Saturday event at CWU Museum pairs with new spring exhibit, ‘Sustenance’

Food brings people together. It also gives us strength and brings us comfort.

The CWU Museum of Culture and Environment is hosting a new spring exhibit now through June 10 called 'Sustenance: The Material Culture of Food.'

A new exhibit this spring at the Central Washington University Museum of Culture and Environment (MCE)-Sustenance: The Material Culture of Food-showcases artifacts from around the world that explore the human connection with food, both past and present.

Along with the exhibit, the MCE is hosting a collaborative community event called "Plants to Plates" on Saturday, April 22. The event, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the CWU Greenhouse, will feature activities and tours throughout the day.

Visitors will have a chance to tour the greenhouse to see a variety of plants from around the world, such as bananas and papaya, and also view the exhibit collection items, including a jar from Oaxaca that was used to roast peanuts and a large basket from Ethiopia, called a "mesob."

Sustenance features the material culture from the MCE's own collection of artifacts that share how people acquire, prepare, and eat food from different cultures around the globe.

Each item tells its own unique story of how it was used and gives us clues about the people who used them-and some of them are still being used today. Beyond just food, Sustenance tells the stories of how people's eating habits shaped their lives.

"It was a good chance to see what these objects were used for, where they were from, and if they were ceremonial or for everyday use," said Paxton MacNaughton, a museum studies student intern who was involved in the research for the exhibit.

The artifacts themselves are maintained by the museum and are part of the permanent collection housed at the MCE. The museum studies program gives students an opportunity to intern and learn how to care for the items. They also get a chance to be involved with exhibits such as Sustenance.

Sustenance: The Material Culture of Food will be on display through June 10. Admission is free. The MCE is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is located in Dean Hall on the CWU Ellensburg campus, 1200 Wildcat Way. Parking is free Saturdays and after 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

To learn more about the MCE, including current exhibits and upcoming events, email museum@cwu.edu, call 509-963-2313, or visit their Facebook and Instagram pages, @cwumuseum.