The IHC is pleased to announce the return of the Smithsonian to Idaho to celebrate America's 250th!
Voices & Votes: Democracy in America will tour Idaho July 2025 - January 2026.
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 called American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith. Content development for Voices and Votes was led by Harry Rubenstein, Curator Emeritus in the Division of Political History at the National Museum of American History. Voices and Votes 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.
When American revolutionaries waged a war for independence they took a leap of faith that sent ripple effects across generations. They embraced a radical idea of establishing a government that entrusted the power of the nation not in a monarchy, but in its citizens. That great leap sparked questions that continue to impact Americans:
- 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?
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America will be a springboard for discussions about those very questions and how they are reflected in local stories. Our democracy demands action, reaction, vision, and revision. 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.
Resources for Voices and Votes
EXHIBITION OUTLINE
DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES
INSPIRATION BEHIND Voices and Votes
About Museum on Main Street
The Idaho Humanities Council works with the Smithsonian Institution’s “Museum on Main Street” program (MoMS) to bring Smithsonian traveling exhibitions to small Idaho communities each year. MoMS is a partnership of the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and state humanities councils nationwide, serving small-town museums and citizens of rural America.
The IHC has brought eleven Smithsonian exhibitions to Idaho. Exhibit tours include:
2025-2026 - Voices & Votes: Democracy in America
2023-2024 - Spark! Places of Innovation
2019-2020 – Crossroads: Change in Rural America
2016-2017 - Water/Ways
2014 - Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America
2011 - 2012 - The Way We Worked
2010 - Journey Stories
2009 - Between Fences
2007 - New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music
2006 - Key Ingredients: America by Food
2005 - Barn Again! Celebrating an American Icon
2004 - Yesterday's Tomorrows: Past Visions of the American Future
The themes of the exhibitions focus on broad topics of national history and culture. The IHC helps small museums, libraries, and community centers prepare exhibition-related events for and about their communities. The organizations benefit from the project's professional training in educational programs, marketing, and interpretation of local history. Through these combined resources, MoMS provides high-quality cultural programs to underserved rural citizens and sparks everlasting professional improvement for small-town cultural organizations.
Impact of Museum on Main Street On Idaho Communities Since 2020
Over 17,000 Idahoans have attended a Museum on Main Street program.
Eleven rural Idaho communities have hosted an exhibit and produced 47 public programs.
Idaho communities have invested almost $40,000 of in-kind support for this program.
Questions?
Learn more about Museum on Main Street at www.museumonmainstreet.org.
For information on the next Idaho tour contact Camille Daw at camille@idahohumanities.org.
