By Jessica Klausing Staff Writer Jklausi1@my.westga.edu

"Food at the Center of Everything," is an exhibit that explores the connections between Georgians and the food they have traditionally produced and prepared at meals. Presented by Ann McCleary, director of the UWG Public History, and history graduate students Kristina Hartmann and Katherine Hicks, the event was in the Ingram Library on April 14.

The Georgia Humanities Council selected McCleary to be the state scholar for the Georgia tour of the Smithsonian Institutions traveling exhibit which opened last June at the Vienna Historical Preservation Society. Previously featured in Dahlonega, the presentation is scheduled to move to Kingsland on May 2 until June 14.

The event started at noon, but people arrived early to sample of some of the treats that would be featured in the exhibit. Hicks' mother prepared the delicious homemade sweets and sweet tea.

"This was an incredible opportunity to travel in Georgia and gain a greater perspective of the agricultural history," said McCleary.

McCleary, Hartmann and Hicks visited local diners and interviewed West Georgia residents to document family baking traditions.

"Food was the center of everything," said McCleary. "Food brings back memories and people like to eat, which becomes an easy conversation to gain public interest in sharing family tradition stories."

Local residents reminisced about old time favorites such as chicken, cornbread, pork, vegetables, biscuits and, of course, sweet iced tea - "The Champagne of the South."

The show not only follows old-fashioned recipes, but also provides insights on Georgian butchering rituals. The southern diet was built around butchering for many rural families and this is one of many topics discussed within the exhibit.

Despite the evolution of methods and ingredients, one thing people will learn from the presentation is the roots of the traditional recipes have remained the same.

"I thought the event was really entertaining and the food was good," said freshman Lyndsay Bowen. "It brought back childhood memories in the south."

All twelve communities involved with the exhibit were expected to collect the stories for a state catalog. The state catalog, "Food, Family and Community: A Collection of Georgia Memories," will accompany the Smithsonian exhibit.

The "Food at the Center of Everything" will be available for display in libraries, schools, senior centers, and churches across Georgia from June 28, 2008 until February 14, 2010. Along with the traveling exhibit, the UWG Public History staff has created public programs for bakers of all ages to get the community involved with the project and the institutions that host the exhibit.

For information about the Smithsonian traveling exhibit, additional information about the food research, traditional food recipes, food heritage festivals in Georgia and more, visit www.gafoodtour.org.

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