American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music

Salsa. Mambo. Rumba. Cha-cha-chá. This is the story of Latin music! With bilingual text panels, striking graphics and photographs, listening stations, compelling films, and musical instruments, the show celebrates the true flavor, or “sabor,” of Latin music in the United States. The exhibition focuses on five major centers of Latino popular music production in the years after World War II: New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, San Antonio, and San Francisco—which represent the remarkable diversity of this music. Each city section explores the broader histories and cultures that created the music emerging from those areas.

• Approximately 7 free standing units with graphics, photographs, and text; listening stations; 15-min. and 25 min. documentary videos (venue provides equipment); musical instruments; and instructions to create an exhibition dance area
• 2,500 running feet, est.
• $3,500 per 12-week booking period, plus prorated shipping
• Tour through: 2015

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The Evolving Universe

Featuring amazing photographs of our galaxy and deep space, this exhbition explores how Smithsonian scientists and others study and understand the far reaches of space and the history of the universe. The Evolving Universe will serve as a primer on modern cosmology for general audiences, with special attention to the questions of middle-school students and visitors with interests in the technology used to gather astronomical information. The exhibition will answer questions such as "What is a Weird (or Normal) galaxy?", "How do we know that stars created the elements?", and "How do we measure distant objects in space?" The national tour will begin on October 12, 2013, National Astronomy Day.

• 27 large-scale images, eight light boxes, introductory video, text panels, vinyl wall text
• 180 running feet, est.
• Moderate security
• $7,000 per 10-week booking period
• Tour begins: October 12, 2013

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Mail Call



A new exhibition organized with the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum, Mail Call tells the fascinating story of military mail and communication—from the American Revolution to current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. From the earliest handwritten letters that took months to deliver, to today’s instant communication via email or the Internet, the exhibition presents the changing look and format of mail pieces through the decades.

• 5-6 freestanding units with reproductions of photographs, illustrations, documents, text panels; vitrines containing objects and audio stations
• Limited security
• Tour begins: 2012

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Ramp it Up: Skateboard Culture in Native America

Ramp It Up, created by the National Museum of the American Indian, reveals the rich underground world of skateboarding in Native American culture. The sport combines demanding physical exertion with design, graphic art, filmmaking, and music. Host venues can create exciting complementary programs, such as skateboarding demonstrations or film screenings, which are sure to draw large young audiences.

• Approximately 28 objects, text and graphic panels, contemporary and archival photographs
• Moderate security
• Tour begins: April 2012

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Sweet and Sour: Chinese Food from Chinatown to Main Street

This a visually exciting, revealing look at the cuisine and cultural traditions brought to America by the earliest Chinese immigrants to America’s west coast, and the ensuing popularization of Chinese food all across the country, from tiny hamlets to major urban centers. The exhibition also reveals some of the intriguing things people might not know about Chinese food culture and its place in American history.

• Objects (including neon signs), photographs, ephemera, text and graphic panels
• Moderate security
• Tour begins: Late 2012

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Where's the Fire?  A Journey Through American Firefighting

Journey through the history of firefighting in America! This exhibition will explore firefighting from the American Revolution through the late 19th Century through a variety of remarkable objects from the collections of the National Museum of American History. Highlighting an impressive collection of model fire trucks, the exhibition will also include historic firefighting equipment: buckets, helmets, trumpets, parade hats, and more. Learn what role firemen – from early volunteer firefighters to members in the first municipal fire departments – played in civic, social, and political life, as well as how major historical fires like the Chicago Fire of 1871 reflect the successes, limitations, and innovations of firefighting at the time.

• Approximately 75 objects, featuring model fire trucks and firefighting equipment including helmets, buckets, trumpets, tools, and parade hats
• Approximately 3,000-3,500 square feet
• Tour begins: Fall 2013

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