The Museum on Main Street Exhbition
The Museum on Main Street exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution and Illinois Humanities will be on display at the Lake Shelbyville Visitor Center from December 15, 2018 – January 26, 2019.
Since 1900, the percentage of Americans living in rural areas dropped from 60 to 17 percent, according to experts with The Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street Exhibit. However, Americans still rely on rural communities for the food and other resources that power the nation. The Crossroads exhibit takes a look at the characteristics of rural America. It explores how rural communities change and how rural Americans are changing for the future. The exhibit covers many themes, including: Rural Identity, Rural Land, Rural Communities, Persistence in Rural Communities, and Managing Change in Rural Communities.
The Smithsonian’s traveling exhibit “Crossroads: Change in Rural America,” will visit six rural Illinois locations and help salute Illinois’ bicentennial celebration. Lake Shelbyville is the third location for the exhibit.
A local companion exhibit, "Change through a Local Lens," was created by the Shelby County Bicentennial Group. This local exhibit will cover several themes, including: changes in Shelby County industry, innovation, technology, transportation, land-use, agriculture, social changes, and recreation. The exhibit will feature a video highlighting changes in farming from the perspective of a local multi-generation family farm. Special activities will be offered for children and students of all ages including school group tours and scavenger hunts.
Besides the Smithsonian displays and the local companion exhibits, various speakers and musician will be performing on weekends.
- Dec. 15 | 3:00 pm | Local Author Kevin Corley | Sixteen Tons: A Novel and the Historical Coal Mining Industry of Central IL
- Dec. 15 | 4:00 pm | The Coles County Barbershop Chorus
- Dec. 22 | 3:00 pm | The Hood Family | Bluegrass Music
- Dec. 22 | 5:00 pm | Cynthia Clampitt (Road Scholar Speaker) | How Corn Changed Itself and Then Changed Everything Else
- Dec. 29 | 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm | Valerie Gaddis and Celia Hicks | The Spinning Wheel Then and Now
- Dec. 29 | 4:00 pm | Joyful Noise | Gospel Music
- Jan. 05 | 1:00 pm | Ed Boedecker | The Life and Paintings of Robert Root
- Jan. 05 | 3:00 pm | Joe Rednauer | Bagpipes and Historical Music
- Jan. 12 | 4:00 pm | The Old Time Fiddlers | Bluegrass and Vintage Country
- Jan. 12 | 5:00 pm | Glen Wright | French and Indians Effects on the Community
- Jan. 19 | 1:00 pm | EagleWings | Gospel Quartet
- Jan. 19 | 2:30 pm | Professor Dan Guillory | Lincoln, Shelbyville and the Prairie