| Downtown Kerrville, Texas AUSTIN, Texas — The Smithsonian Institution and the Texas Historical Commission congratulate the six rural Texas communities selected to host the national traveling exhibition “Spark! Places of Innovation,” part of the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street program. The 2026–27 Texas tour will travel to Kerrville, Alpine, Taylor, Snyder, Brackettville, and Atlanta, bringing a national exhibition with locally developed programming exploring the places, people, and circumstances that spark creativity and invention in rural communities. Featuring stories from more than 30 rural communities across the nation, the exhibition examines how innovation takes shape through social, cultural, artistic, and technological change. Kerrville is the first stop on the six-city Texas tour. The city’s Kerr Arts and Cultural Center (228 Earl Garrett St) will host the exhibition May 16 through June 28. Admission is free, and the exhibition will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Saturday. The exhibition is closed on Sundays. During its time in Kerrville, the Smithsonian exhibition will be presented alongside the local companion exhibition, “Kerrville: Small Town with Big Ideas,” which highlights the people, industries, and creative spirit that have shaped the community’s history and development. Opening day on May 16 will include a public launch event from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at the Kerr Arts and Cultural Center. About the Texas Historical Commission The Texas Historical Commission is the state’s official historic preservation agency. It preserves, operates, and manages 42 state historic sites, the Texas Heritage Trails Program, Texas Main Street Program, Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, and many more heritage tourism and historic preservation initiatives across the state. The Texas Historical Commission’s mission is to protect and preserve the state’s historic and prehistoric resources for the use, education, enjoyment, and economic benefit of present and future generations. For more information, visit thc.texas.gov. |
