CLAREMONT, N.H. – The Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street, in cooperation with New Hampshire Humanities, presents “Crossroads: Change in Rural America.” The exhibition, examining the evolving landscape of rural America, opened at River Valley Community College (RVCC) on Oct. 14, 2024.
“Crossroads” will be on view through Dec. 13. A public opening reception is planned for Wednesday, Oct. 23, from 1-2 p.m., in the library. All are welcome.
River Valley Community College and the surrounding community has been expressly chosen by New Hampshire Humanities to host “Crossroads” as part of the Museum on Main Street program, a national, state, and local partnership to bring exhibitions and programs to rural cultural organizations.
The exhibition will tour six communities across New Hampshire and Vermont from August 2024 – August 2025.
Americans have relied on rural crossroads for generations. These places where people gather to exchange goods, services, and culture, and to engage in political and community discussions, are an important part of our cultural fabric. Despite the massive economic and demographic impacts brought on by these changes, America’s small towns continue to creatively focus on new opportunities for growth and development.
“River Valley Community College is proud to have been chosen as a site for the inaugural hosting of a Smithsonian exhibit in New Hampshire,” said Alfred Williams, president of RVCC. “We look forward to welcoming the community we service onto our campus to enjoy this traveling exhibit.” To coincide with the exhibit, RVCC is hosting a variety of free public events, including an opening reception on Wednesday, Oct. 23, from 1-2 p.m.; a selection of objects and artifacts from the Claremont Historical Society, on view through Dec. 13; a community art exhibit, on view through Jan. 10, 2025; “Harvest Fest,” a family-friendly fall celebration on Saturday, Oct. 26; and a series of public panel discussions on topics relevant to Claremont and the surrounding communities. Visitwww.rivervalley.edu/crossroads for event details.
Designed for small-town museums, libraries, and cultural organizations, “Crossroads” will serve as a community meeting place for conversations about how rural America has changed. With the support and guidance of state humanities councils, these towns will develop complementary exhibits, host public programs, and facilitate educational initiatives to raise people’s understanding about their own history, the joys and challenges of living rural, how change has impacted their community, and prompt discussion of goals for the future.
The exhibition is part of Museum on Main Street, a unique collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), state humanities councils across the nation, and local host institutions. To learn more about “Crossroads” and other Museum on Main Street exhibitions, visit www.museumonmainstreet.org.
Exhibit hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; and Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.