South Carolina Humanities, in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institute’s Museum on Main Street program, is pleased to present Crossroads: Change in Rural America. The exhibition examining the evolving landscape of rural America will open at the Barnwell County Library in partnership with the Barnwell County Museum on Saturday, March 30, 2019. Barnwell is the second-to-last stop on the tour of the exhibit around the state.
Since 1900, the percentage of Americans living in rural areas dropped from 60 percent to 17 percent. Yet, Americans still rely on rural communities for the food and other resources that power the nation. Crossroads: Change in Rural America looks at that remarkable 20th-century societal change and how rural Americans responded. Learn more about the exhibit!
Dr. Randy Akers, Executive Director of SC Humanities, is pleased to be bringing Crossroads to South Carolina: “SC Humanities is one of the first three states to host this new Smithsonian exhibit, joining Illinois and Florida. I grew up in a farming village of 600 people in rural Illinois and have seen the devastating changes as small farms collapse, industry moves out, young people move to the city, and schools close. South Carolina is such a rural state, and its numerous small communities have suffered the past decades. Yet there are people, values, and cultural and historical assets that offer hope. The exhibit and programs which accompany it will challenge us to think about the future. What can we do to bring new life to some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in our state? This is a timely and extremely important exhibit addressing one of the most pressing social issues of this century.”
Crossroads: Change in Rural America will be on display at the Barnwell County Library in partnership with the Barnwell County Museum from March 30 – May 12, 2019. While the exhibit is on display, the Library and the Museum will present a variety of events and special opportunities correlated to the theme of the exhibit.
Events and programs planned in Barnwell include:
Thursday, April 4 @ 5 – 7 p.m.
EXHIBIT OPENING RECEPTION
Location: Barnwell County Library (40 Burr St. , Barnwell, South Carolina 29812)
Friday, April 12 @ 3:30 p.m.
FRIDAY FLICKS: Sounder
Based on the award-winning novel by William H. Armstrong, Sounder is the classic story of a boy who grows into manhood while searching for his father. Rated TV-PG. Free popcorn and drinks. Children under 11 must be accompanied by an adult.
Location: Barnwell County Library (40 Burr St. , Barnwell, South Carolina 29812)
Saturday, April 20 @ 11 a.m.
BOOK DISCUSSION
We will be discussing Richard James Waller’s, The Bridges of Madison County. Registration is requested. Books will be made available to the first 36 registrants. Refreshments provided.
Location: Barnwell County Library (40 Burr St. , Barnwell, South Carolina 29812)
Saturday, April 20 @ 1 p.m.
FILM / Q&A: Mart to Art
Join us for a special showing of Mart to Art: A Repurposed Life. The documentary will be followed by a question and answer session with Liz and Paul Ringus. Presented in coordination with the Savannah River Archaeological Research Project.
Location: Barnwell County Library (40 Burr St. , Barnwell, South Carolina 29812)
Saturday, May 11, 2019 | 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Communal Pen: A Writing Workshop Celebrating Memories, Stories, and Traditions of Place
In the Communal Pen workshop, facilitators EboniRamm and Michelle Ross will help participants write to celebrate and explore connections to place and community.
No previous experience necessary!
Location: Barnwell County Library (40 Burr St. , Barnwell, South Carolina 29812)
FREE and open to the public, but registration is encouraged. Register online here
AND MUCH MORE! See the full list of events in Barnwell here.
After Crossroads closes in Barnwell, it will travel to the Dillon County Court House through the Dillon County Theatre Association (May 18 – June 29, 2019). The exhibit also visited the Union County Library, Voorhees College in Denmark, the Newberry Opera House, and the historic Harriet Barber House in Hopkins.
For more information about Crossroads: Change in Rural America, please contact T.J. Wallace at 803-771-2477.
Crossroads: Change in Rural America was made possible in South Carolina by SC Humanities. Crossroads: Change in Rural America is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and state humanities councils nationwide. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress. Local support for Crossroads in South Carolina has been provided by Samsung, City of Union, and Wells Fargo.
Sponsored in part by:
Image: A rural crossroads, freeimages.com/Bettina Schwehn
