Museum on Main Street
Through a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, Georgia Humanities hosts Museum on Main Street, a program that provides small and rural communities across the state with access to Smithsonian traveling exhibitions.
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America tours Georgia April 2026 to January 2027
When American revolutionaries waged a war for independence they took a leap of faith that sent ripple effects across generations. They embraced the 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?
- Whose voices will be heard?
- How can you participate as a citizen?
- How do we encourage more people to participate in our democracy?
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America provides a springboard for discussions about those very questions and how they are reflected in our local stories. Democracy demands action, reaction, vision, and revision. From 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.
Voices and Votes is based on a major exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History called American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith.
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America is presented by Georgia Humanities through the Museum on Main Street program, a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress. To learn more, visit museumonmainstreet.org.
Interested in sponsoring Voices and Votes? Learn more »
Contact Caroline Hugh, Program Coordinator »
chugh@georgiahumanities.org
Visit Voices & Votes: Democracy in America in one of these seven communities
April 25, 2026 – May 31, 2026
Exhibit location: Putnam County Annex Building (117 Putnam Dr. Eatonton, GA 31024) – Please use the main entrance facing HWY 441
Hours
Mon: Closed
Tue: 10 AM – 4 PM
Wed: 10 AM – 4 PM
Thur: 2 PM – 8 PM
Fri: 10 AM – 4 PM
Sat: 10 AM – 4 PM
Sun: Closed
www.georgiawritersmuseum.org/voices-and-votes-democracy-in-america/
Opening Reception
April 25, 2026 | 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Putnam County Annex Building, County Commission Room
117 Putnam Dr. Eatonton, GA 31024
Please use the main entrance facing HWY 441
- Welcoming Georgia’s legislators and notable guests to the opening of Voices and Votes in Putnam Co.
Educators’ Professional Development Workshops
April 21, 9:00 AM – April 23, 3:00 PM
Putnam County Annex Building, County Commission Room
117 Putnam Dr. Eatonton, GA 31024
Please use the main entrance facing HWY 441
- How to integrate economics into lesson plans (grades 3-12) for America 250 and Voices & Votes, hosted by the Georgia Council for Economic Development.
June 7, 2026 – July 19, 2026
Exhibit location: Hartwell Arts Center (338 E Howell St, Hartwell GA 30643)
Hours
Mon: 9 AM – 6 PM
Tue: 9 AM – 6 PM
Wed: 9 AM – 6 PM
Thur: 9 AM – 6 PM
Fri: 9 AM – 6 PM
Sat: 10 AM – 6 PM
Sun: TBA
Porch Songs & Public Voices Festival
April 18, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Downtown Hartwell
57 Depot St, Hartwell GA 30643
- Featuring all-day exhibits and shows at High Cotton Music Hall, Hart County Community Theatre, Hartwell Art Center, and MORE! Performers include Mojo on Max and the Hot Dam Blues Band as well as storytellers and artists from local Cherokee historians and demonstrations from UGA on quilting in early America.
Cars & Guitars
May 23, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Downtown Hartwell
185 W Franklin St, Hartwell GA 30643
- Hartwell’s premier car show extravaganza happening Saturday, May 23rd, from 10 AM – 2 PM in Downtown Hartwell! Featuring 150+ classic cars, this FREE event is the perfect way to kick off Memorial Day Weekend! This year’s special exhibit will feature the history of American migration and labor as it connects to the invention of the automobile.
July 25, 2026 – September 5, 2026
Exhibit location: Bartow History Museum (4 E Church St, Cartersville GA 30120)
Hours
Mon: 10 AM – 5 PM
Tue: 10 AM – 5 PM
Wed: 10 AM – 5 PM
Thu: 10 AM – 5 PM
Fri: 10 AM – 5 PM
Sat: 10 AM – 5 PM
Sun: Closed
Georgia Council on Economic Education Teacher Workshop
August 13, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Bartow History Museum
4 E Church St, Cartersville GA 30120
- A teacher workshop that connects the exhibit themes to U.S. economic history and classroom-ready, standards-aligned strategies teachers can use in their classrooms.
Girl Scout Inside Government Badge Workshop
August 15, 2026 | 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Bartow History Museum
4 E Church St, Cartersville GA 30120
- A badge workshop exploring the American government and what it does. Learn about the basics of operations and everyday laws that affect everyday people.
