Smithsonian’s traveling, interactive exhibit ‘H2O Today’ opens in Cedar City, ponders water crisis

Written by Alysha Lundgren
March 10, 2022

CEDAR CITY — What is the future of water in Southern Utah? It is this question, among others concerning humanity’s vital connection to water, that serves as the catalyst for Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit “H2O Today,” now open in Cedar City.

Visitors explore the “H2O Today” exhibit at Frontier Homestead State Park, Cedar City, Utah, March 4, 2022 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News

Hosted by Homestead Frontier State Park, the exhibit offers events and activities that are designed to strengthen the community’s connection to both local and statewide water narratives, Giana Julander said in a press release issued by Utah Humanities.

Julander, who serves as park manager for Frontier Homestead State Park, said they felt honored to host the exhibit and were excited to “deeply explore the topic” of a critical resource.

As visitors explored the exhibit on Friday, many clustered around a display featuring a microscope to get a close-up look at aquatic microorganisms. In another area, they used an interactive display to explore water-themed information and history.

Utah Humanities and the Smithsonian Institution collaborated to create “H2o Today,” as part of Utah Humanities’ “Think Water Utah” project. They adapted it from a national exhibit by the American Museum of Natural History.

Before arriving in Cedar City, where it will stay until May 31, the exhibit traveled to West Valley City, Vernal and the Bear River Heritage Area. During that time, Frontier Homestead State Park has organized multiple events, including “Wonder Wednesdays,” where local children can participate in water-themed activities.

Every Tuesday, families can also attend storytime at the state park, said Julander. In addition, they’ve been working with Iron County School District to provide educational content for visiting classes.

Children wrote their water stories on dry erase boards at the “H2O Today” exhibit at Frontier Homestead State Park, Cedar City, Utah, March 4, 2022 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News

“We do a lot of field trips with the local school district, and we have a bunch of those booked. And so we’re really excited to be able to work it into our field trip curriculum,” Julander said.

Children visiting the exhibit or attending events will have opportunities to paint with watercolors and learn about gold panning and irrigation.

Children’s paintings and “water stories,” written on dry erase boards, were added to the exhibit to share with other visitors. In one story, a child mentioned the first time they went surfing with their dad. Another child said water can help so humans “don’t dry up.”

The park received support creating activities from the Iron County Historical Society, Utah State University Extention, Southern Utah University’s Women and Gender Studies Program, and the Iron County Water Conservancy District.

Julander said she hopes the exhibit can start conversations and bring people together to solve water-related problems.

“I hope that it opens communication for people because water is a huge topic right now, especially in Southern Utah and across the world,” Julander said. “And we’re all really divided about what that means and what we should do. And I hope that this helps us realize that it’s a shared problem and a shared story and we have more common ground than opposition.”

On Friday, Julander joined Utah Humanities’ executive director Jodi Graham and Cedar City Mayor Garth Green for the exhibit’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.

In her speech, Graham said that the public programming provided alongside the exhibit is where “the magic happens,” and is an opportunity to be a part of the community.

Cedar City Mayor Garth Green with Utah Humanities’ executive director, Jodi Graham at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for “H2O Today” at Frontier Homestead State Park, Cedar City, Utah, March 4, 2022 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News

“Sometimes they get their hands dirty, sometimes they get their hands wet, but really interact with the content and the whole idea and the whole topic of water and what water means, especially to us here in Utah,” she said.

Graham later shared what she hopes visitors gain from “H2O Today.”

“Starting the conversation, knowing that, you know, it is a critical situation that we’re in but if we’re aware of it, we can maybe do something about it,” she said.

Graham noted that the exhibit would not have been possible without multiple sources of funding. 

“This project has received a lot of support. Some of it’s public, some of it’s private, some of it’s corporate and some of it is nonprofit,” she said.

Mayor Green described the exhibit as “stark” and “poignant” and said it is important to be conscious of the problem.

“There is certainly a message that needs to come from (the exhibit) and we’re impacted by that in Cedar City,” he said.

Green discussed his plan to find new water sources, such as Cedar City’s Coal Creek, and map the underground aquifers to find a “cure” to Southern Utah’s water crisis.

“You’re going to be hearing a lot about that. You’re here to study a little bit about water. I thought it might be helpful if you know what we’re facing in our valley. We’re dry and they say we overuse, we overdraw our water supplies and we must fix that.”

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alysha Lundgren joined the St. George News team in 2022. She began her career as a freelancer, writing resource articles for families of children with disabilities. She's also covered topics such as astronomy, recreation and nature. Originally from Nevada, Alysha fell in love with Utah quickly after moving to Cedar City. In her free time, she enjoys wandering and photographing Utah's gorgeous landscapes or hunkering down in a blanket to play video games or read a good book.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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