Durand to host Smithsonian traveling exhibit celebrating rural innovation December 2 - January 6

The national exhibition will be accompanied by a locally-produced companion exhibit.

CHICAGO, NOVEMBER 16, 2023 — Illinois Humanities is pleased to announce that Durand will be the next Illinois town to host  Spark! Places of Innovation, the newest traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program. Spark! will be hosted by Durand Charm at Durand Masonic Lodge #302 from December 2, 2023 - January 6, 2024.

As a companion to the Spark! exhibition in Durand, Durand Charm is producing an exhibit highlighting the Durand Fire Department. Following multiple fires in the late 1800s and early 1900s in the town's business core, a volunteer fire department was created in Durand. They became the first municipal volunteer fire department in Illinois, sporting District #1 on their fire engine. Included in this exhibit will be the department's original 1926 Peter Pirsch fire engine.

In addition to the companion exhibit, Durand Charm will host an exciting slate of events throughout Spark!’s stop in Durand, including two free events featuring 2023-24 Illinois Road Scholars celebrating the history of small, rural towns as centers of industry, innovation, and resilience. The first, on December 5, 7:00 p.m., will feature Road Scholar Norman Moline’s presentation, A Quality Place on the Map: The Goal of Small Towns. On December 12, 7:00 p.m., Road Scholar Cynthia Clampitt will present, How Corn Changed Itself and Then Changed Everything Else. Both programs will take place at the Fire Station and will offer free refreshments.

In the holiday spirit, Santa will visit Spark! on December 9 and 16, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Visitors will have a chance to explore both the Smithsonian national exhibition and the Durand companion exhibit, as well as take pictures with Santa on the historic fire engine. While in Durand, visitors are also encouraged to attend the Youth and Innovation Project Competition at Durand High School on December 7, 7:00 p.m. Government and English students will compete with their own innovative projects for cash prizes determined by a panel of celebrity judges.

Spark! Places of Innovation will be at the Durand Masonic Lodge #302, 420 North Center Street, Durand, IL, December 2 - January 6. Please note that the exhibit will be closed Saturday, December 23 - Monday, December 25, 2023, Sunday, December 31, 2023, and Monday, January 1, 2024. 

The exhibition will continue its Illinois tour through spring 2024, with upcoming stops in Havana and Marshall in 2024. Illinois Humanities partners with the Smithsonian to bring world-class, multimedia Smithsonian exhibitions to small towns and rural communities in Illinois. Through partnerships with organizations local to each community, every tour stop will showcase the town's homegrown stories, local events, and history.

EXHIBITION SCHEDULE

• December 2, 2023 – January 6, 2024: Durand, IL
  Masonic Lodge #302, 420 North Center Street, Durand, IL
• January 13 – February 17, 2024: Havana, IL
  Havana City Center, 326 West Market Street, Havana, IL
• February 24 – March 30, 2024: Marshall, IL
  Marshall Public Library, 612 Archer Avenue, Marshall, IL