Voices & Votes Training

I drove to Marysville on Thursday April 17 and Friday April 18 to attend a workshop for the Smithsonian traveling exhibit, Voices and Votes: Democracy in America.  Washington Public Library will host this exhibit from December 19, 2025 through January 30, 2026, on the library’s second floor. Voices and Votes will be displayed at six different locations throughout Missouri in 2025. We’re fortunate that Washington was selected as one of the locations.

Voices & Votes: Democracy in America explores the foundational principles of American democracy, tracing its roots from the country’s beginnings and examining key questions that continue to shape our nation today: Who has the right to vote?

Representatives from all six exhibit locations were present. Together, we learned how to setup the exhibit. Fourteen people required four hours for setup. The next day we took a tour of the exhibit, and reviewed ideas for local matching exhibits and ideas for programs that complement the exhibit.

This exhibit isn’t possible without partnerships. The Smithsonian developed this as part of their Museum on Main Street (MoMS) program. Missouri Humanities sponsored this program by making grants available throughout the State of Missouri. Finally, Washington Public Library had to apply for the grant and bring their energy to the program, and add local partners such as Downtown Washington. Bringing Voices and Votes to Washington required partnerships between National, State, and local institutions.

Exhibits like Voices & Votes don’t just happen. Like Democracy itself, they are a complex relationship between partners, working towards a common goal of promoting Democracy in America. Thank You to the Smithsonian, Missouri Humanities, Downtown Washington, all our partners, and the citizens of Washington who have supported this library for 100 years and counting.

Nelson Appell