DCA Closes the Centennial of Women’s Suffrage with Smithsonian Poster Exhibition

Equality Is the Sacred Law of Humanity, c. 1903–1915. Lithograph by Egbert C. Jacobson Courtesy of Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University

Dorchester Center for the Arts will host a special exhibition on the centennial of women’s suffrage in the U.S. Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence, a poster exhibition from the Smithsonian, celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment and explores the complexity of the women’s suffrage movement and the relevance of this history to Americans’ lives today. The poster exhibition is presented courtesy of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative and will be on view through December 19.

The story of women’s suffrage is a story of voting rights, of inclusion in and exclusion from the franchise, and of our civic development as a nation. The crusade for women’s suffrage is one of the longest reform movements in American history. Between 1832 and 1920, women citizens organized for the right to vote, agitating first in their states or territories and also, simultaneously, through petitioning for a federal amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Based on the National Portrait Gallery exhibition of the same name, Votes for Women seeks to expand visitors’ understanding of the suffrage movement in the United States. The poster exhibition addresses women’s political activism, explores the racism that challenged universal suffrage, and documents the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment which prohibits the government from denying U.S. citizens the right to vote on the basis of gender. It also touches upon the suffrage movement’s relevance to current conversations on voting and voting rights across America.

Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery. This project received support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative. The Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative, Because of Her Story, is one of the country’s most ambitious undertakings to research, collect, document display, and share the compelling story of women. It will deepen understanding of women’s contributions to the nation and the world. More information about the initiative is available at womenshistory.si.edu.

Dorchester Center for the Arts is committed to increasing access to the arts for all members of the community by supporting extensive outreach and educational opportunities in the arts. Visit online at www.dorchesterarts.org and on social media for the latest features and updates. Programs at DCA are supported by the Maryland State Arts Council.