The USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum along with a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and Utah Humanities is bringing an exhibit called Crossroads: Changing in Rural America which is part of Museum on Main Street program. This exhibit will take place at the USU Eastern Jennifer Leavitt Student Center beginning Jan. 20. Castle Country Radio was able to sit down with Museum Director, Dr. Tim Riley to get all the details for listeners.

“Its part of what the Smithsonian called their Museum on Main Street Program and these are actually traveling exhibits that are built by the Smithsonian and then different states opt in to different programs and different years. This specific one is called Crossroads: Changing in Rural America. The main Smithsonian exhibit which is a combination of eight stand alone pieces, explores changes across rural America and how rural Americans have driven change across our entire culture and society in general and so that’s going to be a really fun exhibit,” said Dr. Riley. The exhibit covers many themes and offers small towns a chance to look at their own paths.

Not only will there be Smithsonian items on display but the Prehistoric Museum has developed an exhibit entitled Power.  “So we got this main exhibit, the Smithsonian Museum on Main Street Crossroad exhibit, and then the Prehistoric Museum has actually help build an exhibit called Power. It’s about the coal industry in the early 20th century here in Eastern Utah. So we’ll be exploring that in that same space, in the former book store in Jennifer Leavitt Student Center. We’re going to have our Power exhibit up along side of there and that will be a more locally focused exhibit on some of the changes of rural America here in Carbon County. Then alongside that in that same space we’re having an art exhibition by Terry Willis that Noel Carmack is involved with,” said Dr. Tim Riley. Terry Willis is a local artist whose talents highlight the scenery in Eastern Utah.

The exhibit is scheduled to begin on Jan. 20 running through till Mar. 3 and during this time there is several activities scheduled to take place for families to come and enjoy. “We have about 14 total activities going on during the six weeks that it’s here. It’s going to be here opening Jan. 20, we’re actually excited to get the crates shipped in on I think Tuesday of next week, then it will be here till Mar. 3. Across that six week period, we have a number of events, that are all open to the public, and they’re all free. Some of them are going to be geared more towards kids, and some of them are for the whole family or maybe depending on your kids interest might just be for your older kids and adults,” said Dr. Riley. Events range from storytelling, to conversation with State Representatives, film screenings and so much more.

To see an entire schedule of events visit https://eastern.usu.edu/crossroads/ or you can call the USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum for further information.