Museum on Main Street in Ignacio
2024-04-29 - 2024-06-03 | Ignacio Community Library, 470 Goddard Ave., Ignacio, CO, 81137
Colorado Humanities will tour “Crossroads: Change in Rural America,” a Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street (MoMS) exhibit to 10 Colorado communities August 2023 to December 2024. The exhibit takes a broad look at the characteristics of rural America, how an attraction to and interaction with the land formed the basis of rural America, and how these communities and small towns evolve.
The exhibition opens in Ignacio at the Ignacio Town Hall, 540 Goddard Ave, Ignacio, CO 81137, on April 29, 2024 and will be on view through June 8, 2024 before moving to the other communities.
About “Crossroads: Change in Rural America”
“Crossroads” explores how rural American communities changed in the 20th century. Currently, most of the United States landscape remains rural with only 3.5% of the landmass considered urban. Since 1900, the percentage of Americans living in rural areas dropped from 60% to 17%. The exhibition looks at that remarkable societal change and how rural Americans responded.
Americans have relied on rural crossroads for generations. These places where people gather to exchange goods, services, culture, and engage in political and community discussions are an important part of our cultural fabric. Despite the massive economic and demographic impacts brought on by these changes, America’s small towns continue to creatively focus on new opportunities for growth and development.

The Five States of Colorado Film Screening – Ouray
2024-05-17 19:00 - 21:30 (America/Denver) | The Wright Opera House, 472 Main St, Ouray, CO, 81427, United States
Join us for an engaging exploration and illustration of the history, culture, concerns, and needs of each of the five featured regions. Designed for a wide range of audiences from elementary school-age to adults, this film addresses the history and issues within the five regions of Colorado to inform, educate, and serve as a basis for community discussion. Join us for an engaging exploration and illustration of the history, culture, concerns, and needs of each of the five featured regions.
The film explores how in 1861, the U.S. Congress carved Colorado’s boundaries representing no river, mountain range, tribe, or language group to enclose five distinct areas that are now Southern Colorado, Western Colorado, the Eastern Plains, the Front Range along the eastern face of the mountains, and Metropolitan Denver. Each of these regions within the state’s man-made boundaries vastly differs in terms of populations, communities, cultures, communications, and economies that have evolved from their varied geography and histories. Community conversation following the screening.
This event is a great opportunity to learn about Colorado, meet fellow movie enthusiasts, and support our local community. Don’t miss out on this exciting event!
Thank you to our partner The Wright Opera House.
