South Carolina Humanities is pleased to announce that six communities in South Carolina will host the traveling Smithsonian exhibit Voices and Votes: Democracy in America in 2022-2023. Voices and Votes explores the ever-evolving story of democracy in America.
Based on a major exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, the Voices and Votes exhibit will serve as a community meeting place to convene conversations about questions like: Who has the right to vote? What are the freedoms and responsibilities of citizens? Whose voices will be heard? How do you participate as a citizen? How do we encourage more people to participate in our democracy?
With the support and guidance of SC Humanities and the Smithsonian, the host sites will develop complementary exhibits, host public programs and facilitate educational initiatives to raise people’s understanding about what democracy means in South Carolina and in each community.
Dr. Randy Akers, Executive Director of SC Humanities, is pleased to be bringing Voices and Votes to South Carolina: “The hallmark of democracy is the right for individuals to vote for the candidate of their choice. The importance of voting is evident in all elections but particularly in the most recent presidential election. Issues like accessibility, credibility, and the influence of social media are not only national issues but important to South Carolinians too. I hope this exhibit serves as the basis for discussion and reflection on the future of our democracy.”
Chosen by a South Carolina Humanities selection committee through a competitive application process, six South Carolina host sites will showcase Voices and Votes in their respective communities. The opportunity was open to small museums, arts centers, libraries, and other community venues in small South Carolina towns. We offer congratulations to these selected host sites:
April 16 – May 28, 2022 – Williamsburgh Historical Society
June 4 – July 16, 2022 – Laurens County Museum Association
July 23 – September 3, 2022 – Friends of Aiken County Historical Museum/Second Baptist Church of Aiken
September 10 – October 22, 2022 – Allendale Rural Arts Team/USC Salkehatchie
October 29 – December 10, 2022 – Claflin University
December 17, 2022 – January 28, 2023 – Cowpens Branch Library
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. Voices and Votes is the eighth Museum on Main Street exhibit that SC Humanities has brought to the state since 2004.
Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the U.S. Congress.
If you would like more information about Voices and Votes in South Carolina, please contact T.J. Wallace at tjwallace@schumanities.org or 803-771-2477. More details about the unique programs that each local community will provide will be available soon.
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.
