MONDAY, AUGUST 7, 2023— The Stone County Economic Development Partnership (SCEDP) is
seeking volunteers to help host “Crossroads: Change in Rural America,” an interactive multimedia
exhibit, in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street (MoMS) and the
Mississippi Humanities Council beginning August 28, 2023. The “Crossroads” tour will launch in Stone
County 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 docents (volunteer hosts) will be an important part of the “Crossroads” exhibition, which tells how
rural life in America has changed over time in communities like Stone County, according to SCEDP. “It
is rare to be chosen by the prestigious Smithsonian Institution to be a host site, and we are so proud to
launch the statewide exhibit right here in Wiggins, Mississippi,” said Betsy Rowell, SCEDP Executive
Director. “Docents will provide an important role in welcoming visitors to the Crossroads Exhibition and
will help us determine where guests have traveled from and offer them suggestions of places in the area
to eat and shop.”
Docent volunteers can sign up for various available shifts both during the week and on Saturdays by
signing up at www.stonecounty.com or by calling the SCEDP at 601-928-5418.
With support from the Mississippi Humanities Council (MHC), 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.” The exhibits are free and open to the public.
School students and group tours are available by appointment only. Contact SCEDP at 601-928-5418 for
more information.