KEARNEY, NE – From March 2nd – May 10th, the Buffalo County Historical Society/Trails & Rails Museum will host another Smithsonian traveling exhibition called “Water/Ways.”
According to Community Engagement Director, Broc Anderson, it’s the third Smithsonian traveling exhibition that the Trails & Rails Museum has hosted within a year. “We are so fortunate to have the space and resources to host all of these traveling exhibitions that deepen our understanding of the past,” said Anderson.
In 2023, the Trails & Rails Museum hosted Voices and Votes: Democracy in America in June and July as part of a Humanities Nebraska Museum on Main Street program as well as Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans During World War II. Not only will the Water/Ways exhibition feature many hands-on learning experiences, but also be accompanied by a supplemental exhibition created by Gwendolynn Folk, UNK Graduate Research Assistant for the Communication Department under Dr. Mary Harner.
As part of an Internship Project, Folk is coordinating and implementing materials that reflect more of the Nebraska water and environmental story. According to Folk, “Water influences all aspects of our life, biologically, historically, as well as artistically. My hope is to highlight those influences with the work of Platte Basin Timelapse, an organization that monitors change in the watershed we call home. Not only is it important to monitor change to keep historic records of the basin or to monitor habitat for migratory birds like the sandhill crane, but it also documents the beauty of the basin that first captured the artists that created Platte Basin Timelapse’s attention.”
“Water/Ways” explores the endless motion of the water cycle, water’s effect on landscape, settlement and migration, and its impact on culture and spirituality. It looks at how political and economic planning have long been affected by access to water and control of water resources. Human creativity and resourcefulness provide new ways of protecting water resources and renewing respect for the natural environment. The exhibition includes interactives that will help visitors explore the deep connections between water, work, traditions, and faith. For example, a touchable relief map of the Elwha River watershed in Washington allows visitors to feel how terrain creates a watershed. Another interactive called “How Much Water” show many gallons of water it takes to grow or produce a variety of familiar goods from milk to chicken to blue jeans.
