Smithsonian Exhibition Visit to the First State

From September 2008 to July 2009, the Delaware Humanities Forum sponsored a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution: Between Fences, hosted by four rural and ex-urban museums and other venues. Here are some images:

About Between Fences

Between Fences tells the story of the settling of the United States, the establishment of its communities, and the building of its borders.

"We live between fences. We may hardly notice them, but they are dominant features in our lives and in our history. Thousands of types have been invented, millions of miles have been produced, and countless rivals have seized post, rail, panel, and wire to stake their claims. In 1871, the Department of Agriculture estimated the total value of fences in the United States at $1.7 billion, a sum almost equal to the national debt.

Our past is defined by the cutting point of barbed steel and the staccato rhythm of the white picket. Built of hedge, concrete, wood and metal, the fence skirts our properties and is central to the American landscape.

Fences, like barns, are tools that embody a culture and its values. Discover the history and meaning of these ordinary objects--how tightly the fence is entwined with politics, industry, and daily life."

Delaware Venues

Between Fences will was on exhibit in the following rural and ex-urban venues:

Seaford Historical Society, Seaford, DE
September 20 - November 7, 2008

Center for the Creative Arts, Yorklyn, DE
January 16 - March 6, 2009

 Delaware City Arts Center, Delaware City, DE
March 21 - May 1, 2009

Milton Historical Society, Milton, DE
May 15 - July 12, 2009

The exhibition's themes-boundaries, place, and space-is central to the visitors' physical experience, as they walk between fences and through gateways. Each fence was selected to represent a theme and tell a story to illustrate that theme in provocative ways. In addition to objects and images relating to the exhibition stories, fence materials include tools, photographs, and publications including product literature, journals, postcards, and posters.

This project is a one-of-a-kind cultural partnership between the Smithsonian Institution, The Federation of State Humanities Council, and individual state councils such as the Delaware Humanities Forum.

For more information on the exhibition, which is currently touring other states, visit the website www.museumonmainstreet.org. Also, feel free to contact the Delaware Humanities Forum at:

Delaware Humanities Forum
Margaret G. Winslow
Program Administrator / Public Ally
Email: mgw [at] dhf [dot] org
(E-mail addresses are spelled out to reduce spam. To send an e-mail, simply change the “at� and “dot� to "@" and "." when you copy the address.)
(302) 657-0650 ext. 14

Between Fences was made possible in Delaware by the Delaware Humanities Forum.

Between Fences 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.