Special Exhibition Opening February 20 in Advance of Women’s History Month

The Long Island Museum (LIM), 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook has announced the arrival of “A New Agora for New York: Museums as Spaces for Democracy,” a humanities discussion series that includes the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street traveling exhibition, Voices and Votes: Democracy in America and LIM’s response exhibition Building the Ballot Box: Long Island’s Democratic History opening on February 20, in advance of Women’s History Month. These engaging and thought-provoking exhibitions and programs will examine nearly 250 years of history, exploring the ongoing pursuit to form “a more perfect union.”

The only Smithsonian Affiliate Institution in the Nassau-Suffolk region, LIM collects, preserves, interprets, and celebrates Long Island’s richly diverse past and its storied role in our nation’s history.

“The Long Island Museum is honored to be involved in this statewide conversation about democracy,” said Co-Executive Director Joshua Ruff. “In our response exhibition and planned programs, we will especially explore how political participation throughout our region has expanded and been a shifting, challenging, and inspirational terrain over time.”

Building the Ballot Box, on view through May 18, will examine the role this region played in history from the Women’s suffrage movement, Civil Rights, and other movements in political history. This exhibition will include key artifacts like the Suffrage Wagon that was across New York State in public events to advocate for women’s suffrage in 1917. Other objects highlight regional trailblazers such as Shirley Chisholm, the first Black US Congresswoman, and Geraldine Ferraro, the first female candidate nominated for Vice President by a major political party.

Voices and Votes, on view through April 6, is based on a major exhibition currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith, and includes many of the same dynamic features: historical and contemporary photographs; educational and archival video; engaging multimedia interactives, and historical objects like campaign souvenirs, voter memorabilia, and protest material.

The Museum Association of New York (MANY) is the statewide organizer for the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service’s Museum on Main Street program bringing Voices and Votes: Democracy in America to twelve museums across New York State. The Long Island Museum is the seventh institution in the state to participate in “A New Agora for New York” and host the Voices and Votes exhibition.

“Long Island is full of inspiring stories of civic engagement and significant ‘firsts’ in America’s 250 years of democratic history,” said MANY Agora Project Fellow Ren Lee. “We are thrilled to work with the Long Island Museum as they use Voices and Votes as a launching point to engage with their community through these exhibitions and a truly fantastic lineup of programs.”

The Voices and Votes exhibition will be on view in the Cowles Gallery of LIM’s History Museum. Building the Ballot Box will be on view directly adjacent to Voices and Votes, in the History Museum’s Main Gallery. These exhibitions will be accompanied by a series of programs including a drop-in day for Girl Scouts on Friday February 21 and an American Experiments Game Night on Feb. 27.

For a full description of the exhibitions and all programs, visit the Long Island Museum’s website longislandmuseum.org