Brookfield-Main Street, in cooperation with the Missouri Humanities Council, continues its exploration of the evolving landscape of rural America as it hosts the local showing of “Crossroads: Change in Rural America,” a Smithsonian traveling exhibition.
“Crossroads” will be on view at the Brookfield License Office through March 17, 2024. Brookfield and the surrounding community were expressly chosen by the Missouri Humanities Council to host “Crossroads” as part of the Museum on Main Street project—a national, state, and local partnership to bring exhibitions and programs to rural cultural organizations. After it leaves Brookfield in March, the exhibition will travel to two more communities in Missouri before it returns to the Smithsonian; an itinerary is available online at this link.
“Crossroads” takes a broad look at the characteristics of rural America. It explores how an attraction to and interaction with the land formed the basis of our rural culture and how rural communities and small towns evolve and change. It also highlights how change transformed rural America, especially during the 1900s, and how rural Americans are evolving for the future. “We are very pleased with the community’s reaction thus far to ‘Crossroads,'” said Katelyn Galloway with Brookfield-Main Street. “We had great attendance at our opening event, and our visitor count so far has been wonderful. People are coming from as far away as St. Louis, MO, to see the exhibition and visit our community. It is a great exposure for the museum and the town. And our public programs have been fascinating and well-received.” During the exhibition, local artists have work on display at the Brookfield License Office Gallery TIOLI that is inspired by the “Crossroads: Change in Rural America” theme. The Tillman House Museum also has had a special opening in conjunction with the exhibit to display local history and is open for viewing simultaneously with Crossroads.
The last program event will be a Finale and “Meet the Artist” reception on March 17, 2024, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. For any questions on programs, call Brookfield-Main Street at 660-258-7278 or email at [email protected].
“Crossroads” is part of the 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, visit the Museum On Main Street website, the Smithsonian website, or the Missouri Humanities website. Support for the Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.
