Maryland Humanities Announces Third Stop on its Statewide Tour of Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition

May 25, 2017

THE WAY WE WORKED OPENS IN CARROLL COUNTY ON MAY 26

(Baltimore) – Maryland Humanities is pleased to announce that its statewide tour of The Way We Worked, a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition, will open at its third stop in Westminster on Friday, May 26 at 10 a.m. The Carroll County Farm Museum will host the exhibition and along with its local partners—the Union Mills Homestead, the Sykesville Gatehouse Museum, and the Taneytown History Museum—will feature companion exhibits and programming across the county highlighting Carroll County’s work history.

The companion exhibitions at Carroll County Farm Museum will showcase two of Carroll County’s most significant industries of the past: wormseed oil production and canneries. As part of The Way We Worked, the Carroll County Farm Museum is restoring one of the last known wormseed distilleries in the United States. The Museum will also feature an exhibit exploring the canneries that once dotted the Carroll County landscape.

The Way We Worked exhibition is included with admission to Carroll County Farm Museum, but visitors can take advantage of special “Free Admission” offers, from 9 a.m. to noon on May 27, June 3, June 25, July 8, and noon to 5 p.m. on June 11.

Each of the four Carroll County partner museums is also offering a passport program to engage children in their local history. Students in grades one through nine may visit each site from now through July 14, complete their passport, and return it to the Carroll County Farm Museum to be entered in a prize drawing for a laptop computer.

Related programming from partner sites includes an apprenticeship program at Union Mills Homestead, in which attendees can experience what it is like to be a miller, blacksmith, or woodworker. Sykesville Gatehouse Museum will explore how lifestyles and work have changed in Sykesville from 1917 to now. More details about all upcoming events can be found at mdhumanities.org/events.

“We’re delighted to bring The Way We Worked to five small communities across the state and celebrate Maryland’s diverse and engaging work history, from the paper and steel mills of the 19th Century to the technology boom of today. We hope you’ll join us in exploring the rich local history unearthed through each community’s companion exhibit and programming,” said Phoebe Stein, executive director of Maryland Humanities.

The Way We Worked will be on view at Carroll County Farm Museum from May 26–July 14, 2017. Carroll County Farm Museum is located at 500 S Center Street in Westminster, MD. Learn more at carrollcountyfarmmuseum.org.

THE WAY WE WORKED BRINGS THE SMITHSONIAN TO MARYLAND COMMUNITIES

The Way We Worked is the fifth Museum on Main Street (MoMS) project brought to our state by Maryland Humanities.  The traveling exhibition, adapted from an original exhibition developed by the National Archives, explores how work became such a central element in American culture by tracing the many changes that affected the workforce and work environments over the past 150 years. The exhibition draws from the Archives’ rich collections to tell this compelling story. Each host site develops a companion exhibit and educational programs for their communities for a seven-week period that tells their local work story.

Local host sites unearth stories and develop community partnerships to bring the Smithsonian traveling exhibition to life through the lens of their own community history.

The Way We Worked Maryland Tour

February 3–March 24, 2017 Western Maryland Heritage Association, Cumberland, Allegany County
March 31–May 20, 2017 Sumner Hall (G.A.R. Post 15), Chestertown, Kent County
May 26–July 14, 2017 Carroll County Farm Museum, Westminster, Carroll County
July 21­­–September  9, 2017 Brunswick Heritage Museum, Brunswick, Frederick County
September 15–November 4, 2017 Salisbury University Art Galleries, Salisbury, Wicomico County

 

About Museum on Main Street
The Way We Worked is made possible in Maryland by Maryland Humanities. The Way We Worked is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and State Humanities Councils nationwide.  The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service  brings high-quality traveling exhibits to small communities through their own Main Street museums, historical societies, and other cultural venues.  Residents enthusiastically engage with exhibition content, and diverse community members come together to share and celebrate their heritage. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.

Maryland Humanities is a statewide nonprofit organization that creates and supports educational experiences in the humanities that inspire all Marylanders to embrace lifelong learning, exchange ideas openly, and enrich their communities. For more information, visit www.mdumanities.org. Maryland Humanities is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the State of Maryland, private foundations, corporations, small businesses, and individual donors.

Press Release