The Smithsonian Comes to Green County!

The Wisconsin Humanities Council (WHC) congratulates Lea Brookman, of the Brodhead Chamber of Commerce in Brodhead. The Chamber’s application to host Key Ingredients: America by Food was selected and Brodhead will be one of six stops the Smithsonian exhibition will make in Wisconsin. The WHC, Brodhead Chamber and Green County community organizations will work together over the next year to plan community discussions, school projects, and public events to explore the many dimensions of food culture in Wisconsin.

Key Ingredients: America by Food is an exhibition designed by the Smithsonian Institution, and brought to the state by the Wisconsin Humanities Council, specifically for small, rural communities. The exhibition explores how the food on our tables, in our gardens, and at our celebrations all has cultural and geographic roots. Programs will connect the stories, traditions, and interests of people in Brodhead to those around the state and the country.

“Everyone eats,” said Jessica Becker, Director of Public Programs at the Wisconsin Humanities Council and coordinator for the Key Ingredients tour. “so we all get excited about food. But I was really impressed by the ways that these communities connected the themes of the exhibition with the unique “key ingredients” of their region. With these six partners, the WHC sees the opportunity to celebrate both the history and future of eating in Wisconsin.”

The Key Ingredients tour:

• October 20- December 3, 2010 in Reedsburg. The Wormfarm Institute will display the exhibition at the Woolen Mill Gallery downtown.

• December 10, 2010 – January 21, 2011 in Rhinelander. The Rhinelander District Library will display the exhibition in a downtown location.

• January 28-March 11, 2011 in River Falls. The River Falls Public Library will display the exhibition in the library gallery.

• March 18 – April 29, 2011 in Westfield. The Marquette County Historical Society will display the exhibition in the Kerst Exhibit Building.

• May 6 – June 17, 2011 in Brodhead. The Brodhead Chamber of Commerce will display the exhibition at the Brodhead Library.

• June 24 – August 5, 2011 in Osseo. The Heartbeat Center for Writing, Literacy and the Arts, Inc. will display the exhibition at the Osseo-Fairchild High School.

To get connected with local efforts as part of the Key Ingredients tour, contact Lea Brookman at lea@offthepath.com or 608-897-9027.

More information about Key Ingredients and the Wisconsin Humanities Council can be found at http://www.wisconsinhumanities.org/KeyIng.html.