Art News

Smithsonian Music Exhibit on 5-State Tour

ASBURY PARK, NJ (AP).- The Smithsonian hears America singing, playing instruments and telling its history through music. The Washington cultural institution’s New Harmonies program will feature this musical history with a traveling exhibit in five states — Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, Ohio and South Carolina. Communities in those states will host performances and other events in conjunction with the exhibit. The program, which is part of the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street project, showcases some of America’s “richest stories,” says Carol Harsh, director of Main Street. “There’s a lot of fine music in this country; you kind of take it for granted,” says South Carolina’s John Fowler, an Appalachian storyteller, musician and radio host. “New Harmonies is a great snapshot.” Venues in the five states include libraries, historical societies and performance spaces in towns, rural areas and small cities, with the first programs scheduled for Asbury Park, N.J. The sites host