Events

Museum Events are Free & Open to the Public

• SPARK! @ the Reece

  SPARK! Cultural Programming for People with Memory Loss
  1st Tuesday of Every Month

• SABR (Student Advisory Board-Reece) Student Club

  SABR (Student Advisory Board - Reece)

  1st Friday of Every Month 

  Are you and ETSU student and looking for a way to be more involved on campus? Join Student Advisory Board - Reece (SABR) today!

  SABR is the only museum-based student organization on campus. As a member, students will gain hands-on experience with museum artifacts and deepen their understanding of museum culture. Our mission is to foster connections between the ETSU student body and the Reece Museum by incorporating museum-related events across campus. SABR currently represents 6 majors, ranging from History to Early Childhood Education.

  Whether you're in a museum-related major or just passionate about museum culture, SABR welcomes you.

  For more information on how to get involved, contact SABR Chair: Margaret Johnson at johnsonmr6@etsu.edu

   Upcoming SABR Activities:

  Friday, September 4, 3:30-4:30pm - B. Carroll Classroom, Reece Museum > Intro to Marketing Workshop 

  Friday, October 2, 3:30-4:30pm - B. Carroll Classroom, Reece Museum > Acquisitions 101 Workshop 

  Friday, November 6, 3:30-4:30pm - B. Carroll Classroom, Reece Museum > Intermediate Accessioning & Interpretation Workshop 

  Friday, December 4, 3:30-4:30pm - B. Carroll Classroom, Reece Museum > Intro to Curatorial Studies Workshop 

• Rising Sun: The Musical Legacy of Clarence "Tom" Ashley Reception (Sept 3) 

  Reception of Rising Sun: The Musical Legacy of Clarence "Tom" Ashley 

  Join us on Thursday, September 3, from 1 to 3 pm for the reception of Rising Sun: The Musical Legacy of Clarence “Tom” Ashley. The event is free and open to the public. Programming will include remarks from Dr. Ted Olson, Professor of Appalachian Studies, and an Old-Time musical performance. Attendees are welcome to bring their instruments and participate in an Old-Time jam session to round out the reception.

  Rising Sun is a historical retrospective of the life of Clarence “Tom” Ashley (Sept. 29, 1895 - June 2, 1967), an influential musician from Mountain City, Tennessee. The exhibition is curated by Reece Museum Staff in collaboration with Clarence’s grandson, Joe Ashley. This Tennessee Music Pathways exhibition includes instruments and ephemera that were used by Clarence “Tom” Ashley during his resurgence period in the 1960s and recordings of Ashley’s performances in a variety of media that were collected by his grandson.

• Barber Showcase: Battle at the Museum (Thursday, September 10)

  Barber Showcase: Battle at the Museum

  Thursday, September 10, 11 am - 1 pm

  Experience barbering like never before as two of the region's top barbers go head-to-head in a live haircut competition inside the Reece Museum. Hosted by a local rapper and MC SKYY G, this high-energy event blends music, creativity, and audience interaction while celebrating barbering as both a skilled craft and a cultural tradition. Featured barbers include Tony Holmes of Laced Up Kicks and Cuts (founder) and Anthony Cockrell Jr. of House of Fades Barbershop.

  Between rounds, visitors will learn about the history of barbering, the evolution of the barbershop as a community gathering place, and the profession's lasting impact on American culture. Whether you're a fan of barbering, hip-hop, or local history, Battle at the Museum offers a one-of-a-kind museum experience where history comes alive through creativity and community.

• Clay, Culture, and Change Reception (Friday, September 11) 

  Clay, Culture, and Change Reception

  Friday, September 11, 3-4:30pm

  An exhibition by artist Rack Cross, Clay, Culture, and Change explores the ceramics of Southern Appalachia that have been associated with land and water for generations. Pottery once functioned as a necessity for storage and transport. With the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) transformation of river systems in the twentieth century, the Holston Valley and surrounding regions experienced rapid and widespread change. Flood control and electrification changed lifestyles on the farms and beyond. Because of this transformation, folk pottery also shifted from strictly utilitarian ware toward decorative and collectible pieces. Face jugs, with their sculpted features, became far more popular than the once familiar and simple jug form. This exhibition traces that adaptation where clay continues to be witness and evidence to the cultural change that includes pottery moving from the farmstead springhouse to the gallery gift shop.