CHARLOTTE — The North Carolina Humanities Council (NCHC) has chosen six cultural sites throughout rural North Carolina to host the 2018 Museum on Main Street (MoMS) project, a collaboration with the Smithsonian Institute Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). One of them is in neighboring Duplin County.

Beginning Jan. 31, 2018, the exhibition titled The Way We Worked will visit the communities of Mt. Pleasant, Blowing Rock, Kenansville, Fayetteville, Newton and Cullowhee. From farms and factories to manufacturing and technology, The Way We Worked showcases how American culture has been shaped by the workforce over the past 150 years. The program content celebrates the diversity of workers and explores a deeper understanding of the past collective working experience.

Many pieces within the exhibit are from the National Archives and Records Administration and include artifacts from workers as well as interactive multimedia components such as film, audio, and photographs. The installation is made up of six distinct sections, each outlining the evolution of the working lives of Americans and shedding light on the obstacles and triumphs of individuals and groups throughout history.

“Work is central to our nation’s identity, and its importance can be seen everywhere,” said Paula Watkins, Executive Director of the North Carolina Humanities Council. “These displays reveal the compelling stories of the folks whose work has powered our country and molded who we are as Americans.”

Supported by the United States Congress, Museum on Main Street (MoMS) is a joint effort with SITES and state humanities councils, giving local museums an opportunity to host art, science and history exhibitions that focus on local and shared cultural heritage.

Want to see more programing like this in North Carolina? Please contact your congressional representative and senators today to make the case for continued federal funding of the North Carolina Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

Museum on Main Street 2018 Tour Itinerary

Eastern Cabarrus Historical Society

Jan.31 – March 13

1100 N Main St, Mt Pleasant, NC 28124

Blowing Rock Museum of Art and History

March 19 – April 29

159 Chestnut St, Blowing Rock, NC 28605

Cowan Museum of History and Science

May 5 – June 16

411 S Main St, Kenansville, NC 28349

Friends of the Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center

June 22 – Aug. 2

300 Maiden Ln, Fayetteville, NC 28301

Historical Association of Catawba County

Aug. 8 – Sept.18

30 N College Ave, Newton, NC 28658

Mountain Heritage Center

Sept.24 – Nov. 7

Western Carolina University, University Drive, Cullowhee, NC 28723

Charles O’Rear, May 1972. National Archives, Records of the Environmental Protection Agency Mexican farm worker are seen in lettuce field in Blythe, California.
https://www.clintonnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_Small-Farmworker-images.jpgCharles O’Rear, May 1972. National Archives, Records of the Environmental Protection Agency Mexican farm worker are seen in lettuce field in Blythe, California.

Young loom workers at Bibb Mill No. 1 in Macon, Georgia.
https://www.clintonnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_Small-Young-Loom-Workers-image.jpgYoung loom workers at Bibb Mill No. 1 in Macon, Georgia.

From The Humanities Council