by Miriam Silverberg

Are you a woman?  If you are, then you absolutely must see a new exhibit at the NY Historical Society celebrating the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage.  And for the men in your life, they should see it, too.  Especially with what Women and society in general are going through today.  The Society is celebrating the centennial of women’s suffrage In NYS with the premiere of its new film, We Rise, a specially produced documentary narrated by Meryl Streep that places women at the center of political thought and action that reshaped the country in the early 20th century.

Opening the same day as the film’s premier is Hotbed, from the Society’s Center for Women’s History and brings to life the Bohemian spirit of early 20th century Greenwich Village and the crucial role it’s female artists and activists played in winning the right to vote.  This is on view from November 3 to March 25.  Hotbed uses immersive installations and more than 100 artifacts and images to explore how the vibrant artistic and political culture of the Village served as an incubator and revitalized the suffrage movement.

We Rise is a thrilling 17-minute film shown in regular rotation in their ground-floor theater.  It explores a riveting chapter in NY and American history during the early 20th century when the city was emerging on the world stage and about to take its place as the world capital.  You must see this—really, you must.

Miriam Silverberg is a freelance journalist and owner of Miriam Silverberg Associates, a boutique publicity agency in Manhattan.  She may be reached at silverbergm@mindspring.com.