PBS News Hour

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Sreenivasan

TODAY MARKS WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SUSAN B. ANTHONY'S 200th BIRTHDAY. IN HONOR OF HER AND THIS YEAR'S CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY FOR WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE, A UNIQUE EVENT KICKS OFF TODAY IN NEW YORK CITY. NEWSHOUR WEEKEND'S KARLA MURTHY HAS MORE. >>

Reporter

THE PARK AVENUE ARMORY WAS BUILT IN THE LATE 1870s FOR THE SEVENTH REGIMENT OF THE NATIONAL GUARD. ITS RECEPTION ROOMS AND DRILL HALL SERVED AS A MILITARY FACILITY AND SOCIAL CLUB. TODAY, THE ARMORY IS DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING UNCONVENTIONAL WORKS OF ART IN THIS UNIQUE HISTORICAL SPACE. IN HONOR OF THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF THE 19th AMENDMENT, WHICH GAVE SOME WOMEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE, THE ARMORY IS HOSTING A TWO-PART EVENT CALLED "100 YEARS, 100 WOMEN." >> WE KNOW THAT WOMEN ARTISTS EXIST IN OUR WORLD, IN OUR CITY, AND-- AND HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY BRING THEM TOGETHER IN-- IN A LARGE SPACE FELT LIKE A SPECIAL MOMENT. >> ALONG WITH TEN OTHER CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, THE ARMORY WILL COMMISSION 100 WOMEN ARTISTS WHOSE WORK WILL BE SHOWCASED LATER THIS SPRING. >> WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BRING THEIR DAUGHTERS, THEIR MOTHERS, THEIR-- THEIR HUSBANDS AND SONS, AND TO EXPLORE THIS QUESTION OF, HOW FAR HAVE WE COME-- OR NOT-- YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST 100 YEARS AND USE THIS CENTENNIAL AS JUST A SPARK FOR CONVERSATION. >> IT JUST SEEMED LIKE SUCH A GREAT IDEA BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO GET A HUNDRED POINTS OF VIEW ON THIS SORT OF IMPORTANT CENTURY. THE HISTORY OF THE ARMORY WAS VERY MALE-CENTRIC. THERE WERE NO WOMEN AT THOSE MEETINGS, SO IT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING WHEN WE HAVE ARTISTS HERE BECAUSE I THINK THEY KNOW, THEY FEEL THAT CONTRAST, THAT THEY'RE BRINGING SOMETHING NEW-- A NEW TIME, A NEW HISTORY, A STORY ABOUT THE ARMORY. IT'S KIND OF GREAT, JUST WOMEN IN THE DRILL HALL, 100 YEARS AFTER THE-- AFTER SUFFRAGE. IT'S REALLY EXCITING, ACTUALLY.