BALTIMORE — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore will be the final stop in 2026 of a statewide Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition of Spark! Places of Inspiration, highlighting innovation in rural America from the perspective of the people who live there.

With support of Maryland Humanities, the exhibit opens May 17, 2025 at the College of Southern Maryland in Charles County, then heads to the Garrett County Historical Society in July, the Capt. Avery Museum in Anne Arundel County in August, the Accokeek Foundation in Prince George’s County in October, the Kennard Alumni Association in Queen Anne’s County in November and finally UMES from Jan. 17 through March 1, 2026.

Photographs, interactive features, objects, videos, and augmented reality will be used to bring a multilayered experience to explore technical, social, cultural, or artistic innovation.

Each host partner creates its own exhibit to complement the Smithsonian’s exhibition and highlights their own region’s story for a free, six-week show. Spark! will be the springboard for diverse local programming in the humanities, sciences, and the arts. This exhibition will be an opportunity for community members to come together in conversation around their community’s history, present, and future with innovation.

 Spark! is the ninth Museum on Main Street (MoMS) project brought to small communities throughout the state by Maryland Humanities. The last local exhibit was "Water|Ways" hosted at the J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum in Crisfield in 2020. It was accompanied by "Lost Treasures of the Chesapeake" which featured Holland Island and the region's decommissioned lighthouses.

“The value of Museum on Main Street is how far-reaching it is to a wide variety of Maryland communities,” says Lindsey Baker, CEO of Maryland Humanities. “I’m looking forward to seeing how our partners show off their region’s innovation, as well as seeing the long-term effects of how hosting the exhibition will help grow their organizational capacity.”