Smithsonian Exhibit Highlighting Rural America Comes to North Carolina

News provided by

Aug 26, 2021, 08:00 ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- North Carolina Humanities, in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, presents Crossroads: Change in Rural America. The exhibition examining the evolving landscape of rural America will tour around North Carolina in 2022-2023.

NC Humanities is currently seeking six communities to host the exhibit. Small-town and rural museums, libraries, community venues, and other cultural nonprofit organizations are invited to apply. Applications are due October 14, 2021.

North Carolina Humanities, in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, presents "Crossroads: Change in Rural America."

Selected host venues will receive the Crossroads: Change in Rural America exhibit for approximately six weeks, rent-free, and much more. Host venues will also plan and implement robust public humanities programs and create companion exhibits, events, and more on the themes of the exhibit that leverage community partnerships and feature local stories and collections.

The exhibit and companion pieces will enrich visitors' understanding about their own history, the joys and challenges of living rural, and how change has impacted their community as well as prompt discussion of goals for the future.

The exhibit consists of six free-standing panel sections that explore how rural American communities changed in the 20th century. The exhibit will prompt discussions about what happened when America's rural population became a minority of the country's population and the ripple effects that occurred. Despite the massive economic and demographic impacts brought on by these changes, America's small towns continue to creatively focus on new opportunities for growth and development. Economic innovation and a focus on the cultural facets that make small towns unique, comfortable, and desirable have helped many communities create their own renaissance. The future is bright for much of rural America as small towns embrace the notion that their citizens and their cultural uniqueness are important assets. All Americans benefit from rural America's successes. We can learn great things from listening to these stories.

Organizations that wish to apply to host Crossroads: Change in Rural America are encouraged to review NC Humanities Request for Proposals for full details on this program opportunity. NC Humanities will also host several informational webinars about this opportunity where audiences will learn about the exhibit, the requirements, how to apply, and more.

To learn more, register for a webinar, and apply visit https://nchumanities.org/program/smithsonian-traveling-exhibit/.

About North Carolina Humanities: Through public humanities programs and grantmaking, North Carolina Humanities serves to connect North Carolinians with cultural experiences that spur dialogue, deepen human connections, and inspire community. North Carolina Humanities is a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. To learn more, visit www.nchumanities.org.

About the exhibit: Crossroads: Change in Rural America is part of Museum on Main Street (MoMS), a unique collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), state humanities councils across the nation, and local host institutions. North Carolina Humanities is proud to have partnered with SITES for over a decade to bring Museum on Main Street exhibitions to North Carolina's small towns and rural communities. Support for MoMS has been provided by the U.S. Congress.

SOURCE North Carolina Humanities