Indiana Humanities will sponsor a tour of a Smithsonian-curated exhibit called Crossroads: Change Comes to Rural America in 2019-2020. Applications are now open to host the exhibit, which was developed by Museums on Main Street, a Smithsonian Institution program that works with rural communities to design and host high-quality exhibits and create dynamic public programs across the United States.
Six communities will be selected to host the exhibit for six weeks each, and receive extensive training, funding and other resources from the Smithsonian, Indiana Humanities and the Office of Community & Rural Affairs. Each of the six hosts will also curate a unique section of the exhibit that tells the story of their community as it relates to the exhibit theme. Up to 10 additional communities will receive $1,500 grants to develop programs, mini-exhibits and other projects related to the themes of the Crossroads exhibit.
Host organizations should be located in communities of 15,000 or fewer people. Tax-exempt organizations including libraries, museums, historical societies, local governments and civic organizations can apply to host the exhibit.
“We are thrilled to bring this high quality exhibit to underserved areas in Indiana to explore its many themes that resonate with Hoosiers today, including identity, land, community, persistence and managing change,” said Keira Amstutz, president and CEO of Indiana Humanities. “This is truly a transformative program and we look forward to using this exhibit to celebrate our rural past while sparking conversations about our future.”
Host organizations will receive a $2,000 grant to cover costs associated with the development of the local exhibit component, including design, permissions and fabrication, as well as communications support and other resources from Indiana Humanities, the Smithsonian and the Office of Community & Rural Affairs.