On View Through June 4 - July 25, 2025
GCV&M is proud to be one of the twelve sites in New York State chosen to participate in “A New Agora for New York: Museums as Spaces for Democracy” a museum capacity building and community humanities discussion series project hosted by the Museum Association of New York. This project includes Voices and Votes: Democracy in America a Museum on Main Street (MoMS) exhibition developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services (SITES), Freedom Fighter: Mary Gray Peck and Social Reform an exhibition developed by GCV&M in response to Voices and Votes, and a series of humanities discussion programs. The exhibitions and programs examine the nearly 250-year-old American experiment of a government “of, by and for the people,” and how each generation since continues to question how to form “a more perfect union.”
Admission to Voices and Votes is included with general Museum admission.
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America
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 major exhibition currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. This Museum on Main Street adaptation will have many of the same dynamic features: historical and contemporary photos; educational and archival video; engaging multimedia interactives with short games and additional footage, photos, and information; and historical objects like campaign souvenirs, voter memorabilia, and protest material.
Our democracy demands action, reaction, vision, and revision as we continue to question how to form “a more perfect union.” How do you participate as a citizen? 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.
Freedom Fighter: Mary Gray Peck and Social Reform
Mary Gray Peck from Seneca Castle, Ontario County, devoted her life to supporting social reforms. As aide to suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt, she saw firsthand the ratification of the 19th amendment. After suffrage, she devoted herself to women’s education and advancement, free speech and other causes. Mary’s grandparents owned the Jones Farmhouse in GCV&M’s Historic Village and she grew up across the street from the Farmhouse.
The Installation Process
SUNY Geneseo: Land Democracy Exhibit
Saturday - Sunday | 10a.m. - 4p.m.
Visit the Genesee Country Nature Center, included with admission, to learn about local flora and fauna, meet our resident turtles, and view our SUNY Geneseo land democracy exhibit. Students in Dr. Gilbert-Overland’s Environmental Justice class researched and developed posters, each related to a different policy, event, or trend that has impacted a person’s or group of people’s access to land or to making decisions about the land. This exhibit highlights these stories and builds on GCV&M’s commitment to representation.
Sponsored By
