Smithsonian’s “Key Ingredients: America by Food”

Traveling Exhibition and related special events

coming to Cecil County this August

 

Elkton - Key Ingredients: America by Food will be traveling to Cecil County this August. The exhibition, sponsored by the Historical Society of Cecil County and the Cecil County Arts Council, will open on Friday August 10, 2007 and will run through September 22, 2007. “Key Ingredients: America by Food,” is the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibition that explores 500 years of the rich diversity of American food culture from coast to coast. Cecil County is one of only six sites in Maryland selected to host this fascinating exhibition.

 

The exhibition’s opening reception will be held on Friday, August 10 from 5pm to 7pm at 135 E. Main Street in Elkton, home of the Historical Society of Cecil County. The reception will also feature refreshments and live music by Soul Oh. The reception and exhibition are accessible to the handicapped.

 

The Historical Society of Cecil County will also be hosting the following special events related to Key Ingredients: America by Food:

 

  • “Farms, Food and Family:  Agriculture in Cecil County” Exhibit, August 10 through September 22, 2007, Historical Society of Cecil County, 135 E. Main Street, Elkton. Free (donations appreciated.)

 

  • Photography Exhibit: “From Cultivation to Culinary Delights”, August 10 through September 22, 2007 held at the Elkton Alliance, 101 E. Main Street, Elkton. Free.

 

  • Victorian Tea at the Wellwood, Charlestown, MD. Saturday, August 11 at 11:30am. Cost $15 per person. Reservations required.

 

  • Speaker Series: “Life Before Acme”, Dr. Constance Cooper, Wednesday, August 15 at 7pm at the Historical Society of Cecil County, 135 E. Main Street, Elkton. Free.

 

  • Speaker Series: “Saving Our Harvest: The Story of the Mid-Atlantic Regions Canning & Freezing Industry” with Ed Kee, Wednesday, August 22 at 7pm at the Historical Society of Cecil County, 135 E. Main Street, Elkton. Free.

 

  • Victorian Tea at Mt. Harmon Plantation, Elkton, MD. Saturday, August 25 at 11:30am. Cost $15 per person. Reservations required.

 

  • Speaker Series: “Building Houses out of Chicken Legs – Black Women, Food & Power” with Psyche Williams Forson, Monday, August 27 at 7pm at the Historical Society of Cecil County, 135 E. Main Street, Elkton. Free.

 

  • Maryland Dinner held at The Granary...featuring Maryland and

Cecil County food Wednesday, September 5, 2007 6:00 p.m. $ 16.00 for adults,

$8 for children Reservations required:  410-275-1603

 

  • Speaker Series: “Delmarva Peach Industry” with Dr. Constance Cooper, Wednesday, September 5 at 7pm at the Historical Society of Cecil County, 135 E. Main Street, Elkton. Free.

 

  • Speaker Series: “Growing Heirloom Vegetables”, Wednesday, September 12 at 7pm at the Historical Society of Cecil County, 135 E. Main Street, Elkton. Free.

 

  • Victorian Tea at the Sinking Springs Herb Farm, Elkton, MD. Saturday, September 8 at 11:30am. Cost $15 per person. Reservations required.

 

  • Artisans’ Fair, held during Elkton’s Fallfest, Saturday, September 15, 135 E. Main Street, Elkton. Free.

 

More About Key Ingredients: America by Food…

What exactly are kolaces, spaetzle and pierogie? Most of us eat day in day out without giving a second thought to 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 Charles Camp, Key Ingredients: America by Food explores the connections between Americans and the foods they produce, prepare, preserve, and present at the table – a provocative and thoughtful look at the historical, regional, and social traditions that merge in everyday meals and celebrations.

 

The exhibition and web site are developed by 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.

Key Ingredients 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.

                                                                            

Key Ingredients: America by Food, has been made possible in Elkton, MD, by the Maryland Humanities Council. Key Ingredients is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Federation of State Humanities Councils. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Hearst Foundation.

For more information, call Eric Jodlbauer at the Historical Society of Cecil County at (410) 398-1790 or email eric@cchistory.org.

 

-              30 -   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                           Page 3 of 3