out the Cat’s Cradle Twitter feed – while shows have been postponed, they are posting links to some live sessions from artists who were supposed to perform at the iconic Carrboro venue. The Women's Voices Chorus had to suspend the rest of their season, including their upcoming spring concert. In January, they presented "Breathe Hope, Sing Hope." In this concert, they perform songs about loss, keeping faith in hard times, and opening our hearts to each other. You can watch it here. You can also stream local musical artists like Mandolin Orange, Mipso, Chatham County Line, Chatham Rabbits, Hiss Golden Messenger, Sylvan Esso, Superchunk, Wye Oak, and more.
Zoom Local
Spending a lot of time on video chats? Get creative with your Zoom background by using a UNC background – if you can’t get to the campus when it’s in full bloom this spring, bring the campus to you! (Header "wallpaper" photo courtesy UNC- Chapel Hill @nickneedham85)
Moment of Zen
Life is stressful right now, to put it mildly. Take a timeout and enjoy the sights and sounds of the N.C. Botanical Garden, via their live stream. Somehow, flowers gently blowing in the breeze and birds chirping make everything instantly better.
Fun for the Kids
Head to the Kidzu Children’s Museum website to enjoy a virtual museum experience, with prompts for making egg carton flowers, color-changing chameleons, paper bird nests, and more. Morehead Planetarium & Science Center is hosting the NC Science Festival all month via their website. Carrboro Recreation & Parks is offering a variety of virtual programming and social distance learning activities. Chapel Hill Public Library is hosting a virtual story time every Wednesday morning at 10:30.
Stay In, But Work Out
Franklin Street Yoga, Chapel Hill Training, Pure Barre, Carolina Yoga Company, Club Pilates, and others are holding virtual classes. It may be the perfect time to try a new type of workout – there’s safety in knowing only your dog will see your awkward beginner’s form!
Channel Your Inner Spielberg
Chapel Hill-based Film Fest 919 is crowd-sourcing the Social Distancing Film, Song, & Photo Festival "for works written, produced by, and starring their stay-at-home crews." Make your quarantine short and then post it to social media with the tag #FF919 by May 15. The 10 entries that receive the most engagements will be shown during a special event at the third annual festival, scheduled for October. The festival is also launching its Virtual Film Series of Zoom Q-and-A sessions with industry professionals about films available to watch on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Up first: The Little Traitor, starring Alfred Molina. Director Lynn Roth will be on Zoom with fans at 7 pm on Thursday, April 16.
Binge Watching at Its Peak
Speaking of the big screen: This is the perfect time to stream movies, shows, and documentaries that feature Chapel Hill. ESPN announced that it will debut its highly anticipated Michael Jordan docuseries on April 19. Though “The Last Dance” zeroes in on his time with the 1997-1998 Chicago Bulls, Jordan always holds a place in our Tar Heel hearts. The CBS sitcom “The Unicorn” is set in Raleigh, and the dialogue mentions local gems like the Ackland from time to time. If you’ve never seen it, rent “Patch Adams,” filmed on UNC’s campus in the ‘90s and starring Robin Williams. Or rent “Big Fish,” based on the novel by Chapel Hill’s own Daniel Wallace.