September 13, 2026 – October 1, 2026
AND February 5, 2027 – March 19, 2027
Exhibit location: Brewton-Parker Christian University Fountain New Library
(201 David Eliza Fountain Cir, Mount Vernon, GA 30445)
Hours
Mon: 10 AM – 6 PM
Tue: 11 AM – 6 PM
Wed: 10 AM – 6 PM
Thur: 10 AM – 6 PM
Fri: 10 AM – 6 PM
Sat: 9 AM – 5 PM
Sun: 12 PM – 5 PM
Opening Ceremony
September 13, 2026 | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Fountain-New Library
201 David Eliza Fountain Cir, Mount Vernon, GA 30445
- The event will focus on more local history as invited local historians tell their stories. Guest will enjoy touring the exhibit, refreshments and a musical presentation from the college’s choir “Voices of Truth.”
Constitution Day
September 17, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Saliba Chapel and Fountain-New Library
201 David Eliza Fountain Cir, Mount Vernon, GA 30445
- The college will celebrate Constitution Day on-campus with a keynote speaker and invite local high school and middle school students to present posters and speeches with an emphasis on the themes of Voices & Votes.
October 8, 2026 – October 18, 2026
Exhibit location: Miller-Murphy-Howard Building — near the west entrance of the Georgia National Fairgrounds
Hours
Mon: 10 AM – 9 PM
Tue: 10 AM – 9 PM
Wed: 10 AM – 9 PM
Thur (10/8): 3 PM – 9 PM | Thur (10/15): 10 AM – 9 PM
Fri: 10 AM – 9 PM
Sat: 10 AM – 9 PM
Sun: 10 AM – 9 PM
Opening Event
October 8, 2026 | 4:00 PM
Reaves Arena
401 Larry Walker Pkwy. Perry, GA 31069
- Opening ceremonies of the Georgia National Fair.
Most Patriotic Entry Contest
October 8, 2026 3:00 PM – October 18, 2026 9:00 PM
Miller-Murphy-Howard Building, Main Exhibit Hall
- Contestants submit patriotic handmade entries and fairgoers will vote on the most patriotic.
November 1, 2026 – December 12, 2026
Exhibit location: Southeast Georgia Conference Center at College of Coastal Georgia (College Dr, Brunswick, GA 31520)
Hours
Mon: 10 AM – 6 PM
Tue: 10 AM – 6 PM
Wed: 10 AM – 6 PM
Thu: 10 AM – 6 PM
Fri: 10 AM – 6 PM
Sat: 12 PM – 6 PM
Sun: Closed
www.ccga.edu/voices-and-votes-exhibition-coming-to-coastal-georgia/
Opening Ceremony
November 1, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Southeast Georgia Conference Center
College Dr, Brunswick, GA 31520
- The opening celebration invites the community to explore how Coastal Georgia’s rich, diverse histories continue to shape the American democratic experience. Through storytelling, music, and shared reflection, the event foregrounds the exhibition’s core message: democracy is a living chorus—made stronger by the voices that rise from the coast’s Indigenous nations, African American communities, women’s advocates, immigrant families, and generations of workers whose civic participation strengthened the nation.
History of the Suffragettes and the Fight for the 19th Amendment
November 4, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum
100 Stable Rd, Jekyll Island, GA 31527
- This lecture explores the pivotal role several members of the Jekyll Island Club played in the fight for women’s suffrage. By highlighting the reform-minded figures connected to the island’s history, the program weaves together local heritage and national movements for women’s rights. Participants will gain insight into how the Club’s influential members shaped the broader campaign for voting equality and left a lasting impact on the advancement of women’s civic participation.
December 19, 2026 – January 27, 2027
Exhibit location: Carnegie Room, Terrell County Public Library (913 Forrester Drive Dawson, GA 39842)
Hours
Mon: 10 AM – 4 PM
Tue: 10 AM – 4 PM
Wed: 10 AM – 4 PM
Thur: 10 AM – 8 PM
Fri: 10 AM – 4 PM
Sat (periodically): 10 AM – 4 PM
Sun: Closed
American Stories: Summer and Youth Storytimes
June 1, 2026 – July 31, 2026
Kinchafoonee Regional Libraries: Calhoun, Clay, Quitman, Randolph, Terrell, and Webster Libraries
- Beanstack Reading Club: America250 Branded Reading Programs and Book Club
Civil Rights: Portrait of a Local Champion (Lonnie C. King, Jr. Traveling Exhibit Tie-In)
June 11, 2026 – July 13, 2026
Calhoun County Library
19379 Hartford Street Edison, GA 39846-0365
- Community conversations around local civil rights champion Lonnie C. King, Jr.
Thank you to our sponsors!
