SVEDC to talk Smithsonian exhibit, revitalization at next Uptown Social

The Silver Valley Economic Development Corporation is planning to host its second Uptown Social Hour next week, as part of its larger Uplift Kellogg project.

SVEDC Executive Director Paige Olsen explains that the social on Dec. 8 is designed to bring people together and talk about the many ways that the historic district can be revitalized.

“We’re trying to rally the troops and get some people that actually want to be a part of everything that we are doing,” she said.

One of the many items on the agenda at the social will be planning for an upcoming exhibit that is planned to be coming through Uptown Kellogg next summer.

After SVEDC applied for a grant through the Idaho Humanities Council in April, Kellogg was selected to host the Smithsonian Institute’s “Spark! Places of Innovation” traveling exhibit from mid-July to mid-August 2023.

“Quite a few people applied and we were one of six in the state to be chosen,” Olsen said.

Provided by the Institute's Museum on Main Street service that provides access to the Smithsonian for small-town America, the exhibit will show displays and talks on how other towns across the country changed themselves through innovation and community outreach.

“Spark! Places of Innovation explores the unique combination of places, people, and circumstances that sparks innovation and invention in rural communities,” their website states. “Inspired by an exhibition by the National Museum of American History, the exhibition features stories gathered from diverse communities across the nation. Photographs, engaging interactives, objects, videos, and augmented reality bring a multilayered experience to reveal the leaders, challenges, successes, and future of innovation in each town.”

The grant that SVEDC was awarded covers the cost of the exhibit, plus $1,500 to market it.

“That’s the whole goal of everything we are trying to do with the Uptown Kellogg district, innovate and revitalize,” Olsen said. “So it actually ties in really well with our goals.”

Hosted at 125 McKinley Ave. in Kellogg, Olsen is hopeful that she can bring other events to Uptown Kellogg while the exhibit is in town, such as the popular Music in the Park series.

“What we are hoping is that it’s going to spark some interest and start those conversations.”

The Dec. 8 uptown social hour will also be held at 125 McKinley Ave. in Kellogg and will start at 5:30 p.m. Olsen is looking to make their socials a quarterly event in the future.

For more information, contact Olsen at 208-352-6239 or email director@silvervalleyedc.com.