NEH funding helped create a traveling exhibition that is flexible enough for small spaces and engages deeply with local communities. Image courtesy of Susanne Caro.
Throughout the U.S., small- and mid-sized cultural institutions host traveling exhibitions that showcase compelling histories and works of national importance. While traveling exhibitions provide unique educational opportunities for communities, they can pose challenges for institutions and communities that lack substantial exhibition space and don’t have an immediate connection to the subject matter. With funding from an NEH grant, a collaborative group of librarians from North Dakota State University, Utah State University, and the University of Notre Dame created a traveling exhibition to address these concerns. Disasters: Stories We Share has proven adaptable for a range of exhibition spaces and communities. At the same time, it highlights the unique stories and experiences of each community it visits, ensuring that there is a deep local connection to the exhibition content.