The Homesteader Museum has been chosen by Wyoming Humanities as one of six sites for the statewide tour of the Smithsonian Institute’s exhibit, Spark! Places of Innovation. The exhibition is part of the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street (MoMs) program, which helps to bring high quality tours to towns across America. The Wyoming tour kicks off in May 2024.

Spark! Places of Innovation takes visitors on a journey through time and place across America to discover the stories of people who lived, worked, played, collaborated, adapted, took risks, solved problems, and sometimes failed — all in the pursuit of something new. The themes addressed are technological, social, artistic and cultural/heritage innovation.

“Innovation has a strong and persistent history in Wyoming. Spark! gives us the opportunity to showcase how this shaped our state and shows us possible paths for shaping our future,” said Lucas Fralick, program coordinator for Wyoming Humanities.

The Wyoming tour locations and dates are:

• Torrington: Homesteaders Museum - May 18-July 2, 2024 

• Douglas: Converse County Public Library - July 5-Aug. 20, 2024 

• Buffalo: Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum - Aug. 23-Oct. 8, 2024 

• Powell: Homesteader Museum - Oct. 11-Nov. 26, 2024 

• Cheyenne: Laramie County Library - Dec. 2, 2024-Jan. 14, 2025 

• Casper: The Nicolaysen Art Museum - Jan. 17-March 2, 2025

Each community will have the opportunity to present significant collaborative programming and other events during the exhibition.

“Wyoming was once a leader in innovative practices, where taking risks was a part of the process for growth and change,” Fralick said. “We want to help ensure that ‘innovation’ is an inspiring word in the state again.”

Wyoming Humanities has previously hosted such MoMS/Smithsonian exhibitions as Crossroads, Barn Again, Key Ingredients, and The Way We Worked. 

More information about this and other Wyoming Humanities initiatives can be found at thinkwy.org.