Illinois turns 200 in 2018, and a new Smithsonian-produced exhibit will be touring the state to coincide with the state’s bicentennial anniversary.
“Crossroads: Change in Rural America” looks at rural America’s cultural impact on the United States’ identity, past and present.
Illinois Humanities and Museum on Main Street, an outreach program through the Smithsonian Institute that promotes engagement with small-town audiences across the country, produced the exhibit.
SEE ALSO: Illinois’ Bicentennial: Milestones in State History
“Crossroads” examines the role of land on local economies and studies the emergence of rural communities and ways in which they are evolving to adapt to 21st century challenges. Each town on the tour has a population of less than 10,000 people and was chosen to give residents the opportunity to experience Smithsonian-produced exhibitions in their own backyard.
The exhibit kicks off in Illinois at the Chester Public Library Sept. 8 and runs through Oct. 20. Other cities on the tour, which lasts through June 2019, include Winchester, Shelbyville, Atlanta, Marshall and Sycamore.
For more information on the exhibit and tour dates, visit ilhumanities.org/program/museum-on-main-street.
