Atmore residents will soon have a chance to experience a Smithsonian exhibition without making the trip to Washington, D.C.
The Smithsonian traveling exhibition “Americans” is coming to the Strand Theater in Atmore from Sept. 16 through Nov. 4, bringing a nationally recognized museum experience to south Alabama. Admission is free.
Atmore is the first stop on a five-community Alabama tour of the exhibition, which will also travel to Wetumpka, Florence, Scottsboro and Foley.
Presented locally through a partnership between Pride of Atmore and the Poarch Creek Indians, “Americans” explores the ways American Indian images, names, stories and cultures have shaped U.S. history and popular culture.
“This is an amazing opportunity for those like me who have never visited the Smithsonian in Washington, DC.,” Pride of Atmore volunteer Dale Ash said. “Having an actual Smithsonian exhibit come to the Encore at the Strand on Main Street in a small town like Atmore, Alabama, is truly a ‘big deal’. Participants will see how the earliest Americans shaped America, and Alabama will be an educational experience. The Poarch Creek Indian exhibit will bring the national narrative home to the native soil of the Poarch Creek Indian community and honor its local heritage through a national lens at Atmore’s Encore at the Strand.”
The exhibition was originally developed by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. The Alabama tour is part of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service’s Museum on Main Street program, which brings Smithsonian exhibitions and educational experiences to rural and small-town communities.
The Alabama Humanities Alliance is bringing the exhibition to communities across the state as part of its commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary.
For Atmore, the subject also has a strong connection close to home. The Poarch Creek Indians are Alabama’s only federally recognized tribe.
The exhibit uses photographs, objects, videos and interactive experiences to explore topics ranging from place names and sports mascots to some of the most familiar events and stories in American history. Among them are Pocahontas, Thanksgiving, the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the Battle of Little Bighorn.
“This exhibition gives our community an important opportunity to explore the stories, images and traditions that have shaped how American Indians are understood across our nation,” said Robbie McGhee, Vice Chair and Chief Government & Public Affairs Officer of the Poarch Creek Indians. “As Alabama’s only federally recognized tribe, we are proud to partner with Pride of Atmore to bring the Smithsonian’s ‘Americans’ exhibition to our community. We are also grateful to the Alabama Humanities Alliance for making this exhibit possible and for its commitment to bringing meaningful humanities programming to communities across our state. We hope this exhibition inspires meaningful conversations, greater understanding of Native history and culture, and a more thoughtful perspective on these important stories.”
Visitors can also request a screening of the award-winning documentary “Forgotten Creeks,” which, according to organizers, traces the Tribe’s history from Spanish contact in the 1500s through the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and its modern success as a sovereign nation. Film screenings are available by request only.
Pride of Atmore and the Poarch Creek Indians are encouraging schools, churches, community groups and visitors from across the region to attend. Organizers hope the exhibition will draw visitors from beyond Escambia County while opening conversations about Native American history, culture and representation.
“Americans” will be open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7 p.m. Admission is free.
For more information or to book a group visit, call Encore at the Strand at 251-237-1112.
