On August 18, 1920, the Tennessee state legislature voted to ratify the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees and protects women’s right to vote. As the 36th state to approve the amendment, Tennessee completed the two-thirds majority needed to make it the law of the land. One hundred years later, this country holds elections with significantly fewer legal restrictions on who is allowed to vote. In attempting to count every person currently living in the United States, including individuals experiencing homelessness, the 2020 U.S. census has collected data that will determine the allocation of resources and funding, the boundaries of legislative and congressional districts, and the number of seats representing each state in the U.S. House of Representatives.

We Count: First-Time Voters honors the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment and the importance of civic engagement by highlighting the history of voting in the United States and the first voting experiences of a diverse group of Nashvillians. Five local artists created visual representations of these voting experiences in a variety of mediums.

All artworks appear courtesy of the artists, who retain the copyright to their work. All artwork photography: John Schweikert. Artist headshots: Aisha S. Kaikai (@ishpicturesque)

Click here to visit the Frist Art Museum website for this online exhibit.