From above, Earth appears as a water planet with more than 71% of its surface covered with this vital resource for life. Water impacts climate, agriculture, transportation, industry and more. It inspires art and music. The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum, in cooperation with Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, will examine water as an environmental necessity and important cultural element as it hosts Water/Ways, a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street (MoMS) program. Water/Ways will be on view December 4, 2021, through January 15, 2022.
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The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities expressly chose the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum and the surrounding community to host Water/Ways as part of its Museum on Main Street program—a national/state/local partnership to bring exhibitions and programs to rural cultural organizations. The exhibition will tour six communities in Louisiana between May 29, 2021, and March 5, 2022.
Water/Ways explores the endless motion of the water cycle, water’s effect on landscape, settlement, and migration, and its impact on culture and spirituality. It looks at how political and economic planning have long been affected by access to water and control of water resources. Human creativity and resourcefulness provide new ways of protecting water resources and renewing respect for the natural environment.
Designed for small-town museums, libraries, and cultural organizations, Water/Ways will serve as a community meeting place to convene conversations about water’s impact on American culture. With the support and guidance of state humanities councils, these towns will host public programs and facilitate educational initiatives to raise people’s understanding about what water means culturally, socially, and spiritually in their own community.
“Water is an important part of everyone’s life and we are excited to explore what it means culturally, socially, and spiritually in our own communities,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “We want to convene conversations about water and have developed local exhibitions and public programs to compliment the Smithsonian exhibition. In Louisiana, we created the Water Heritage Trail illustrating how water became and remains a distinctive influence on life and landscapes of the 14-parish Atchafalaya National Heritage Area.”
The Water/Ways exhibit kicks off with an opening reception on Friday, December 3, from 5:00–7:00 p.m. On Tuesday, December 7, at 6:00 p.m., there will be a screening of the film Keeper of the Mound followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Pete Gregory, professor of anthropology at Northwestern State University (NSU) and Jeff Girard, former regional archaeologist for the Louisiana Division of Archaeology and adjunct instructor of anthropology at NSU. On Tuesday, December 14, at 6:00 p.m., Dr. Gary D. Joiner, professor of history at LSU Shreveport, will speak on “The Red River Great Raft”. There will also be a hands-on art program with Corbin Covher, NSU professor of sculpture and foundations, on Saturday, January 8, 2022, from 2:00-3:30 p.m. Additional programming includes “Water and Spirituality,” a discussion with Dr. Michael Pasquier; a screening of Diversions and a discussion with filmmaker John Richie; and a reading and discussion with Tori Bush co-editor of The Gulf South: An Anthology of Environmental Writing.
Water/Ways is part of the Smithsonian’s Think Water Initiative to raise awareness of water as a critical resource for life through exhibitions, educational resources and public programs. The public can participate in the conversation on social media using #thinkWater.
The exhibition is part of Museum on Main Street (MoMS), 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 Water/Ways and other Museum on Main Street exhibitions, visit www.museumonmainstreet.org. Support for MoMS has been provided by the U. S. Congress. This program is funded under a grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional local funding for programming and marketing has been provided by the Cane River National Heritage Area (CRNHA) and Friends of Louisiana Sports and History (FLASH).
SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for 65 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science, and history, which are shown wherever people live, work, and play. For exhibition descriptions and tour schedules, visit www.sites.si.edu.
The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum, located at 800 Front Street in Natchitoches, is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for students, seniors, and active duty military, and free for children six and younger. For more information, visit LouisianaStateMuseum.org.
Contact information:
Barry Landry Veronica Mosgrove Dept. of Culture, Recreation & Tourism Office of the Lieutenant Governor
225-342-7009 225-342-7009
blandry@crt.la.gov vmosgrove@crt.la.gov
Chris Robert Jennifer Schommer
Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities Smithsonian Institution, MoMS
504-620-2639 202-633-3121
robert@leh.org schommerj@si.edu