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Lewis and Clark journey marks 200 years

January 16, 2003 1:16 am

Part of an occasional series.

THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Jan. 18, 1803, was the day that President Thomas Jefferson sent a confidential message to Congress requesting $2,500 to fund an expedition up the Missouri River and on to the Pacific Ocean. It was the foundation of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

This Saturday, exactly 200 years later, marks the commencement of the National Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commemoration. Although events are scheduled throughout the year--in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, North and South Dakota, Montana and Oregon--the opening ceremonies will be, appropriately, at Jefferson's home, Monticello.

The centerpiece of the bicentennial observance at Monticello is the exhibit, "Framing the West at Monticello: Thomas Jefferson and the Lewis and Clark Expedition," a major installation in the entrance hall of Jefferson's hilltop home.

The exhibit approximates the appearance of Jefferson's Indian Hall, circa 1807-1809, when he displayed natural history specimens and American Indian-made objects sent or brought back by members of the expedition.

The display includes items from Monticello's permanent collections, pieces on loan from other locations, and historically accurate re-creations of objects that have been lost over time, including reproductions of Indian artifacts made using traditional methods and natural materials.

The exhibit opens today and runs through Dec. 31.

Tickets for the opening event itself on Saturday are no longer available, but the mansion reopens this Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m. for public tours. After that, Monticello will be open daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Through Sunday, there are a number of related activities at other locations in the Charlottesville area:

Culbreth Theater, University of Virginia, 8-10 p.m., "Lewis and Clark: The Journal of the Corps of Discovery." Enjoy Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan's film as they screen and discuss one of the episodes from their four-part public-TV documentary. Admission is $7; tickets may be purchased at the door or online at vafilm.com.

Old Cabell Hall, University of Virginia, 8-9:30 p.m., "Corps of Discovery, A Musical Journey." The University of Missouri-Columbia's Show-me Opera Company presents excerpts from this three-act artistic interpretation of the significance of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The music of composer Michael Ching and the story of librettist Hugh Moffatt bring to life the tale of the explorers, Sacagawea, several American Indian tribal chiefs, and members of the Corps of Discovery. Admission is $15 for adults and $8 for students. For tickets, visit monti cello.org or contact University of Virginia at 800/346-3882.

Old Cabell Hall, University of Virginia, 2:45-5 p.m., "Hearts Thus Lightened: Music in the Days of Lewis and Clark." Includes talks and performances by Dr. Joseph Mussulman, author; Daniel M. Slosberg, musician; Nancy Cooper, musician; and the U.S. Army Old Guard military unit. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

Charlottesville Performing Arts Center, 8-9:30 p.m., "Makoche: Discovery Through Music." A live multimedia presentation that combines the sights and sounds experienced by Lewis and Clark and the tribes they encountered on the expedition. Admission is $20 for adults and $18 for students. For tickets, visit monticello.org or contact University of Virginia at 800/346-3882.

Michie Tavern, Charlottesville, 10-11:30 a.m. "Cooking with Lewis and Clark." This is a cooking demonstration and book signing by Mary Gunderson, a food writer and culinary historian based in Yankton, S.D. She is a self-described practitioner of "paleocuisineology," a factual but lighthearted approach that brings history alive through cooking. She is the author of seven books, including "The Food Journal of Lewis & Clark: Recipes for an Expedition," and "Cooking on the Lewis and Clark Expedition."

Montpelier, Orange County, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., opening of the exhibition "James Madison: Secretary of State in the Age of Expansion and Exploration." This exhibit celebrates the accomplishments and discoveries of Lewis and Clark's 3,700-mile trek to the Pacific Ocean, and back again, and Madison's work, often behind the scenes, as secretary of state from 1801 to 1809. It runs through Jan. 4, 2004.

The Colonial Heritage Dancers will perform dances of the Lewis and Clark era in period costume at 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. For more information, call 540/672-2728 or visit montpelier .org.

For information about other bicentennial activities, contact the National Council of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial, 0615 Southwest Palatine Hill Road, Portland, Ore. 97219 or visit lewisandclark200.org.