Crossroads: Change in Rural America
April 25 - June 6, 2020
Grand Opening: April 25 at 11am
​Our rural communities have served as the heart of cultural life in our state for generations. These crossroads where people have gathered to exchange goods and services as well as engage in political and community discussions are an important part of our cultural fabric.  Within the last century we have seen a shift. Less than 25% of Georgia’s citizens live in our rural communities today even though 75% of Georgia’s 159 counties are classified as rural. Uneven opportunities in rural and urban areas have contributed to this population shift. 
   
Crossroads: Change in Rural America uses photos, objects, film, audio, and interactive technology, to explore broader themes of identity, land, community, persistence, and response to change, as well as the role our rural communities have played in shaping the American cultural landscape. The Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association is proud to host Crossroads and is providing many events and opportunities from April 25- June 6 for the community to engage and explore what a rural community means to all of us. 
   
This exhibition is made possible and presented by the Smithsonian Institution's Museum on Main Street, Georgia Humanities, the Center for Public History at the University of West Georgia, and Georgia EMC.  Crossroads will be on display from April 25 - June 6, 2020 with a grand opening on April 25th at 11am.  Schedule of events and exhibit information will be made available shortly.
   
​Crossroads: Change in Rural America is part of Museum on Main Street, a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution that provides small and rural communities access to Smithsonian traveling exhibitions.  Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.  To learn more, visit museumonmainstreet.org.
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Want to be a part of a historic exhibition?  

Click on the link below for more information on how you can participate in Crossroads!

   In 1900, about 40% of Americans lived in rural areas, By 2010, less than 18% of the U.S. population lived in rural areas. In just over a century, massive economic and social changes led to massive growth of America's  urban areas. Yet, less than 10% of the U.S. landmass is considered urban.

   Many Americans assume that rural communities are endangered and hanging on by a thread—suffering from outmigration, ailing schools, and overused land. But that perception is far from true in many areas. Many rural Americans work hard to sustain their communities. Why should revitalizing the rural places left behind matter to those who remain, those who left, and those who will come in the future? All Americans benefit from rural America's successes. We can learn great things from listening to those stories. There is much more to the story of rural America!

   Crossroads: Change in Rural America offers small towns a chance to look at their own paths to highlight the changes that affected their fortunes over the past century. The exhibition will prompt discussions about what happened when America’s rural population became a minority of the country’s population and the ripple effects that occurred.

   Despite the massive economic and demographic impacts brought on by these changes, America’s small towns continue to creatively focus on new opportunities for growth and development. Economic innovation and a focus on the cultural facets that make small towns unique, comfortable, and desirable have helped many communities create their own renaissance. The future is bright for much of rural America as small towns embrace the notion that their citizens and their cultural uniqueness are important assets.​
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