Museum, Chamber to host Journey Stories Smithsonian exhibit

The Cynthiana-Harrison County Museum, Chamber of Commerce and the Kentucky Humanities Council, Inc. will explore how Americans claimed their freedom by asserting their mobility with the Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit Journey Stories, which opens July 16.
This is the second Kentucky stop for the Journey Stories exhibit. The exhibit will be on display at the Cynthiana-Harrison County Chamber of Commerce, 201 S. Main St. in Cynthiana until Aug. 27. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday.
Journey stories are a central element of our personal heritage. Our history is filled with stories of people leaving behind everything – families and possessions – to reach a new life in another state, across the continent, or even across an ocean. The reasons behind those decisions are myriad..
Journey Stories will use engaging images with audio and artifacts to tell the individual stories that illustrate the critical roles travel and movement have played in building our diverse American society.
Vicky Middleswarth, former education director for the Kentucky History Museum, has worked with the Bluegrass Heritage Museum in tying the exhibit’s content to the Kentucky standards. This allows Kentucky educators to enhance what they are teaching in the classroom with a tour of the exhibit.
The Kentucky Humanities Council chose the Cynthiana-Harrison County Museum/Chamber of Commerce to host Journey Stories as part of the Museum on Main Street project. Museum on Main Street is a partnership of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, the Federation of State Humanities Councils and state humanities councils nationwide. The United States Congress and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet provide support to the Museum on Main Street project.
For information about the council’s programs and services, visit www.kyhumanities.org. For information about Journey Stories and other Museum on Main Street exhibitions, visit www.museumonmainstreet.org.