Maryland Humanities Tour of Smithsonian Exhibtion Travels to Queen Anne’s County

Voices and Votes travels the state through Maryland Humanities’ Museum on Main Street Program

(Baltimore) – Maryland Humanities and Queen Anne’s County Historical Society present Voices and Votes: Democracy in America, a traveling Smithsonian Institution exhibition, at Kennard African American Cultural Heritage Center in Centreville beginning June 12. The Kennard Center serves as the second venue of a five-stop tour of the state, presented through Maryland Humanities’ Museum on Main Street program. The June 12 opening coincides with the Kennard Center’s Juneteenth Festival, 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., which will feature craft displays, Black artists, local speakers, and more.

Each Voices and Votes host creates a local exhibit to complement the Smithsonian Institution exhibition. Queen Anne’s County Historical Society presents Action, Reaction, Vision, which showcases 15 local advocacy organizations, each with a different set of causes and initiatives. The local exhibit—which includes displays from the League of Women Voters, Centreville Middle School, and Kent Island Heritage Group—aims to demonstrate the impact of voices individually and collectively taking a position on critical issues. “Our mission with the exhibit is to encourage residents to get involved with organizations that connect with their interests and discover what resources are here to meet their needs,” says Jennifer Moore, President of the Queen Anne’s County Historical Society. The exhibit highlights opportunities for civic action and results of that action.

“Through Museum on Main Street, Maryland Humanities and the Smithsonian Institution created learning experiences, increased our exposure, and fostered conversations that will forever change the way we interact with our community and deliver our mission,” says Moore. “I have learned over the years that coming out of a crisis creates opportunities for change in organizations and neighborhoods that may not have otherwise been possible. Hosting the Voices and Votes Museum on Main Street exhibit in the year after 2020 has generated partnerships and collaborations that will be instrumental in the future of our organizations. We are grateful to have been a 2021 host and to have their staff and consulting experts in our corner.”

After Voices and Votes leaves Centreville, Queen Anne’s County Historical Society will reconfigure the companion exhibit for travel to schools, local community centers, and public spaces. The organization will work with youth groups so the exhibit reflects the voices of their peers.   

Voices and Votes is the seventh Museum on Main Street project brought to small communities throughout the state by Maryland Humanities. Each venue hosts the exhibition for six weeks and develops a complementary exhibit highlighting their community’s heritage and histories.

“In addition to learning more about our country’s voting history, we’re looking forward to exploring the voting rights history of five diverse Maryland regions where our host sites are located,” said Lindsey Baker, executive director of Maryland Humanities. “We see the impact the lack of voting access has on many Americans today and can better understand current civil rights movements by looking at our history.”

Voices and Votes programming is supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the State of Maryland, and Maryland Public Television is the tour’s Media Sponsor. Queen Anne’s County Historical Society’s partners include Bayside HOYAS, Character Counts, Centreville Middle School, Kent Island Heritage Society, Kent County Historical Society, Minary’s Dream Alliance, New United Methodist Church, Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office, and other clubs.

Queen Anne’s County Historical Society hosts Voices and Votes at Kennard African American Cultural Heritage Center June 12–July 24, 2021. The center is located at 410 Little Kidwell Avenue in Centreville. The exhibition will be on view Wednesdays and Fridays, 3:00–7:00 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Special arrangements for other viewing opportunities can be requested by calling (410) 708-0151. Queen Anne’s Historical Society and Kennard African American Cultural Heritage Center will follow specific COVID safety protocols. Learn more at www.QACHistoricalSociety.org  or call 410.708.0151.

Tour Schedule:

April 17, 2021 – May 30, 2021	Allegany Museum, Cumberland, Allegany County
June 12, 2021 – July 24, 2021	Queen Anne’s County Historical Society at Kennard African American Cultural Heritage Center, Centreville, Queen Anne’s County
August 14, 2021 – September 25, 2021	Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture, Salisbury, Wicomico County
October 10, 2021 – November 21, 2021	Sandy Spring Museum, Sandy Spring, Montgomery County
December 4, 2021 – January 22, 2022	Baltimore County Historical Society at the Community College of Baltimore County Dundalk, Baltimore County

About Voices and Votes
Voices and Votes is based on a major exhibition currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. This Museum on Main Street adaptation has many of the same dynamic features: historical and contemporary photos; educational and archival video; engaging multimedia interactives with short games and additional footage, photos, and information; and historical objects like campaign souvenirs, voter memorabilia, and protest material. Our democracy demands action, reaction, vision, and revision as we continue to question how to form “a more perfect union.” How do you participate as a citizen? 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.

About Museum on Main Street
Museum on Main Street is a Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service program that teams up with state humanities councils to bring high-quality Smithsonian traveling exhibitions to museums, historical societies, and other small-town cultural venues across the country. These exhibits boost civic pride, as residents young and old, from diverse backgrounds come together to share and celebrate their heritage. Learn more about the program here.