When Floyd Willis walked into BB&T in Newton on Friday, he stopped abruptly as his eyes caught glimpse of a table topped with woven headgear decorated with shells and masks from all over the world.  As he looked around, he saw the walls were covered with paintings and headpieces from different cultures.  It was a display one would expect to find in a fine art museum, not a bank.

“Every day I look up and there’s something new brought in,” BB&T Vice President Vikki Sowell said.

Sowell said the whole thing started when the bank decided to display the world time zones on a series of clocks on the wall. They also set up an artificial Christmas tree with a “Parade of Flags” theme with flags and Beanie Babies representing 46 different countries, each with at least one of the five Olympic ring colors.  That was going to be the extent of the display, but then the bank employees started asking customers if there was anything they wanted to bring in to share with the community.

“It’s blossomed into a beautiful display,” Newton Public Information Officer Gary Herman said.

The bank already created displays for Soldiers Reunion and holidays, but this is the first time BB&T has done anything for Newton’s Unity Day.

Sowell said customers will come in the bank and recognize items from their culture hanging on the wall and they are quick to offer the stories behind them.

“I think that all of us, whether we are from the United States or another country, we’re proud of our culture and we like to hear about it — the story behind the masks, the drums and the stories that come with the culture,” she said.

Sowell’s favorite piece is an African blanket from Rhodesia made with chewed bark that was woven into thread brought in by Melinda Herzog from the Catawba County Historical Museum. She said the blanket is marked with the family’s tattoo to let others know who is sleeping beneath it.

A collection of masks were brought in by Wendy Wilson Shaw featuring a brown spotted giraffe mask from Kenya to an elaborate red mask with bulging eyes and colorful yellow, blue and red horns from Peru. There’s even a series of devil masks from Venezuela that were made to ward off the devil and tame unruly children.

The display has fascinated the young and old alike, Sowell said.  Children’s faces lit up with a sparkle of enthusiasm and wanted to get closer.

“The learning experience for me was learning how many of our traditions were brought from other countries and cultures,” she said.

Sowell said for example the Christmas tree that many Americans put up in December came from Germany, Thanksgiving came from the Native Americans and the New Year’s celebration originated in China.

She said when we think about the cultures that make up the community, we need to think beyond the foreign companies that are here like Target from France or Popplemann Plastics from Germany.  What we need to think about are the individuals that have come here from Thailand, or China and everywhere else that now call Newton home.

On Sunday, Newton will celebrate its One Community, One Humanity themed Unity Day celebration at 3 p.m. at the Newton-Conover Civic and Performance Place.  The event will feature live entertainment and free food.

The One Community, One Humanity Unity Day Celebration planned in Newton on Sunday Feb. 10 at 3 p.m. will be held at the Newton-Conover Civic & Performance Place, located at 60 West 6th Street. The theme for the 2008 Unity Day Celebration the mission is to bring the communities of Newton together in unity and love; to promote positive multi-cultural relations and harmony throughout the city; to bring everyone together by raising the public’s vision above barriers of color, culture, and creed; and to celebrate the value and respect for diversity through art, dance, music, and food. A special Newtonian will be awarded the Unity Day Award for his dedication to helping others and to improving racial and cultural relations in the city. Lenoir-Rhyne College Professor Charlotte Williams will serve as guest speaker. Entertainment will be provided by the Startown Elementary School Chorus, the Xiong Vang Sisters, and Phyllis Heil —The Whistling Woman. This year’s celebration will also include a “Parade of Flags” in which participants will carry flags representative of every nationality in the city of Newton. The Unity Day Celebration Children’s Art Contest, sponsored by Target, will also be a highlight of the celebration as elementary school students will have an opportunity to win a $50 Target gift card for their rendition of the celebration’s theme “One Community, One Humanity.” The celebration will conclude with the Unity Day Feast inside the gymnasium beside the Newton-Conover Civic & Performance Place. The feast will include American, Soul, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, and Japanese foods, free of charge to those who attend the celebration. All residents are encouraged to attend this free celebration.