Smithsonian Exhibits

Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street Program

HumanitiesAR partners with the Smithsonian Institution’s “Museum on Main Street” program (MoMS) to bring Smithsonian traveling exhibitions to Arkansas. MoMS is a partnership of the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and state humanities councils nationwide, serving small-town museums and citizens of rural America.

These exhibits provide an opportunity for students and children to see and learn about artifacts and information that may not be available to them otherwise. The Smithsonian is home to a vast collection of artifacts, many of which are not on permanent display at the Smithsonian’s museums in Washington, D.C. By traveling to different parts of the country, these exhibits make it possible for students and children in Arkansas to see and learn about these artifacts up close.

Three photos in a collage: people unload he boxed exhibit from a truck; a pair rolling boxes into a museum; a crowd in front of a display of a baseball park listens to a speaker

HumanitiesAR has brought two noteworthy Smithsonian exhibits to the state. The first Smithsonian exhibit, “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shaped America,” traveled the state from 2016-2017. The exhibit celebrated the impact of American sports teams of all types, sizes, and levels and how they shaped America. “Hometown Teams” visited six host sites across Arkansas, providing a unique and memorable educational experience to more than 51 thousand attendees.

Voices & Votes 2023 Exhibit

In 2023, we brought the Smithsonian exhibit “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America” to the state. This exhibit will explore democracy as America’s greatest experiment, aiming to reflect on the history of democracy in America while springboarding discussions about its future. The exhibit will travel to six host sites throughout Arkansas from 2023 until January 2024.