Camp Verde AZ (February 28, 2020) – The Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street, in cooperation with the Arizona Humanities Council presents Voices and Votes: Democracy in American. 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.” Opening at Camp Verde Community Library on Saturday, March 28, “Voices and Votes” will be on view through Monday, May 11 during library open hours.
Camp Verde Community Library in partnership with League of Women Voters of Greater Verde Valley has been chosen by the AZ Humanities Council to host Voices and Votes: Democracy in America 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 five communities in Arizona starting in Camp Verde in March 2020 and ending at the Capital Museum in January 2021.
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America
explores the action, reaction, vision and revision that democracy demands as Americans continue to question how to shape the country. From 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.
“Voices and Votes allows us to reflect on Camp Verde’s history and explore what it means to be an active participant in the governance of not only the country but also this community,” said Library Director, Kathy Hellman. “We look forward to conversations about how our local values intersect with the democratic process and have developed local exhibits and programs to complement the Smithsonian exhibition.”
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 of all ages and walks of life, participating in government, and more. With the support and guidance of AZ State Humanities council, our Library will develop complementary exhibits, host public programs and facilitate educational initiatives to raise people’s understanding about their own history, the joys and challenges of living rural, how change has impacted their community, and prompt discussion of goals for the future.
“Voices and Votes” is based on an exhibition currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History called American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith. The exhibition is part of Museum on Main Street (MoMS), a unique collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), state humanities councils across the nation, and local host institutions. 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. To learn more about “Voices” and other Museum on Main Street exhibitions, visit museumonmainstreet.org. For exhibition description and tour schedules, visit sites.si.edu.
Camp Verde Community Library is located at 130 N Black Bridge Road just off of Montezuma Castel Highway in Camp Verde, AZ. Library open hours are Monday – Thursday 9:00a-8:00p, Friday – Saturday 9:00a-5:00p. For more information about this or any other event happening at the Library visit www.cvlibrary.org or call 928-554-8380.
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America has been made possible at Camp Verde Community Library by AZ Humanities Council. Voices and Votes: Democracy in America is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and State Humanities Councils nationwide. It is based on an exhibition by the National Museum of American History. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.