Monday, August 21, 2023— Stone County is set to welcome hundreds of visitors to the area beginning next week with the launch of the “Crossroads: Change in Rural America,” multimedia exhibit in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution. The “Crossroads” tour begins Monday, August 28 at 10 a.m. before making its way north to other host sites across the state. The six-week event will take place at
the Ferris B. O’Neal Senior Center located at 1240 Magnolia Drive in Wiggins.

The Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street (MoMS) and the Mississippi Humanities Council selected Wiggins to be the inaugural site for the statewide tour that tells how rural life in America has changed over time in communities like Stone County.

Beginning early in 2023, the SCEDP began engaging local business leaders to provide support for the exhibit. “Stone County is proud to kick off the Crossroads exhibit and our business community is thrilled to have people visit from all over the region for the weeks to come,” said Betsy M. Rowell, SCEDP Executive Director. “Businesses throughout the county will be providing food and drinks for events we have scheduled during the exhibition’s tenure here in Wiggins.” Visitors will also have access to places where they can shop and eat.

Six Mississippi host sites across the state will develop complementary exhibits and host public programs to enhance understanding about the history, joys and challenges of living in rural communities, while examining how these communities have changed and what the future holds. The exhibition is part of Museum on Main Street, a unique collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), state humanities councils across the nation, and local host institutions. The exhibition is made possible thanks to the generous support of Tennessee Valley Authority.

The local exhibit will feature themes related to the timber industry, music, food, recreation and technology. Once the exhibit leaves Wiggins, Lawrence Franklin Regional Library (Brookhaven), Quitman County Arts & Culture Museum (Marks), West Point Clay County Community Growth Alliance (West Point), Mississippi’s Lower Delta Partnership (Rolling Fork), and Pontotoc Historical Society (Pontotoc) will each host the exhibition for six-week periods through June 2024. In addition to hosting the exhibition, each site will develop a local exhibit and a series of public humanities programs in conjunction with “Crossroads.”

Docent volunteers are being sought for shifts both during the week and on Saturdays by signing up at
www.stonecounty.com or by calling the SCEDP at 601-928-5418.

The exhibits are free and open to the public.