Image courtesy of Florida Humanities

A Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit on voting in America launches its statewide tour of Florida this week at Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Public Library. Voices and Votes: Democracy in America is based on a major exhibition currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., and tells the story of America’s democratic form of government. The exhibit kickoff will be celebrated virtually with an online “squeeze,” a current-day take on the tradition of First Lady Dolley Madison, whose social gatherings were so popular that people had to “squeeze” in. Registration for the virtual launch event, which will be held from 2:00 to 3:00pm on Saturday, August 15th, is available online at bit.ly/Voices-Votes-squeeze. The new exhibit is brought to Sarasota County by Florida Humanities and made possible by generous funding from Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Voices and Votes will be on display at the North Sarasota Library through October 10th. “Gulf Coast Community Foundation is honored to partner with Florida Humanities to bring this wonderful educational opportunity to residents here in Sarasota County,” said Mark S. Pritchett, president | CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation. “We hope to inspire our community to engage in conversations about our local history and the story of democracy in America.”

Image courtesy of Florida Humanities

Click here for more information.