Small towns encouraged to apply for Smithsonian traveling exhibition

Exhibition connects citizens with American democracy

Indiana towns with populations under 10,000 are encouraged to apply to play host to a Smithsonian exhibition, “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America,” which gives an in-depth look on America’s democracy, and bring discussions about democracy to their community.

The exhibition is a partnership between the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street and Indiana Humanities and will appear in small towns across Indiana during the Semiquincentennial, which commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Six communities will be selected to host the exhibit for six weeks each in 2026, and receive – at no cost to the hosts – extensive training and other resources from the Smithsonian and Indiana Humanities. Each community will also work with Indiana Humanities staff and a state scholar to curate a unique section of the exhibit that tells the story of their community as it relates to the exhibit’s themes.

“For Hoosiers who may never have the occasion to visit a Smithsonian museum in person, this is an extraordinary opportunity to have a wonderful exhibit come to them,” said Megan Telligman, director of programs at Indiana Humanities. “Not only that, but for the host sites, it’s a chance to welcome their community in an entirely new way, receive project funding, and access exhibit and program development support.”

The exhibit has many 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.

Voices and Votes will prompt visitors to consider 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?”, and “How do we encourage more people to participate in our democracy?” It will also serve as a jumping-off point for discussing how those questions are reflected in local stories.

Voices and Votes is based on a major exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History called “American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith.” Content development was led by Harry Rubenstein, curator emeritus in the division of political history at the National Museum of American History.

To learn more about the program, visit indianahumanities.org/program/voicesandvotes.

The application deadline is Jan. 31, 2025. To apply for your town to host Voices and Votes, click here.

About Indiana Humanities
Indiana Humanities connects people, opens minds and enriches lives by creating and facilitating programs that encourage Hoosiers to think, read and talk. Learn more at IndianaHumanities.org.