COLUMBIA — The Humanities Council, SC, announced this week that Pickens County will be one of twelve state hosts of the Smithsonian exhibit “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music,” which will tour the country during 2011 and 2012.

The exhibit explores American’s creative expression through music – music known as blues, country western, folk ballads and gospel.

The Birchwood Center for Arts and Folklife, with the help of Southern Wesleyan University and the Pickens County Museum, will host the show in Pickens County.

Dot Jackson, who heads up the Birchwood Center, said an exact date has not been set yet, but she expects a fall or spring show.

The project is made possible in South Carolina through “Museum on Main Street,” a partnership of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit Services and state humanities councils nationwide, according to Dr. Curtis Rogers with the S.C. State Library.

The council offered an application opportunity to small museums, arts centers, libraries and other community venues in South Carolina cities of 20,000 or fewer residents to host the exhibit, he said.

“The response was enormous,” Rogers said.

Along with Pickens County, the exhibit will also travel to Allendale, Beaufort, Hartsville, Gaffney, Walterboro, Winnsboro, Conway, Landrum, Laurens, York and Walhalla.

Here, the show will be exhibited at Southern Wesleyan University.

For more information, about New Harmonies, contact T.J. Wallace at (803) 771-2477.