Museum of the Moon to bring an ‘out of this world’ experience to downtown Durham

A replica of the moon will eclipse downtown Durham as a part of a free, four-day celebration in the community, starting on Oct. 31 through Nov. 3. 

Bull Moon Rising has partnered with Durham’s Museum of Life and Science, Keep Durham Beautiful and Austin Lawrence Partners to display artist Luke Jerram’s "Museum of the Moon" exhibit over CCB Plaza. This special occasion is in celebration of Durham’s 150th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Rebecca Brown is the cultural and public art program manager of Durham and helped organize the event. The moon replica measures 23 feet in diameter. Brown said the the replica is based off of images of the lunar surface from NASA. 

“Each inch of the spherical structure represents about 6,458 feet of the moon's surface," Brown said. "It really gives a very life-like depiction of the moon.”

Every day of the celebration will consist of a variety of performance and events, hosted under the moon. Some of the festivities include performances by the local drag show, House of Coxx, readings of the classic children’s book "Goodnight Moon" in English and Spanish and even a bring-your-own-mat yoga session. 

In addition, there will be a community dinner open to all of Durham. 

“We're going to have food trucks and tables for everyone to gather around and enjoy the evening, be outside and get to know, and really connect with their neighbors," Brown said.

On Friday night, there will also be a drum performance and dance party, featuring a DJ, Brown said. 

Tania Dautlick is the executive director of Keep Durham Beautiful, which strives to provide the tools and opportunities for residents to become stewards of the environment and take ownership of their communities. 

“Bringing art to Durham is also part of keeping Durham beautiful, making it visually attractive," Dautlick said. "So, there have been opportunities for us to get involved in creating stunning landscapes, and also with visually stunning pieces of art like this."

One of the events throughout the weekend is the Bull Moon Ball. The Bull Moon Ball is a special ticketed fundraising opportunity to raise money for several of Durham’s non-profit organizations involved in coordinating this event. The ball will be from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 1 at the Unscripted Durham Hotel. 

“It’s an all-inclusive cocktail with appetizers, a DJ and dancing and with views of the moon from the rooftop of the hotel,” Dautlick said. “If the weather's nice, there's also going to be someone talking about astronomy there with telescopes. It's also fancy cocktail attire, which is a fun opportunity to get dressed up.” 

Brandon Yarborough, a Durham resident, is looking forward to the event as a consumer of all things art. 

“I think it will be good for the area to bring in a lot of people, and engage people in the area,” Yarborough said. “Hopefully we will get some education and interest from younger people in the community to explore something new.”

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