Smithsonian exhibition coming to Black Creek Arts Council in Darlington County
What would life be like without teachers, doctors or firefighters? Every day Americans are hard at work on farms, factories, in homes or at desks keeping our communities thriving. Black Creek Arts Council, in cooperation with South Carolina Humanities Council, will explore the professions and the people that sustain American society when it hosts “The Way We Worked,” a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition, this exhibit will be on view September 30, 2017 through November 12, 2017.
Black Creek Arts Council of Darlington County, has been expressly chosen by the South Carolina Humanities Council to host “The Way We Worked” as part of the Museum on Main Street project—a national/state/local partnership to bring exhibitions and programs to rural cultural organizations. The exhibition will complete its South Carolina tour in Hartsville at Black Creek Arts Center.
“The Way We Worked,” adapted from an original exhibition developed by the National Archives and Records Administration, explores how work has become a central element in American culture. It traces the many changes that have affected the workforce and work environments over the past 150 years, including the growth of manufacturing and increasing use of technology. The exhibition draws from the Archives’ rich collections, including historical photographs, archival accounts of workers, film, audio and interactive, to tell the compelling story of how work impacts our individual lives and the historical and cultural fabric of our communities.
“We are very pleased to be able to bring “The Way We Worked” to our area,” said Allison Pederson, Executive Director of Black Creek Arts Council. “It allows us the opportunity to explore this fascinating aspect of our own region’s history, and we hope that it will inspire many to become even more involved in the cultural life of our community.”
“Allowing all of our state’s residents to have access to the cultural resources of our nation’s premiere museum is a priority of the South Carolina Humanities Council said Randy Akers, Executive Director. “With this special tour, we are pleased to be working with Black Creek Arts Council of Darlington County to help develop local exhibitions and public programs to compliment the Smithsonian exhibition.”
“The Way We Worked” 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 “The Way We Worked” and other Museum on Main Street exhibitions, visit www.museumonmainstreet.org.
Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress. In South Carolina, SC Humanities has received additional support for The Way We Worked project from the Byerly Foundation, Dorchester County Accommodations Tax, Pickens County Accommodations Tax, Richland County Accommodations Tax, and Sonoco.
SITES connects millions of Americans with their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of art, science and history exhibitions. State humanities councils, located in each state and U.S. territory, support community-based humanities programs that highlight such topics as local history, literature and cultural traditions. The Black Creek Arts Council serves the local community by promoting and fostering the Arts. To learn more, visit www.sites.si.edu, schumanities.org.
