The Prairie Landscape

THE ILLINOIS HUMANITIES COUNCIL BRINGS SMITHSONIAN EXHIBITION "KEY INGREDIENTS" TO MACOMB

08/18/2003

Exhibition on American Foodways to open September 13

CHICAGO–Through a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C, the Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) is bringing "Key Ingredients: America by Food," a portable 5-kiosk display designed especially for small museums and historical societies, to Macomb, Illinois. The exhibition will open on Saturday, September 13th at the Western Illinois Museum, 201 South Lafayette Street, and remain on display until October 24th. The opening day will begin with a Kid's Cooking Contest in the morning, done through the University of Illinois Extension. Kids (ages 8 to16) will bring their completed dishes in for tasting and prizes. At 2 p.m. the Museum will host "Nutrition Bingo," with edibles for covering the squares. The opening ceremony begins at 3 p.m., followed by a keynote address by Dr. Bruce Kraig, President of the Culinary Historians of Chicago and Professor Emeritus of History and Humanities at Roosevelt University in Chicago. The Museum will also hold a series of local events in conjunction with the exhibit. For details or a schedule, call the Museum at(309) 833-1315.

"Key Ingredients" looks at the rich regional food traditions found across the United States, focusing on the diversity of foods and customs associated with them. By displaying a broad selection of photographs, illustrations, and artifacts, the exhibit investigates the way differences in cultures, ethnicities, and classes have created unique American food traditions. The exhibit also examines the tremendous effecttechnological innovation has had on America’s food traditions, from changes in kitchen appliances to the development of large multi-market conglomerates.

The exhibition has been on display in West Chicago and Morrison. Following the Macomb engagement, the exhibition will tour two other Illinois communities from November 2003-February 2004:
ÿ November 7-December 19, 2003: Mt. Vernon, the Jefferson County Historical Society Museum
ÿ January 9-February 20, 2004: Danville, the Vermillion County Museum Society

"Key Ingredients" is part of the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street (MOMs) program. MOMs serves small-to medium-sized communities by bringing Smithsonian-quality exhibitions to local museums, historical societies, libraries, and community centers that traditionally have limited access to traveling exhibitions due to space and cost limitations.
For more information about "Key Ingredients," or any other IHC program, please call (312) 422-5580 or visit www.prairie.org and click on "Programs."

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