June 5, 2023 – Leonardtown, Md. – St. Mary’s County Library, in partnership with St. Mary’s College of Maryland, St. Mary’s County Museum Division, Historic Sotterley, and Historic St. Mary’s City, is pleased to announce the World on the Move: 250,000 Years of Human Migration exhibit will be on display at the Lexington Park Library from July 21 to August 22, 2025. This groundbreaking exhibit, developed by the American Anthropological Association in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, aims to change the public conversation about migration and displacement by presenting it as a shared human experience that connects us all.
Fifteen public libraries were selected through a competitive application process to host the exhibit for a five-or six-week period from March 2023 through August 2025. The St. Mary’s County Library was selected to host as the closing location of the traveling exhibit.
The exhibit explores the complexity and diversity of migration stories throughout human history, helping visitors distinguish what is truly new about contemporary migration from what has remained constant over tens of thousands of years. By presenting case studies from around the world, World on the Move encourages visitors to feel safe discussing migration issues, share their own family’s migration stories, and gain greater empathy towards migrants in their communities and elsewhere.
In addition to the exhibit at Lexington Park Library, programs will be held at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, St. Mary’s County Museums, Historic Sotterley, and Historic St. Mary’s City. Programs will focus on our County’s history from the First Americans through the present. The impact of human migration in St. Mary’s is complex, and programs and events will explore the archeology, historic narrative, and personal testimonies.
The American Anthropological Association, the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Smithsonian Exhibitions, Ravenswood Studios, and the American Library Association’s Public Programs Office have all collaborated to bring this important and timely exhibit to communities across the country.
More information about the exhibit and accompanying programs and events will be announced in late 2024. For more information, please contact Michael Blackwell, St. Mary’s County Library Director at 301-475-2151 or mblackwell@stmalib.org.
