Forks in the Road: Food, Wine and the American Table

Forks in the Road, COPIA's centerpiece exhibition examines contemporary culture through shared expectations of food and drink. The exhibition offers a lively menu of interactive experiences, each featuring a different aspect of American food culture.

Guests are greeted by a wall of copper pots from the kitchen of America's beloved Julia Child, and conclude their visit with scenes from major motion pictures that reveal the most important ingredient in any meal. In between, visitors can test and expand their knowledge, share personal food and wine memories, and delight in "playing with their food."

The exhibition is divided into the following parts:

Ancient Alchemy: Explore the universal elements of food and drink that are shared by humans everywhere: domestication of plants and animals, cooking with fire, harnessing natural processes such as fermentation, and social eating.

Rooted in America: Discover the enormous impact of the exchange of foods between Old and New Worlds that revolutionized diets everywhere.

Food on Demand: Reflect on shared expectations of food—-immediate gratification; safety, reliability, and information; speed and convenience, and above all choice. Explore modern American culture: the infatuation with change, the influences of our immigrant backgrounds, and the impact of our individual tastes. Play interactive games and watch films while discovering "American" food.

Playing with your Food: Engage with a series of interactive stations throughout the exhibition that entertain and educate. Listen to classic food songs, test your sense of smell, view silent film clips and cartoons, guess at the use of mystery kitchen gadgets, and explore the special language of short-order cooks.

Soil and Spirit: Learn about the struggle and ultimately, the success, of the American winemaking industry. Explore the grape-growing industry in places as diverse as Texas, Ohio, Missouri and Oregon. An interactive exhibit displays labels from all 49 wine-growing states.

We Gather Together: Watch a funny and heartwarming compilation of scenes from major motion pictures that remind us that the most important ingredient in any meal are the people we share it with.

Leave a bit of yourself behind with our three interactive booths. Are You What You Eat? and Feed Us Your Memories give visitors a chance to record personal food preferences and stories. Food for Thought presents current controversial topics and allows guests the opportunity to post their own reactions.

Forks in the Road was curated by COPIA's Exhibition Department. The installation was designed by West Office Exhibition Design.