Call for Artists: A Century of Suffrage

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This show is open to artists who live in Rancho Cordova or who are current members of the Rancho Cordova Arts. Each artist may submit up to 5 images. If you are not a resident of Rancho Cordova, or a member of Rancho Cordova Arts the cost for submission of 3 images is $30. This Century of Suffrage show will focus on the historical elements of the national Women’s Suffrage movement, the 19th amendment, and suffrage in individual states.

In the 1800s, women began to organize; they picketed, petitioned, and protested to win the right to vote. It wasn’t until decades later that their efforts reached Congress and the 19th Amendment was passed, thus marking the single largest expansion of voting rights in the history of the United States.

The first of many women’s rights conventions took place in 1840 in Seneca Falls, New York and it was here that the groundwork was laid. By 1900, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Idaho had given women the right to vote and they were followed shortly thereafter by several other states prior to 1920. The story of women’s suffrage has largely been celebrated from the perspective of middle-class white women from eastern states and iconic leaders of the national movement like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton. In fact, many men and women of color played integral roles in the suffrage movement. While the passage of the 19th Amendment was certainly a momentous moment in American history, the effort to achieve equal voting rights for all was quite piecemeal. Literacy tests, poll taxes, and other citizenship laws prohibited millions of women of color from the polls.

The fight for equal voting rights for all isn’t over today. Lawmakers continue to debate about issuesthat impact marginalized groups including whether ballots should be printed in multiple languages or whether identification is required at polling places. Research on past and current issues related to voting rights is encouraged!

Important Dates:
-Deadline for Submission: October 9 at Noon
-Drop off Art: October 28 from 9am-Noon
-Art Pick-up: November 23 from 9am-1pm