2016 marks the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote in Alberta. To celebrate the centennial, the Borealis Gallery will feature an insightful new exhibition, Voices for the Vote.
Voices for the Vote will examine historical and contemporary issues of feminism, activism, equality and place through a combination of archival photographs, cartography, oral histories and contemporary artwork.
“While women won the vote in small, incremental steps, our western provinces led the way, setting the example for the rest of Canada,” said Honourable Robert E. Wanner, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. “This exhibition will highlight some of the voices of Alberta’s suffrage movement and explore how power and place informed the conversation.”
Voices for the Vote will feature maps of Alberta, Edmonton and Calgary along with archival documents, photographs and oral histories that help situate the social and economic conditions that created an atmosphere in which women’s suffrage could succeed in 1916. The exhibition will include contemporary artwork by Alberta artists, created in response to the anniversary of women’s suffrage, and work that encourages visitors to reflect on the current status of women in Alberta.
The exhibit will run from June 6 to August 14, 2016. This exhibition has been made possible in part by the government of Canada.
About the Centennial
The Equal Suffrage Statutory Law Amendment Act of 1916, which gave many women the right to vote in provincial elections, was an important step in the continuing evolution of democracy in Alberta. It is important to note that the centennial does not represent universal suffrage. Voting equality wasn’t achieved until First Nations people were allowed to vote in 1960 without losing their treaty rights and status.
Borealis Gallery
The Borealis Gallery, located on the main floor of the Edmonton Federal Building, opened in 2015 and is one of four dynamic spaces featured in the Legislative Assembly Visitor Centre.
As with all programming offered by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, this exhibition will be a free, non-ticketed event open to the public. Groups of 10 or more are asked to contact the visitors’ reservations line at 780.427.7362 to make arrangements.
The Legislative Assembly Visitor Centre is open for all to discover, family friendly, free, educational and nonpartisan.
Suffrage Rally
In 1914 a large delegation convened to petition the province and Premier Sifton for women’s right to vote. Together with partner museums such as Fort Edmonton Park and John Walter Museum, the Legislative Assembly will re-create the 1914 suffrage rally at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 9.
For information on the exhibit and hours of operation please visit: http://www.assembly.ab.ca/