Maryland Humanities is thrilled to kick off the Maryland tour of SPARK! Places of Innovation at the Kennard African American Cultural Heritage Center on November 29! The exhibition highlights innovation in rural communities. The Kennard African American Cultural Heritage Center (KAACHC) serves as the host for the tour’s fifth stop, in collaboration 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 with state humanities councils, such as Maryland Humanities, to bring high-quality Smithsonian traveling exhibitions to museums, historical societies, and other small-town cultural venues across the country.
Clayton Washington, President of Kennard Alumni Association, says: “Kennard’s mission has always been to share the history and culture of the African American Community. The SPARK! exhibit will allow us to share our story of how we used hard work and invention to help make Queen Anne’s County the ‘place of innovation’ that Kennard’s exhibits will portray. What makes Kennard special is our central location in the area and the fact that we’ve done this before, having brought local organizations together to tell their stories of our shared experiences.
“We’re proud to partner with the Kennard African American Cultural Heritage Center to celebrate the spirit of innovation that thrives in rural American communities,” says Lindsey Baker, Chief Executive Officer of Maryland Humanities. “SPARK! showcases how creativity and collaboration have shaped our history and how they continue to drive us forward today.” SPARK! The ninth Museum on Main Street (MoMS) project brought to the state by Maryland Humanities—will remain on view in Centreville, Maryland, through January 11, 2026 before it heads to its final location on the tour.
Host partners create at least one additional companion exhibit and develop public programs to complement the Smithsonian’s exhibition, highlighting their own region’s story. Kennard’s companion exhibit features the Evolution of Maryland’s Black Waterman.
Tara Coursey, Executive Director of KAACHC, calls the opportunity to host SPARK! “a great way to tell stories across the entire county as it pertains to innovation. Kennard is capitalizing on the legacy of Black Waterman past, present, and future to highlight and expound on their contributions in and around the region.”
Maryland Public Television is the Media Sponsor for the tour of SPARK! in Maryland. Kennard African American Cultural Heritage Center partners include Queen Anne’s County Arts Council, Queen Anne’s County Government, Maryland State Arts Council, Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area, Queen Anne’s County Economic and Tourism Development, and Queen Anne’s Public Library.
SPARK! runs November 29–January 11, 2026, at Kennard African American Cultural Heritage Center. KAACHC is located at 410 Little Kidwell Ave in Centreville, Maryland. The exhibition will be on view Thursdays and Fridays, 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. (The exhibition will be closed for holidays.) Learn more on Maryland Humanities' website or www.kennardheritage.org.