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Bring a Smithsonian Exhibit to Your Town!

Florida Humanities is now accepting applications from communities to participate in a 2026-2027 statewide tour of “Americans,” a compelling new traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street program. “Americans” offers visitors a chance to explore the presentation and representation of American Indians in broader American culture. It challenges visitors to reconsider their perceptions and consider how Native American imagery and names are woven into the fabric of our nation.

These representations shape what many think and know about American Indians, however, much of the imagery does not reflect the richness and diversity of Native Nations. “Americans” shows that links to Indian culture and history are everywhere and impact us all. The exhibition serves as an essential step towards understanding our history and our shared future, especially as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.

“Americans” was developed by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and adapted for travel by Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and state humanities councils across the country. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.

Josie Billie family and dog - Big Cypress Swamp
Josie Billie family and dog – Big Cypress Swamp. Photo by Small, John Kunkel, 1869-1938 Courtesy of Florida Memory
Sample Exhibit Sections

Eligibility and Venue Requirements

Florida Humanities will select five communities to host the exhibit and provide grant funding for the development of public humanities programs and local exhibits that highlight their own connections to Native American culture. “Americans” will tour Florida from August 2026 to June 2027 with each community hosting the exhibit for up to eight weeks each.

Applications will be accepted from Florida-based nonprofit organizations, state or local governments or one of their agencies, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. Funding priority will be given to:

  • Organizations located in a Rural Area of Opportunity (RAO) or an economically distressed community
  • Communities with a population size less than 25,000
  • Small to mid-sized organizations with an annual operating budget of less than $500,000
  • First time applicants and those who have never received funding from Florida Humanities
  • Projects that reach new or underserved audiences. Underserved audiences can be defined as those whose access to the humanities is limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, and/or disability.
  • Projects that build on partnerships between two or more organizations or institutions
  • A final selection of sites that collectively represent a broad geographic reach statewide

All venues must:

  • Be open to the public a minimum of 20 hours per week
  • Provide a minimum of 750 square feet of available exhibition space, minimum of 8’ ceiling height clearance, and have easy access to electricity
  • Be ADA compliant

Applicants may request up to $10,000 to support the design and implementation of public humanities programming and/ or local exhibitions that complement the themes in the “Americans” exhibit. Public programs should be designed for a broad general public audience and may be presented in-person or virtually. Programming may occur before, during, or after the exhibition is hosted locally. Local exhibitions should examine themes in the Smithsonian exhibit from the perspective of American Indian culture in the local community.

Exhibition Components and Resources

“Americans” consists of six easy-to-assemble, free-standing kiosks with many dynamic features including historical and contemporary photos; reproductions of historical objects; exhibit curator videos and content accessible by QR codes; touchscreens with games and other digital experiences; and an interactive station for visitors to share their thoughts and comments on the exhibit. The exhibit also includes one free-standing sponsor recognition banner and a multi-colored outdoor banner.

Florida Humanities and the Smithsonian provide the following resources to each host site:

  • A program workshop to discuss programming, publicity, fundraising and technical assistance
  • A hands-on workshop to learn how to install the exhibit
  • Full-color promotional materials including posters and postcards
  • Exhibition support manual
  • Exhibition docent guide
  • Downloadable educational resources

Florida Humanities is responsible for all Smithsonian site participation fees and shipping expenses for the statewide tour.

Looking for Helpful Resources?

To learn more about Florida’s Native Americans, we recommend you visit the following websites:

Learn more about the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian including current exhibitions, collections, and educational resources here or take a virtual tour of the national “Americans” exhibit.

Questions?
Contact us.

Patricia Putman
Associate Director
pputman@flahum.org

Steps to Apply

1

Read the Guidelines

Download and thoroughly review the grant guidelines for more information about the Museum on Main Street
program including eligibility, funding priorities, and venue requirements.

Download Guidelines
2

Submit a Letter of Interest

The deadline for this application has passed. Please stay tuned for future deadlines.

3

Submit Final Application

The deadline for this application has passed. Please stay tuned for future deadlines.

Funding for “Americans” in Florida is provided in part by the Federation of State Humanities Councils with support from the Mellon Foundation. Exhibit and program support is provided in cooperation with Florida State University’s Native American and Indigenous Studies Center.

Smithsonian InstituteFSU Native American and Indigenous Studies CenterFederation of State Humanities Councils and Mellon Foundation

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