BLUE RIDGE, GEORGIA—MARCH 2020—The Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street, in cooperation with Georgia Humanities, presents “Crossroads: Change in Rural America.” The exhibition examining the evolving landscape of rural American opens in Blue Ridge, Georgia, at the Art Center, home to the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association, on April 25, 2020. “Crossroads” will be on view through June 6, 2020. The Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association in Blue Ridge, Georgia, and the surrounding community has been expressly chosen by the Georgia Humanities to host “Crossroads” as part of the Museum on Main Street program—a national/state/local partnership to bring exhibitions and programs to rural cultural organizations.
The exhibition will tour six communities in Georgia and will complete its six-city tour in Blue Ridge, Georgia. “Crossroads” explores how rural American communities changed in the 20th century. From sea to shining sea, most of the United States landscape remains rural with only 3.5% of the landmass considered urban. Since 1900, the percentage of Americans living in rural areas dropped from 60% to 17%. The exhibition looks at that remarkable societal change and how rural Americans responded. Americans have relied on rural crossroads for generations. These places where people gather to exchange goods, services and culture and to engage in political and community discussions are an important part of our cultural fabric. 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.
“‘Crossroads’ allows us to reflect on Blue Ridge and Fannin County’s history, present and future, and we are excited to explore what the future may hold for our community,” said Nichole Potzauf, executive director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association. “We want to convene conversations about what makes our community unique and have developed local exhibitions and public programs to complement the Smithsonian exhibition.”
Such free events include History and Hike trail tour(s), Communal Pen writing workshop, recording of oral traditions and many other opportunities for the public and local community to engage with this exhibition. A complete list of events and partner projects will be listed at www.BlueRidgeArts.net/Crossroads2020.
Designed for small-town museums, libraries and cultural organizations, “Crossroads” will serve as a community meeting place for conversations about how rural America has changed. With the support and guidance of state humanities councils, these towns will develop complementary exhibits, host public programs and facilitate educational initiatives to raise people’s understanding about their own history, the joys and challenges of living rural, how change has impacted their community and prompt discussion of goals for the future. The exhibition is part of Museum on Main Street, a unique collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), state humanities councils across the nation and local host institutions. To learn more about “Crossroads” and other Museum on Main Street exhibitions, visit www.MuseumOnMainStreet.org or www.BlueRidgeArts.net/crossroads2020.
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