Five Oklahoma communities, in cooperation with Oklahoma Humanities, will explore aspects of our state’s water as they host the local showing of Water/Ways, a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition beginning in July 2019.

Water is an important element in American culture. We are drawn to water for peace and contemplation. The sights and sounds of water make us feel connected to nature. Many faiths revere water as a sacred symbol. Authors and artists are inspired by the graceful ways in which water flows, but also by its unstoppable force.

Water has also played a vital role in our society. Water routes made significant impacts on our settlement and migration patterns. We use it for manufacturing and agriculture and economic planning. Water/Ways examines the many ways in which we use water and how we can sustain it for the future. Complementary programs in each community will highlight local connections to water.

Museum on Main Street
2019-2020 Tour Schedule

Pioneer Library System Foundation
Norman Public Library East 
3051 Alameda St.
Norman, OK 
June 29, 2019 – August 18, 2019

Ada Public Library
124 S. Rennie
Ada, OK 
August 27, 2019 – October 12, 2019

Locust Grove Arts Alliance
Locust Grove VFW Post 3573
116 S. Broadway
Locust Grove, OK 
October 21, 2019 – December 8, 2019

Oklahoma Historical Society
Fort Towson Historic Site 
14 miles west of Hugo on Hwy 70
 Fort Towson, OK 74735 
December 17, 2019 – February 8, 2020

Western Trail Historical Society
Museum of the Western Prairie 
1100 Memorial Dr.
Altus, OK 
February 18, 2020 – April 11, 2020

Contact Kelly Burns, OH Program Officer, for more information,
[email protected] or (405) 235-0280. 

Water/Ways is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and Oklahoma Humanities, and was adapted from an exhibition organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York.