The exhibition features original portrait art of some of these leaders, commissioned by RCHS and created by local, Minnesota, South Dakota, and New York artists. Created in a wide variety of media, including painting, stained glass, textiles, drawing, and more, these portraits complement the historical information. Each artist chose a specific leader of the Minnesota Suffrage movement to commemorate, using their art to illustrate the themes, struggle, and determination of the campaigners. RCHS and the exhibition organizers developed this artistic commission to evoke pride in our foremothers in the movement.

The exhibition and artwork addresses the emotion around what was (and for some, remains) a contentious event in our collective history, as well as a way to contemporize what some see as distant history.

View Artist's Work and Process