Maryland Humanities is thrilled to kick off the Maryland tour of Spark! Places of Innovation at the Garrett County Museum of Transportation on July 5! The traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution highlights innovation in rural communities.
The Garrett County Historical Society, which runs the transportation museum, serves as the host partner for the tour’s second stop. The historical society will collaborate with local organizations to create public programming around the Smithsonian exhibition’s themes and ideas from a regional standpoint.
The exhibition tours the state through Maryland Humanities’ Museum on Main Street program, a collaboration with Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). SITES teams up with state humanities councils like Maryland Humanities to bring high-quality Smithsonian traveling exhibitions to museums, historical societies, and other small-town cultural venues across the country.
“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.”
Spark!—the ninth Museum on Main Street (MoMS) project brought to the state by Maryland Humanities—will remain on view in Oakland through August 17 before it heads to four other locations.
“This opportunity is a tremendous honor and an invaluable opportunity for the community,” says Karen White, Curator at Garrett County Historical Society.
Host partners create at least one additional, companion exhibit and develop public programs to complement the Smithsonian’s exhibition and highlight their own region’s story. Garrett County Historical Society’s companion exhibit, Innovation Destinations, highlights and encourages Marylanders to visit locations that White says “exemplify innovations” in the region.
Innovation Destinations includes sites such as Meadow Mountain Hemp, a hemp farm in the Appalachian Mountains; FireFly Farms, a group of cheese producers with a focus on sustainable farming; and the Discovery Center at Deep Creek State Park, which showcases Western Maryland’s natural resources and historical heritage in a hands-on experience for visitors of all ages.
Innovation Destinations also features (and receives support from) Backbone Food Farm; Deep Creek Lavender Farm; sailboat manufacturer Flying Scot; Mountain Lake Park Historical Association; glassblowing company Simon Pearce; and the Towns of Friendsville, Grantsville, Kitzmiller, and Oakland.
Maryland Public Television is the Media Sponsor for the tour of Spark! in Maryland. Garrett County Historical Society’s partners include Garrett County Arts and Entertainment, Garrett County Chamber of Commerce, Garrett County Ruth Enlow Libraries, Greater Oakland Business Association (GOBA), Maryland Heritage Area Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West, Mountain Lake Park Historical Association, and the Town of Oakland.
Spark! and Innovation Destinations run July 5–August 17, 2025, on the Second Floor of the Garrett County Museum of Transportation, located at 108 East Liberty Street in Oakland, Maryland.
The exhibition will be on view Wednesdays through Saturdays, 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Visitors can also make appointments for individual or group tours. Learn more on Maryland Humanities’ website. For more information, contact Robert Forloney, Program Officer, Partnerships, at Maryland Humanities at rforloney@mdhumanities.org or (410) 463-2293. To schedule a tour, contact Garrett County Historical Society at gchsmuseums@gmail.com or (301) 334-3226.
The full tour schedule for Spark! in Maryland:
