Press Release
As part of Think Water Utah, a statewide conversation on the critical topic of water presented by Utah Humanities and its partners, Utah Humanities announced that the Smithsonian’s Water|Ways exhibition continues its Utah tour with a stay at the John Wesley Powell River History Museum in Green River. Presented by Utah Humanities, the Smithsonian Institution and communities statewide, the Green River portion of the Water|Ways tour takes place from April 3 through June 6.
The Smithsonian’s Water|Ways exhibition dives into water – an essential component of life on our planet – environmentally, culturally and historically. Water is a vital global, regional and local resource. We’ll explore Utah’s water stories and issues through the lens of our shared heritage and interests.
In addition to featuring Water|Ways, the John Wesley Powell River History Museum will offer their local companion exhibition “Our River is Our Community” through December 2021.
“Our River is Our Community” shows how the Green River is essential to life and culture in southeastern Utah. Visitors are invited to explore the significance of the river to the community’s past, present and future. In addition, the museum has partnered with Green River High School to create a student water photography exhibit and river stories podcast series.
A full schedule of Water|Ways events at the John Wesley Powell River History Museum and surrounding areas is available on the museum’s website events page. The Green River is essential to life and culture in southeastern Utah. Explore the significance of the river in our community’s past, present and future.
Candice Cravins, Executive Director of the John Wesley Power River History Museum, said, “We are thrilled to partner with Utah Humanities to bring Water|Ways to the John Wesley Powell River History Museum here in Green River. This partnership has given us the opportunity to connect with our local community not only through the development of our companion exhibit, ‘Our River is Our Community,’ which highlights the importance of the Green River to life and culture in southeastern Utah, but through thoughtfully-planned programming in collaboration with our community organizations and partners throughout the region. We are so excited to be included in the statewide tour of Water|Ways and look forward to exploring the crucial role water plays in our lives with our visitors.”
Megan van Frank, Director of the Center for Community Heritage at Utah Humanities, is coordinating the exhibition tour in Utah. In explaining the critical role Utah Humanities plays in bringing the Smithsonian tour to Utah, she said, “We work hard to bring this experience to local communities, and the collaboration among national, state and community organizations benefits everyone. We work closely with the host museums, helping to support their expertise in hosting a national exhibition. The entire experience directly strengthens Utah museums and helps to preserve and share Utah history.”
She also hopes that, “visitors to the exhibition will come away with a panoramic and personal view of how water has shaped the state of Utah as well as its role in their personal lives. The exhibition is a unique opportunity for Utahns to tell their own water stories as part of local, state and national conversations.”
Gregory Smoak, Director of the American West Center, University of Utah, and state scholar for the Utah tour of Water|Ways, remarked that “Water is life. It has shaped the stunning, inspiring and often difficult landscapes of our state. It sustains our very existence and has largely defined where Utahns have lived for the past 12,000 years and there can be no future without water. While the challenges facing Utahns appear daunting, the story of Utah’s water ways can offer us a guide. By trying to understand the natural world, its limitations and reasonable opportunities, and considering the many ways in which Utahns have engaged our precious waters, we might use history to map a sustainable way forward.”
To learn more about the statewide tour, contact Utah Humanities at (801) 359-9670 or visit the Think Water Utah portion of the Utah Humanities website.
The four host sites and dates for this exhibition are:
August 22 – October 11, 2020 | Fremont Indian State Park Museum, 3820 Clear Creek Canyon Road, Sevier, UT 84766, (435) 527.4631
October 17 – December 13, 2020 | Kanab Heritage Museum, 13 South 100 East, Kanab, UT 84741, (435) 644.3506
December 19, 2020 – March 27, 2021 | Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter, 1258 Center Drive, Park City, UT 84098, (435) 797.8943
April 3 – June 6, 2021 | John Wesley Powell River History Museum, 1765 Main Street, Green River, UT 84525, (435) 564.3427
Water|Ways has been made possible in Utah by Utah Humanities. Water|Ways is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and State Humanities Councils nationwide. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress. Water|Ways was adapted from an exhibition organized by the American Museum of Natural History (New York) and the Science Museum of Minnesota (St. Paul), in collaboration with Great Lakes Science Center (Cleveland), Field Museum (Chicago), Instituto Sangari (Sao Paulo), National Museum of Australia (Canberra), Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto), San Diego Natural History Museum and Science Centre Singapore.
Many thanks for generous support from the State of Utah, Utah Division of Arts & Museums, Utah Division of State History, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, University of Utah American West Center, George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, Lawrence T. and Janet T. Dee Foundation, Dominion Energy, Rocky Mountain Power, Union Pacific, KCPW Radio, and Utah Public Radio.
About Utah Humanities (UH): Utah Humanities empowers Utahns to improve their communities through active engagement in the humanities. UH is funded by the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts, and Parks Fund, the State of Utah, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and through gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations. Each year, Utah Humanities supports hundreds of educational and cultural programs throughout Utah. For more information, visit www.utahhumanities.org.