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Smithsonian
Traveling Exhibit
Comes to
Cottonwood
Museum
in May
In the back room of
The Clemenceau Heritage Museum in
Cottonwood
,
Arizona, artist Julie Flatt and a group of girl scouts have painted a
wall-size mural of pastures and cows.
A white picket fence stands in front.
To the left, there is a historic scarecrow and pitchfork;
to the right a post-hole digger.
The bucolic painting
provides a colorful backdrop for “Between Fences,” a traveling
exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution. The exhibit will be at
the museum May 3 through
June 15, 2008
. It is part of a
cultural project called Museum on
Main Street , which shares the Smithsonian’s collections with small-town
museums.
“Between Fences”
presents a cultural history of American fences in a way that is
informative, interactive, fun and perhaps even provocative.
It shows how fences bring us together and keep us
apart—not only in our daily lives but also in business and
politics. According to the Smithsonian, “Fences are powerful
symbols. The way we
define ourselves as individuals and as a nation shows in the way
we build fences.”
The
exhibit will feature oversized kiosks around five topic areas:
Although these
kiosks will be the heart of the exhibit, The Clemenceau Heritage
Museum will make the topic come alive for area residents and
visitors with its own add-ons, such as companion displays and
community programs.
In one museum case,
visitors will be able to compare soil samples from surrounding
communities, which have a surprising range of colors—from beige
and rust to deep brown. In
another case, they can learn about the Sinagua Indians, who used
to live in the
Verde
Valley
.
Mary Ligget, the
museum’s exhibit director, is excited about the community’s
involvement in on-site and off-site programs.
More than 140 photographs of fences have been submitted by
Verde
Valley
residents of all ages for a museum-sponsored photo contest.
The images will be on display at the Cottonwood Public
Library during the same time the traveling exhibit is at the
museum.
In another
partnership, area fourth graders were given cameras to take
pictures for posters to complement the kiosks. According
to Ligget, by personalizing “Between Fences” in this way, the
students have been able to reflect upon the meaning of fences in
their own community.
During the exhibit,
The Clemenceau Heritage Museum (at One North Willard) will be open
every day but Monday from
10 a.m.
to
3 p.m.
For more information
or to schedule tours, call 928-634-2868.
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