Exhibition and humanities discussion programs on democracy opens 176 years after the first women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls
The Museum Association of New York (MANY) is delighted to bring the Smithsonian Institution Museum on Main Street traveling exhibition Voices and Votes: Democracy in America to the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, NY.
The exhibition and start of the “A New Agora for New York” program series will be unveiled on July 12 with a ribbon cutting and ceremony to open the Hall’s second-floor exhibition space at the historic 1844 Seneca Knitting Mill. This Seneca Falls landmark building is interwoven with the history of the women who worked there. It will be the first time that the second-floor exhibition space will be open to the public following years of extensive restoration efforts.
The Hall will use the Smithsonian exhibition as a launching point to explore, reflect on, and tell the story of women's role in the evolution of American democracy through the stories of the Seneca Falls community and its more than 300 inductees.
“Voices and Votes is the perfect way to celebrate the Hall’s new space with an exhibition that speaks to the heart of the Hall’s work to share stories that are too often overlooked or left out of American history,” said the Hall’s Museum & Community Relations Manager Nellie Ludemann.
The first women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls on July 19, 1848, beginning the women’s rights movement in the United States. The Hall’s collection, including suffragist buttons, books, and pamphlets, tells the story of women's suffrage.
“MANY understands the importance of having the National Women’s Hall of Fame as one of our host sites for this project. New York’s role in the Women’s Suffrage Movement was pivotal, and we are so lucky to have a site that can connect with that story in such a deep way,” said MANY Agora Project Fellow Ren Lee.
The Hall’s responsive exhibition will include a national fiber arts exhibition, “Co-Crafting Democracy: Fiber Arts and Activism,” curated by Hinda Mandell and Juilee Decker, a mural installation by artists Victor Pultinas and Bernadette Bos, “La Cicatrice” art exhibition by Rebbeca Aloisia, and “The Rollercoaster for Women’s Rights, Equality, and Freedom” exhibition curated by Mia Tetrault, Greta Paasch, and Betty Bayer that will feature the Hall’s collection and archives on the long history of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Additional programs as part of the “A New Agora for New York: Museums as Spaces for Democracy” will run during the exhibition, including a presentation by Ashley Hopkins-Benton, Senior Historian and Curator at the New York State Museum.
MANY is the statewide organizer for the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service’s Museum on Main Street Program, which previously brought the “Water/Ways” exhibition to six New York Museums in 2019. The Museum on Main Street program offers traveling exhibitions, educational resources, and programming across America to communities through local museums, historical societies, and other cultural venues.
This exhibition is being supported by a Market New York grant awarded to the Museum Association of New York by Empire State Development and I LOVE NY/New York State's Division of Tourism through the Regional Economic Development Council initiative.
Additional funding from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation supports public events, community exhibitions, free public lectures, workshops for teachers, and community discussion programs.
Learn more about the New York State tour of the Voices and Votes exhibition: https://agoranewyork.org/ and preview the full schedule of programming and events happening at the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
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Voices and Votes is a Museum on Main Street (MoMS) exhibition developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. It’s based on an exhibition by the National Museum of American History. It has been made possible in New York State by the Museum Association of New York. Support for MoMS in New York State has been provided by the United States Congress and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation.
“A New Agora for New York: Museums as Spaces for Democracy” humanities discussion programs are made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
About the Museum Association of New York
The Museum Association of New York is the only statewide museum service organization with more than 780 member museums, historical societies, zoos, botanical gardens, and aquariums. MANY helps shape a better future for museums and museum professionals by uplifting best practices and building organizational capacity through advocacy, training, and networking opportunities. Visit www.nysmuseums.organd follow MANY on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn @nysmuseums
About the National Women’s Hall of Fame
The National Women’s Hall of Fame was founded to bring the contributions and achievements of American women fully into our national narrative. We believe that an equitable and healthy nation is possible when all people are empowered to achieve their dreams. The Hall serves as a home for women’s stories, informed discussion, and collaborative partnerships. As a hybrid (virtual and physical) institution, the Hall aspires to be a national leader in conversations about women, their history, and the future.
