INDIAN HEAD, Md. — Maryland Humanities will launch the Maryland tour of Spark! Places of Innovation, a Smithsonian traveling exhibition, at the College of Southern Maryland Velocity Center on May 17, 2025. The exhibition, highlighting innovation in rural communities, will run through June 29 before visiting five other Maryland locations. The Velocity Center and Life Journeys Writers Guild serve as host partners, collaborating with local organizations to present public programs that reflect regional innovation.
The Spark! exhibition is part of Maryland Humanities’ Museum on Main Street (MoMS) program, a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). This initiative brings Smithsonian exhibitions to small-town cultural venues across the U.S. through state humanities councils. “The value of Museum on Main Street is how far-reaching it is to a wide variety of Maryland communities,” said 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.”
The College of Southern Maryland Velocity Center, located at 4465 Indian Head Highway, will host the exhibition with hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. The venue will be closed on May 24, May 26, and June 19 for holidays. “The College of Southern Maryland is thrilled and honored to partner with the Smithsonian Institution to host the Spark! exhibition at CSM’s Velocity Center in Indian Head,” said Lesley Quattlebaum, Executive Director of the Velocity Center. “We serve a vibrant and multi-faceted student population and community that demonstrates a rich tapestry of perspectives and ideas that must be engaged in problem-solving, innovation and ideation to shape our ‘now,’ and our future.”
Life Journeys Writers Guild complements the exhibition with companion exhibits at the University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center, Waldorf Senior and Recreational Center, and St. Charles Towne Mall. These displays focus on innovative partnerships between the arts and healthcare. The guild will also host a six-part writing and mentoring workshop series and screen two short films highlighting Charles County’s first responders in healthcare and the Department of Public Works. “We’re doing what Mother Nature does, but we must do it in a shorter amount of time,” remarked a DPW employee tasked with maintaining safe water in Charles County.
Yvonne J. Medley, Executive Director of Life Journeys Writers Guild, described the guild’s involvement as “an opportunity to come true!” She added, “The Life Journeys Writers Guild has long awaited an opportunity to vividly and interactively showcase the creative self-expression and healing_INITIAL_VALUE healing powers of the literary arts—how the wealth and act of writing and sharing can break down barriers, build healthy relationships and communities, and how the fun of it all is accessible to everyone.”
Quattlebaum noted, “By hosting this Spark! exhibition, College of Southern Maryland will highlight how community colleges harness these strengths to drive economic growth and educational excellence as well as inspire and nurture future innovators and inventors.” Partners for the Indian Head stop include the Charles County Arts Alliance, Charles County Government, Maryland State Arts Council, Southern Maryland National Heritage Area, and University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center. Maryland Public Television serves as the media sponsor for the statewide tour.
The exhibition will visit Garrett County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, Queen Anne’s ?County, and Somerset County through March 2026. For more information, contact Robert Forloney at Maryland Humanities at rforloney@mdhumanities.org or 410-463-2293, or visit Maryland Humanities’ website.
The Spark! tour, the ninth MoMS project for Maryland Humanities, underscores the organization’s commitment to fostering cultural engagement in rural areas. The exhibition and its programs aim to inspire innovation and collaboration, leaving a lasting impact on host communities.
