Murray State's Wrather Museum will host a traveling Smithsonian, Voices and Votes: Democracy in America, from March 27th to May 1st. Dr. Sean J. McLaughlin, Special Collections and Exhibit Director for University Libraries at MSU speaks to Tracy Ross about the upcoming exhibit.
From the Smithsonian Institution's Traveling Exhibition Service:
"When American revolutionaries waged a war for independence, they took a leap of faith that sent ripple effects across generations. They embraced a radical idea of establishing a government that entrusted the power of the nation not in a monarchy, but in its citizens. That great leap sparked questions that continue to impact Americans: who has the right to vote, what are the freedoms and responsibilities of citizens, and whose voices will be heard? Voices and Votes: Democracy in America will be a springboard for discussions about those very questions and how they are reflected in local stories."
Voices and Votes is based on a larger permanent exhibit on display at the National Museum of American History. The exhibit is shipped in containers and installed on-site. "It's so much fun," McLaughlin says. "It's like grown-up Lego. There are all these video components, multi-sensory things." The exhibit also includes 14 object cases, three mechanical interactives, and three flipbooks.
"These are so fantastic," McLaughlin continues. "They appeal to an all-ages audience. But in particular, I'm glad we got this because there are a lot of kids who have been stuck at home with online learning, and now you have a Smithsonian-quality exhibit on your front doorstep. Things are getting safer in the community. We will definitely keep people safe when they come here. It's an opportunity to feed your brain with something right here in town."
In addition to stretching back to the American Revolution, Voices and Votes also addresses the present and future. "There's a kind of popular protest vibe," McLaughlin explains. "That's apropros considering the year we've had on so many different levels. It's very timely. You just know that the quality is going to be through the roof for this sort of thing."
McLaughlin said he's glad that Voices and Votes will be on display now, post-election. "I think the immediate aftermath of an election might be better, because we were so consumed by that. Now that the election's in the rearview, we can start thinking about how important democracy is to us, what we want to do to preserve and protect it. The exhibit is better now than it would've been this time last year."
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America will be on display at the Wrather Museum on Murray State's main campus from March 27th to May 1st.
All museum staff and visitors will be masked, and hand sanitizer is also available. While walk-ins will not be turned away, McLaughlin says that the museum is encouraging visitors to reserve a time to visit the exhibit online for added peace of mind. Admission will be separated into small pods, and each pod will get twenty minutes inside the exhibit. "What we strive for is an experience for you and your family that's ten times safer than a trip to the grocery store," McLaughlin adds.
In addition to Voices and Votes, Wrather Museum is also presenting an exhibit in honor of WKMS. In honor of the station's 50th birthday last spring, "we had this beautiful, three-room exhibit," McLaughlin says. "The opening coincided with the campus shutdown. This thing was preserved in amber. Nobody except for the students who worked on it ever got to see it."
The exhibit has since been converted to a digital format and can be viewed under the Digital Exhibits tab on the Wrather Museum Library guide. "When you physically come in for Voices and Votes, the first thing that you're going to see is the 2020 WKMS exhibit. It's our loving recreation of Studio B. We have some A/V elements. It'll make you feel like you're with the band when you come in," McLaughlin concludes.
For more information on Wrather Museum and its upcoming exhibits, visit their website.
