Smithsonian Spark! Innovation Exhibit Arrives at Yuma Art Center Feb. 20

The Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibition "Spark! Places of Innovation" will arrive at the Yuma Art Center, offering a free, interactive exploration of how communities create new ideas. The City of Yuma’s Arts & Culture Division announced the show will be on view from Feb. 20 through March 28, 2026, with an opening reception scheduled Feb. 20 from 6–8 p.m.

The exhibition, produced by the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center, features panels, audio components, multiple video monitors, mechanical interactives, object cases, a hands-on flipbook and a "Citizen Innovation" game designed to prompt conversation about local innovation. Spanish translations will be available digitally and in print, a step that reduces language barriers for Yuma County’s Spanish-speaking residents and supports broader community access.

A companion exhibit at the Yuma Art Center will focus on agricultural innovation, reflecting Yuma’s role as a major agricultural hub in the region. The companion show aims to connect the Smithsonian’s national narrative about invention and place with local examples from farms, packing houses and the Valley’s year-round growing season. The City invited local artists to participate through a related call to artists, creating opportunities for neighborhood creators to link their work to regional themes of ingenuity and resilience.

Free admission and bilingual materials make the exhibition a practical civic resource for families, educators and workers who may face cost or language barriers to cultural programming. Arts engagement has been associated with community cohesion and mental well-being, and the interactivity of the exhibit offers hands-on learning for school groups and young people considering careers tied to agriculture, engineering or applied technology. The "Citizen Innovation" game in particular is designed to surface residents’ priorities and can spark discussion among community leaders, educators and employers about workforce needs and equitable opportunity.

The City’s presentation of a nationally recognized exhibition creates an occasion for public conversation about how place, people and circumstance shape opportunity in Yuma. Local nonprofit organizations, school districts and agricultural employers may find the exhibit useful for outreach and informal learning, while artists and small cultural organizations gain visibility through the call to artists.

Visitors should plan for the opening reception Feb. 20 from 6–8 p.m. and regular gallery hours through March 28. For Yuma residents, the Smithsonian exhibit is more than a museum show; it is a platform to surface local stories of invention, identify gaps in access and imagine how community-driven ideas can support healthier, more equitable futures in the Valley.