Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the Brandywine River Museum of Art will present Votes for Women: A Visual History, an exhibition that rediscovers the visual language of the women’s suffrage movement. In the absence of televised and digital media, the suffragists spread their message through magazines, political cartoons, posters, plays, parades and even through fashion. Votes for Women: A Visual History will be on view February 1–June 7, 2020.
Organized by the Brandywine and curated by Amanda C. Burdan, Ph.D., the exhibition will feature more than 200 artifacts from the suffrage movement. Also included will be early film footage as well as historic photographs and banners from rallies and marches, including the 1913 Women’s Suffrage Procession in Washington D.C. Examples of the costumes, clothing, sashes and other emblems of women’s activism worn by suffragists will enliven the presentation.
While the Nineteenth Amendment finally granted women the right to vote, ongoing voting struggles persisted for minority groups following its ratification. As a way to recognize women of color from the suffrage movement, the Brandywine has commissioned a diverse group of women artists to create a mural of illustrated portraits of some of the women whose role in winning voting rights has been historically minimized because of their race or ethnicity. The mural will include portraits of 14 local and national figures with accompanying biographies.
Hidden Figures of the Suffrage Movement Mural
Downloads:
Social Media Campaigns:
#WeShareHerStory (Posts will go up on our Instagram feed @brandywinerivermuseum Friday or Saturday each week of the exhibition)
A weekly effort by the Brandywine River Museum of Art to share the stories of women featured on our “Hidden Figures of the Suffrage Movement” mural that is part of our ‘Votes for Women’ exhibition. The mural includes 14 portraits commissioned by the Brandywine River Museum of Art of women whose role in winning voting rights has been historically minimized because of their race or ethnicity. The portraits will be completed in a variety of media and styles by artists Alexandra Beguez (@bisforbeguez), Laura Freeman (@laurafreemanart), Sarah Jung (@sarahjungart), Shadra Strickland (@shadrieka) and Sally Wern Comport (@sallycomport).
Hashtags:
#VotesForWomen #Women100 #VotingRights #WomensRights #VotingRightsAct #americanhistory #RightToVote #rightfullyhers #suffragecenntenial #19thamendment #women100 #herstory #genderequality
Major Events:
Seeing Suffrage With 2020 Vision*
Wednesday, February 19, 11 a.m. & 6 p.m.
$15 members; $20 non-members
Lecture with curator Amanda C. Burdan exploring the making of the Votes for Women exhibition.
Justice Bell at the Brandywine
February 26 through March 9
Free with Museum admission
The replica Justice Bell will be on view at the Brandywine River Museum of Art from February 26 through March 9.
First Sundays for Families*
Sunday, March 1, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Free admission
Free creative art activities and performances.
Celebrate International Women’s Day*
Sunday, March 8, 12–3 p.m.
Included with Museum admission
Celebrate International Women’s Day at the Brandywine with special events and exhibitions!
Liberty 1915: One Cartoon, Many Stories^
Wednesday, March 11, 6 p.m.
$15 members; $20 non-members
Dr. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich will discuss images of Liberty related to abolition and suffrage, showing how the images were transformed over time.
Gender and Race in Politics: A Conversation^
Wednesday, March 25, 6 p.m.
$15 members; $20 non-members
Panel discussion on gender and race in politics, led by Krysta Jones, co-chair of Women’s Vote Centennial Initiative
In Conversation: Stephen Somerstein and Amanda C. Burdan
Wednesday, April 1, 6 p.m.
Free admission with advance registration
Witness to History photographer Stephen Somerstein and Brandywine Curator Amanda C. Burdan will discuss the Selma-to-Montgomery march and Somerstein’s experiences in documenting this significant moment in America’s Civil Rights Movement.
Women's Leadership Roundtable & Networking^
Thursday, May 7, 6 p.m.
$25 members; $35 non-members; $20 Young Professionals
Hear from well-known women leaders as they share their advice and reflect on their careers, followed by a networking reception.
First Sundays for Families*
Sunday, June 7, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Free admission
Free creative art activities and performances.
Concurrent Exhibition:
Witness to History: Selma Photography of Stephen Somerstein
Serving as a companion to the Votes for Women: A Visual History exhibition, Witness to History explores the historic 1965 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama—a turning point in the civil rights movement that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. This exhibition presents 55 of the photographs taken by Stephen Somerstein—then a 24-year-old student—on March 25, 1965, accompanied by his commentary of the day’s events. With five cameras around his neck and only 15 rolls of film, Somerstein documented this pivotal moment in history, capturing photographs of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other prominent activists such as Rosa Parks, James Baldwin, Bayard Rustin, John Lewis, and Joan Baez. Somerstein also took photographs of his fellow demonstrators, as well as the anonymous bystanders who had gathered along route. Witness to History: Selma Photography of Stephen Somerstein is guest curated by Farrah Spott and on view at the Brandywine River Museum of Art from February 1 to June 14, 2020.