This article originally appeared in The Times.
In anticipation of the upcoming Smithsonian exhibition “The Way We Worked,” the Canal Corridor Association is hosting the photography contest “Where We Work in La Salle County.”
Open to all La Salle County residents and workplaces, photographs entered should capture the different work environments in La Salle County. Participants are encouraged to be as creative as possible.
“The Way We Worked” will explore how work became a central element in American culture. The exhibition will be at the Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum from Friday, April 13, through Thursday, May 24. The Canal Corridor Association has coordinated three local exhibits and 18 programs exploring the work history of La Salle County.
“We are delighted to be bringing the Smithsonian Exhibit and related local programs to the Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor,” said Ana Koval, president of the Canal Corridor Association. “The ‘work’ of La Salle County past and present, contributes to the larger work history of the Corridor. The Smithsonian exhibition provides a unique opportunity to tell these important local work stories of the Illinois Valley.”
All entries will be on display at the Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum during the exhibition and all participants will receive free admission. Winning entries will be selected in the following categories: the most unique workplace, having fun at work, the job that’s changed the most in the last 100 years, the job that has changed the least in the last 100 years and judges’ choice. All entries should be mailed with a completed registration form and photo release form to the Canal Corridor Association by Friday, March 23.
Entries should include the name of the business, organization or company participating, an address and phone number, a 5-by 7-inch or larger photograph of participants holding “The Way We Work in La Salle County” sign. For more information about the photo contest, visit iandmcanal.wordpress.com or call 815-223-1851.
“The Way We Worked,” an exhibition created by the National Archives, is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and State Humanities Councils nationwide. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the U.S. Congress.
“The Way We Worked” has been made possible in La Salle County by the Illinois Humanities Council, the Canal Corridor Association, the local coordinating entity for the Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor and the Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum.