By OKMS Arts & Culture Alliance
Director Emeritus Bridgette Waldau
Photography by Sharon Jones

Okeechobee Main Street [OKMS] had the honor of being chosen by the Florida Humanities Council to host a Smithsonian Museum on Main Street exhibit. Voices and Votes: Democracy in America was on display at the Historic Okeechobee County Courthouse, May 28 – July 12. This project is a national, state, and local partnership, bringing exhibitions and programs to rural cultural organizations.

This engaging exhibit came to Okeechobee County at a perfect time. As another election cycle fast approaches, this exhibit is a reminder of how powerful our votes are. The exhibit is a great educational presentation on how our democracy began, along with the growth of voting rights for ALL Americans.

Through a selection of photographs, objects, films, audios and interactives, Voices and Votes takes a broad look at the nearly 250-year-old American experiment of a government “of, by and for the people.” 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. The exhibition sections explore the origins of American democracy, the struggles to obtain and keep the vote, the machinery of democracy, the right to petition and protest beyond the ballot, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.

Read the full article on Issuu >> June-July 2024 Issue