The Ignacio Community Library welcomes the Smithsonian’s traveling exhibit, Crossroads: Change in Rural America. You’re watching the Local News Network brought to you by Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steak Burgers and Serious Texas BAR-B-Q. I’m Connor Shreve. The Museum on Main Street exhibit examines the changes in rural America through the lens of Southwest Colorado and specifically Ignacio with local events designed to complement the Smithsonian exhibition.
In the 19th century, rural America was the most populated place. And in the 20th century that changed drastically. People started moving to more urban areas. So there was huge changes. Especially in resources that started going away from rural America and into urban America.
Ignacio Creative District’s Eva Lewis says the show invites community members to take part in that conversation.
And it’s also really important because you get to learn how you’re connected to this community, and you also get to have a voice in this. We really want to know what people want for our community and how we can help make that happen.
The display winds visitors throughout the library’s entire first floor, ending with Ignacio’s local history, designed to help illuminate your connection with the community. Lewis appreciates working with the Smithsonian Institute.
They are amazing. If you haven’t had a chance to visit the Smithsonian, now is your chance. You get to actually be able to see it. It’s incredible. They are extremely thorough and they’ve done an incredible job designing this and bringing it to our community. And it also made us sort of have to step it up a little bit. So we worked really hard at making this something that the entire community can get something out of it.
Lewis says the exhibit is active and by participating you can help shape Ignacio’s future. Activities include a time capsule, wishes for the future, and community quilt making. Events culminate at the end of the month.
So May 31st, we have our grand finale. And that is where we invite the entire community, every individual and every change maker to come down and be involved in the conversation that revolves around our findings of this exhibit.
The exhibit is free at the Ignacio Community Library through June 2nd. For more information about this and other stories, visit durangolocal.news. Thanks for watching this edition of the Local News Network. I’m Connor Shreve.