Six Indiana communities selected to host national Smithsonian exhibit about water and our connections to it

Indiana Humanities has selected six Hoosier communities to host a Smithsonian-curated traveling exhibit that dives into water—an essential component of life on our planet, environmentally, culturally, and historically. Water/Ways will make six-week stops at Centerville, Madison, New Harmony, North Webster, Rolling Prairie and West Terre Haute from June 26, 2021 to April 10, 2022.  

 The exhibit is part of the Museum on Main Street program, a division of the Smithsonian that brings high-quality exhibits and resources to rural communities. 

 In addition to the exhibition, each community has been given $2,000 in project funds to host community programs around the themes of the exhibition and create an exhibit that explores their community’s relationship to water.  

 “In societies across the globe, water serves as a source of peace and contemplation. Authors and artists are inspired by the complex character of water. But water also plays a practical role in American society,” said Keira Amstutz, president and CEO of Indiana Humanities. “For these reasons and many more, we are excited to take the Water/Ways exhibit around the state to help reveal our connections to water and the role it plays in our lives.” 

 Hosting organizations, cities and dates for the exhibit are: 

• North Webster Public Library (North Webster), June 26 to Aug. 8 
• La Porte County Soil and Water Conversation District (Rolling Prairie), Aug. 14 to Sept. 26 
• University of Southern Indiana/Historic New Harmony (New Harmony), Oct. 2 to Nov. 14 
• Riverscape/Wabash River Development Beautification, Inc. (West Terre Haute), Nov. 20 to Dec. 30 
• Jefferson County Public Library (Madison), Jan. 8 to Feb. 20, 2022 
• Cope Environmental Center (Centerville), Feb. 26 to April 10, 2022 

 This traveling exhibit follows on the heels of the 2019 and 2020 tour of another Smithsonian-curated exhibit, called Crossroads, which explored change in rural America. 

 The opportunity to host Water/Ways was open to any tax-exempt organization in Indiana, including museums, libraries, civic organizations, local governments or schools. Host organizations for this particular program must be located in towns of 15,000 or fewer residents. Indiana Humanities is sponsoring the tour of this exhibit in conjunction with its new thematic initiative which launches in mid-2021.