AgCenter: Smithsonian water exhibit scheduled

POLLOCK — The LSU AgCenter Grant Walker Educational Center, in cooperation with the Louisiana Endowment for Humanities, will host “Water/Ways,” a four-week traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Museum on Main Street program Nov. 17 to Dec. 18.
The exhibit is the first of its kind to be offered at the AgCenter facility, which also serves as the state 4-H youth development program’s year-round campground, said AgCenter center director Christine Bergeron. The Grant Walker Educational Center is located at 3000 Highway 8 in Pollock.
“We typically would have to travel to Washington, D.C., to visit the Smithsonian, but the traveling exhibits make these exciting programs far more accessible for the general public,” Bergeron said, adding that the center is one of five host facilities in the state.
The “Water/Ways” exhibit is a core component of the Smithsonian Think Water Initiative, which explores the relationship between people and water from both a scientific and cultural perspective to raise awareness of water as a critical life resource.
Designed for small-town museums, libraries and cultural organizations, “Water/Ways” serves as a community meeting place, opening conversations about water’s impact on American culture.
The exhibit examines the role water plays as an essential component for life on the planet and explores its environmental, cultural and historical impact through interactive educational activities, displays and video presentations.
The exhibit features the effect of water on the environment and climate, its practical role in agriculture and economic planning, and its impact on culture and spirituality, art and music.
“Access to and control of water resources are critical to our state economy and our personal well-being, and this program helps increase public awareness of new ways to protect and respect these valuable resources,” Bergeron said.
The exhibit will open weekdays from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. No registration is required for the general public. School groups can register for specific tour days at 318-765-7209.
Guest speakers and special film features will be offered on select dates:
—Nov. 17: Feature Film “Orleans Parish Station 15” and group discussion, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Heidi Goldsmith, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
—Nov. 27: Crude Life project and Group Discussion, 10 a.m. to noon and 6 to 8 p.m., Brandon Ballengée, LSU postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Biological Sciences, artist, biologist and environmental activist.
—Nov. 29: Field trip, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Brandon Ballengée.
—Dec. 4: “Louisiana v. Arkansas: The Corney Creek Interstate Water War,” 6 to 7:30 p.m.; Craig Colton, Carl O. Sauer Professor, LSU Department of Geography and Anthropology.
—Dec. 6: Feature film “Bayou Lafourche” and group discussion, 6 to 8 p.m., Heidi Goldsmith.
—Dec. 10: The Walls Project — a Youth Paint-By-Numbers Modular Art Installation.
—Dec. 13: Culinary seafood event, 6 to 8 p.m., Quincy Vidrine, LSU AgCenter area nutrition agent, Rapides and Grant parishes.
—Dec. 18: Interview and group discussion of the largest contiguous wetlands reclamation project in the United States; 5:30 to 7 p.m., Ron Johnson, founder of Honey Brake Lodge, and Drew Keeth, CEO of Honey Brake Lodge.
“Water/Ways” is a collaboration among the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, state humanities councils across the nation and local host institutions.
To learn more about “Water/Ways,” view exhibit descriptions and tour schedules, visit www.sites.si.edu.
Bergeron can be contacted at 318-765-7209 or cbergeron@agcenter.lsu.edu.