Smithsonian Exhibition Explores the Diverse Food Traditions of America
The Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum and the Art Association, in cooperation with the Wyoming Humanities Council (WHC), will host the local showing of Key Ingredients: America by Food, a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition which delves into the historical, regional and social traditions that merge in everyday meals and celebrations of the American table. The exhibition will be on view beginning December 13th, 2012 and continuing through January 20th, 2013 and will give Jackson Hole an opportunity to celebrate the region’s historic and contemporary food heritage.
In addition to the main exhibition, there will also be a local exhibition and several programs that focus on Jackson Hole’s history of fine cuisine. Everything from early settlers dining on elk to ethnic traditions brought by immigrants and today’s Slow Food Movement will be explored.
The Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum and the surrounding community has been expressly chosen by the WHC and the Smithsonian Institution to host Key Ingredients as part of the Museum on Main Street project – a national/state partnership to bring exhibitions and programs to rural cultural organizations. The exhibition will tour 8 communities in Wyoming from October 2012 through November 2013.
Through a selection of artifacts, photographs and illustrations, Key Ingredients examines how culture, ethnicity, landscape and tradition influence the foods and flavors we enjoy across the nation. The exhibition looks at 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: America By Food has been made possible in Jackson by the Wyoming Humanities Council.
Key Ingredients: America By Food is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Wyoming Humanities Council. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.