Key Ingredients: America by Food
A Smithsonian Museum on Main Street exhibition coming to Wisconsin in October 2010. Applications to host the exhibition will be available soon, due in April 2009.
What exactly are kolaces, spaetzle and pierogie? Most of us eat day in day out without giving a second thought to consider the wealth of history and culture that shapes our dining habits and taste preferences. Our recipes, menus, ceremonies, and etiquette are directly shaped by our country’s rich immigrant experience, the history and innovations of food preparation technology, and the ever-changing availability of key ingredients.
Curated by Charley Camp, Key Ingredients: America by Food explores the connections between Americans and the foods they produce, prepare, preserve, and present at table – a provocative and thoughtful look at the historical, regional, and social-traditions that merge in everyday meals and celebrations. It is the newest exhibition of Museum on Main Street, a partnership of the Smithsonian Institution and state humanities councils in service to museums and citizens of rural America. Through a selection of artifacts, photographs, and illustrations, Key Ingredients examines the evolution of the American kitchen and how food industries have responded to the technological innovations that have enabled Americans to choose an ever-wider variety of frozen, prepared, and fresh foods. Key Ingredients also looks beyond the home to restaurants, diners, and celebrations that help build a sense of community through food.
The exhibition offers a multitude of opportunities for hosting organizations to link their own collections and local food specialties to the panoramic story told in the exhibition. Key Ingredients addresses farming, table manners, history, markets, and kitchen gadgets in a lively presentation that stimulates comparisons of back then and right now, over there and right here. The exhibition will engage audiences everywhere, creating conversations and inspiring community recollection and celebration.
