Smithsonian Water / Ways Exhibition Set to Flow Through NE Florida
by Aaron London
Water is life . From the earliest civilizations in the Fertile Crescent along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Mesopotamia to the growth of big cities and small towns along the Mississippi River in North America , water has been central to human existence and development .
The Water / Ways exhibit , which tells the story of water ’ s environmental and cultural impact , is coming to Northeast Florida as part of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the organization ’ s Museum on Main Street program .
The exhibit opens this month in Fernandina Beach after a visit to LaBelle , Florida , in March and April .
Hosted by the African American Cultural Society ( AACS ) in Palm Coast , the exhibit examines water ’ s effect on the landscape , settlement and migration and how it has shaped human society .
The Water / Ways traveling exhibit opens in Palm Coast July 9 and runs through Oct . 2 at the AACS headquarters at 4422 N . U . S . 1 and will include a variety of guest speakers and special events , according to Meshella Woods , AACS curator .
“ Our organization is part of a broader community of cultural organizations whose facilities are located in small towns and rural areas which extend the reach of museum exhibitions and associated programs ,” she said . “ Underrepresented populations who often are unable to visit a museum or have not been exposed to such are able to experience what the Smithsonian has to offer through this program .”
Woods said the Museum on Main Street program focuses on broad topics of American history and gives cultural organizations like the AACS the opportunity to create their own educational programs , cultural activities and exhibitions that center on local heritage .
The exhibit includes free-standing kiosks , audio , video and interactive components as well as original objects .
“ They are specifically designed to address the space and staffing constraints of small cultural institutions ,” Woods said .
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