From virtual book chats to watercolor and pottery workshops, Sumter County Museum has it covered

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FROM STAFF REPORTS

Looking for something interesting to do? Check out what the Sumter County Museum has to offer for January and February.

If you like a good mystery, "The Mystery of Mrs. Christie" Virtual Book Chat and Q&A with author Marie Benedict is for you. Benedict, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of "The Only Woman in the Room," returns with a reconstruction of Agatha Christie's mysterious 11-day disappearance in 1926. This historical fiction explores the world of Agatha Christie, imagining why such a brilliant woman would find herself at the center of such murky historical mysteries.

To register for the free event (limited slots available) to be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, do one of the following: visit SumterCountyMuseum.org and click the link for this event; click the ticket link in the Facebook event at Sumter County Museum; or visit Eventbrite.com and search for "The Mystery of Mrs. Christie" Virtual Book Chat and Q&A with Marie Benedict.

Please remember to use the same email address throughout the process. This Zoom event will be simulcast on Sumter County Museum's Facebook page.

If you are interested in purchasing a book, a link will be posted after the event. Each book will come with a signed bookplate from the author. Books must be purchased for pickup at Sumter Books-A-Million to receive the signed bookplates.

On Wednesday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m., "The Nature of Fragile Things" Virtual Book Chat and Q&A with Susan Meissner will be held via Zoom.

Meissner, author of "The Last Year of The War" and "As Bright As Heaven," will speak about her recent book which tells the story of a mail-order bride desperate to get out of New York who marries a mysterious San Francisco widower with a 5-year-old child who does not speak. Her hastily cobbled-together happiness is forever changed by a massive earthquake that changes everything.

To register for the free event (limited slots available), visit SumterCountyMuseum.org and click the link for this event; click the ticket link in the Facebook event at Sumter County Museum; or visit Eventbrite.com and search for "The Nature of Fragile Things," Virtual Book Chat and Q&A with Susan Meissner.

Please remember to use the same email address throughout the process. This Zoom event will be simulcast on Sumter County Museum's Facebook page.

If you are interested in purchasing a book, a link will be posted after the event. Each book will come with a signed bookplate from the author. Books must be purchased for pickup at Sumter Books-A-Million to receive the signed bookplates.

If you want to try your hand at art, one of the two February workshops might interest you.

On Saturday, Feb. 13, from 1 to 4 p.m., the Watercolor Workshop Inspired by the Delightful Art of Mark Catesby for ages 18 and up will be held at McKenzie Hall.

Mark Catesby was an English naturalist who studied flora and fauna in the New World. Between 1729 and 1747, Catesby published his "Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands." It included 220 plates of birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, mammals and plants all drawn and painted by Catesby.

Join Amanda Cox, education and visitor services manager for the museum, for this watercolor class inspired by Catesby's reference book. Each student will pick their own Catesby print to work from. Participants will learn a beginner's "trick" to get dimensions right, how to mix paint to get vivid colors instead of muddy mixtures and simple watercolor techniques to make your painting look more professional.

Cost of the workshop is $25 for Friends of the Museum and $30 for the public. All materials are included. To pay and register for the class: click on "find tickets" on the museum's Facebook event or go to SumterCountyMuseum.org, scroll down the page to the Register button for the watercolor workshop, select Public or Member and check Register. A Paypal window will open to finish the transaction.

Payment and registration can also be made over the phone by calling (803) 775-0908 or stop by Williams-Brice House between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Thursday or Friday.

On Saturday, Feb. 27, from 1 to 4 p.m., a pottery workshop will be offered for ages 8-13. How to Make a Smartphone Speaker blends traditional techniques and contemporary designs and uses. Pottery is a prehistoric skill used by people in every corner of the world. Many traditions still practiced today are simple in nature and use hand-building. Participants will learn traditional hand-building using local clay from Bethune. These skills are then used to make monster heads - similar to a face jug - that are also a speaker for a smartphone. Underglazes are used to paint the clay. This workshop includes materials and firings. Student work may be picked up two weeks after the original date of the workshop during the museum's regular hours of operation in the Williams-Brice House.

Cost of the workshop is $25 for Friends of the Museum and $30 for the public. All materials are included.

To pay and register for the class: click on "find tickets" on the museum's Facebook event; or go to SumterCountyMuseum.org, scroll down the page to the Register button for the pottery workshop, select Public or Member, check Register. A Paypal window will open to finish the transaction.

Payment and registration can also be made over the phone by calling (803) 775-0908 or stop by Williams-Brice House between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Thursday or Friday.

The museum has COVID-19 regulations in place for all in-house events. Please view Museum Health and Safety Guidelines at SumterCountyMuseum.org.

If you would like more information on any of the events, call (803) 775-0908 or email information@sumtercountymuseum.org.