The traveling Smithsonian exhibit Voices and Votes: Democracy in America will have its grand opening in South Carolina at the Williamsburgh Historical Society on Saturday, April 16th, 2022. The exhibition examines the nearly 250-year-old American experiment of a government “of, by and for the people,” and how each generation since continues to question how to form “a more perfect union.” The exhibit will be in Kingstree until Saturday, May 28, and several collateral programs and events will take place while the exhibit is on display. The tour of Voices and Votes is made possible in South Carolina by SC Humanities.
The Williamsburgh Historical Society and the surrounding community was chosen by SC Humanities through a competitive application process to host Voices and Votes as part of the Museum on Main Street program—a national/state/local partnership to bring exhibitions and programs to rural cultural organizations. The exhibition will tour six communities in South Carolina from April 2022 through January 2023; an itinerary of all six stops on the tour and more program details can be found at https://schumanities.org/voices-and-votes/.
Voices and Votes explores the action, reaction, vision and revision that democracy demands as Americans continue to question how to shape the country. From the revolution and suffrage, to civil rights and casting ballots, everyone in every community is part of this ever-evolving story—the story of democracy in America. Exhibition sections explore the origins of American democracy, the struggles to obtain and keep the vote, the machinery of democracy, the right to petition and protest beyond the ballot and the rights and responsibilities of citizens. Voices and Votes features historical and contemporary photos; educational and archival video; engaging multimedia interactives with short games; and historical objects like campaign souvenirs, voter memorabilia, and protest material.
The Voices and Votes exhibit is installed in the new African American history annex of the Williamsburgh Historical Society, next door to the Williamsburgh Historical Society Museum at 135 Hampton Avenue, Kingstree, SC 29556. It will be open the following days and hours from April 16 – May 28:
Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Open on the following Saturdays:
Saturday, April 16, 10 – 4
Saturday, April 30, 12 – 4
Saturday, May 7, 12 – 4
Saturday, May 14, 12 – 4
Saturday, May 28, 12 – 4
There will be a special speaker event on Saturday, April 30th featuring award-winning journalist and author Claudia Smith Brinson presenting on “Briggs v. Elliott: How Brown v Board of Education Began in South Carolina” at 5:00 p.m. at the Williamsburg Tech Auditorium.
Additionally, the Williamsburgh Historical Society will co-host the special writing and reflection workshop “The Communal Pen” while the exhibit is on display. The dates of this free, virtual writing workshop are Saturday, May 21st 12:00PM – 2:00PM and Saturday, May 28th 12:00PM – 2:00PM. Register here. This writing workshop draws inspiration from Voices and Votes. The exhibit themes and images are a springboard for igniting our own stories, giving voice to our shared and unique experiences. The Communal Pen is developed through the SC Arts Commission’s place-based initiative, the Art of Community: Rural SC. The writing workshops are coordinated through the Community Arts Development and Folklife programs, with generous support from SC Humanities.
Designed for small-town museums, libraries and cultural organizations, Voices and Votes will serve as a community meeting place for conversations about democracy, the freedoms and responsibilities of citizens, participating in government, and more.
The exhibition is part of Museum on Main Street, a unique collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), state humanities councils across the nation, and local host institutions. To learn more about Voices and Votes and other Museum on Main Street exhibitions, visit museumonmainstreet.org. Support for MoMS has been provided by the U.S. Congress.
The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c)3 organization is governed by a volunteer 21-member Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and/or supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually.
The mission of the Williamsburgh Historical Society is to preserve, protect, and present the history of Williamsburg County accurately and engagingly.
SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 65 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. For exhibition description and tour schedules, visit sites.si.edu.
