Smithsonian's 'Water/Ways' exhibit opens

David Kronke, The Tribune-Star, Terre Haute, Ind.
·5 min read

Nov. 22—"Water/Ways," an exhibit from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, opened Saturday after a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the Vigo County School Corporation Administration Building in West Terre Haute. The site was chosen by Indiana Humanities as one of six cities in the state selected to host the exhibit, after the group was impressed by RiverSCAPE's pitch on how it would present it.

"We had dozens of applicants, and the West Terre Haute program was definitely one of the top submissions because of the quality of storytelling, the partnerships, the way the library, the schools, the universities and the local waterways organizations were able to come together to not only host the exhibit but create a unique exhibit that tells the story of the Wabash Valley," said Keira Amstutz, president of Indiana Humanities. "This was very, very competitive."

According to Michael Shaw, president of RiverSCAPE, his was the only organization to host the exhibit that didn't have a full-time staff. "This is a volunteer-led effort, so for Indiana Humanites to put that trust in us that we could pull this off means a lot to us," he said. "It's a world-class exhibit that could go anywhere."

"I'm actually excited to hear that, but also I'm not surprised by the power of volunteers," Amstutz said. "It's that dedication that brings it all together. What a lucky community to have group that is as accomplished as this group of volunteers."

"Water/Ways" is a comprehensive exhibit on the history, culture and essential qualities of water, with themes like "Finding comfort and purpose in water." In addition to the Smithsonian contribution, RiverSCAPE created a companion exhibit, "Pearls of the Wabash," examining Vigo County's history with fresh-water mussels, and scheduled an extensive speaker series.

Larry Cassagne, a member of both West Terre Haute's town council and the RiverSCAPE board, said, "A lot of wonderful people really buckled down and got this thing here. I've always loved the Smithsonian for the quality of the work they do and it's an awesome thing for a town like West Terre Haute to get this."

Lorrie Heber, who is also on the board of RiverSCAPE, said, "The exhibit is really amazing. There are so many facets of water and how water impacts us as human beings, everything from spirituality and water and the rituals and ceremonies we have surrounding water."

She added, "The companion exhibit is also really a wonderful community localization of the impact of water here. How mussels reproduce is really a fascinating story in and of itself. This kind of exhibit is a full expression of what an organization like RiverSCAPE can do in a collaborative way to bring this kind of thing to the community."

Darby Guglielmetti, who attended the opening, was impressed by the exhibit's scope. "Things I read here I never knew," she said. "I didn't know you could do all that stuff with mussels."

The speakers series schedule at the west branch of the Vigo County Public Library, 125 N. Church St., is as follows:

—"Terre Haute and the Wabash River in the Late 19th Century," by Ivy Tech professor Allen Shotwell, today at 6 p.m.

—"Pearls of the Wabash," by Swope Art Museum executive director and RiverSCAPE member Fred Nation, Tuesday at noon.

—"Rehabilitating Streams to Reduce Non-Point Source Pollution in Stormwater Runoff," by Rose-Hulman professor Jennifer Mueller, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m.

—"What Can We Learn from Mussel Shells in the Wabash River?", by Indiana State University professors Jim Speer and Hilary Howard, Nov. 30 at 6 p.m.

—"A Shell of Indiana's Rivers: Using the Current Status of Freshwater Mussels to Tell Us about Our Environment's Past, Present and Future," by Cassie Hauswald of the Nature Conservancy in Indiana, Dec. 1 at noon.

—"Conservation Strategies for Indiana's Freshwater Mussels," by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources' Brant Fisher, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m.

—"Waters of the Wabash: Adventures Along Indiana's Famous River," by ISU students Kathryn Mudica and Katelynn Rosiniak, Dec. 7 at noon.

—"A Biosand Filter Demonstrator: An Off-Grid Method to Make Surface Water Safer for Drinking," by Rose-Hulman professor Wayne Padgett, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m.

—"The Sisters of Providence St. Anne Shell Chapel," by Sister of Providence Janet Gilligan, Dec. 13 at 1 p.m.

—"Miami Indians and Their Connection to the River," by Diane Hunter of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m.

—"There is Always a River," by Rose-Hulman professor Mike Kukral, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m.

—"A Brief History of the Wabash River in the Life of Terre Haute," by ISU professor Dan Clark, Dec. 15 at noon.

—"Birds of the Wabash River: Eagles, Egrets and Warblers," by Peter Scott of the Wabash Valley Audubon Society, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.

—"Removal of Stormwater Pollutants Using Constructed, Treatment Wetlands," by Rose-Hulman professor Michelle Marincel Payne, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m.

The exhibit runs at at 501 W. Olive from November 20 through January 2 and will be open Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday- Sunday from noon-3 p.m. Masks are required despite one's vaccination status.

David Kronke can be reached at 812-231-4232 or at david.kronke@tribstar.com.