Inspiring Women Letterpress Prints: Voices Across Her/story
Women’s History Month is intended to commemorate, honor and make visible the contributions of women throughout history (or better yet, her-story). But, being visible does not always equate to being legible, or being heard.
This year Women’s and Gender Studies at the College of Charleston is theming our programming in celebration of our first woman Vice President, Madame Kamala Harris, who now famously quipped to her rudely interrupting debate opponent, “Excuse Me, I’m Speaking.”
Our programming looks back and also forward, intending to make visible and legible those women and femme-identifying rebels, agitators, knowledge creators, artists, and visionaries who trailblaze for equity and justice – historically and in present day. Join us in celebrating HER-stories!
INSPIRING WOMEN PORTFOLIO was created in celebration of the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment. The women featured here are from many time periods, all possessing a radical spirit of creating change in the world. The portfolio was printed during the 2020 Covid19 Pandemic and was organized by Kathryn Hunter, Blackbird Letterpress. May these women continue to inspire as the uncertain future unfolds.
On August 18, 1920, the US Constitution’s 19th Amendment was ratified—declaring no citizen could be denied the right to vote based on their sex. For more than 100 years, women’s suffrage supporters had fought for this right among others, including equal pay and access to education. However, the racially divided movement did not address the intersecting inequalities of race, class, and ethnicity. Intimidation, laws, fraud, and violence blocked women of color from voting. The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 granted voting rights, but many states denied this right to Indigenous women through the 1950s. Black women faced barriers until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As we acknowledge the movement’s flaws, we also celebrate all women who organized, marched, and risked their lives to bring the US closer to universal suffrage. Their efforts gave women the chance to politically, socially, culturally, and economically transform this country.
This WGS virtual exhibit would not be possible without Ink Meets Paper in Charleston, SC and Blackbird Letterpress in Baton Rouge, LA.
INK MEETS PAPER is a letterpress studio in Charleston, SC owned by the wife-and-wife duo Allison and Jamie Nadeau. "Passionate about producing thoughtful, deliberate products that help to spread more love in the world," the INK MEETS PAPER team creates handcrafted stationery and cards on the same letterpress printing machines that makers used back in the early 1900s. You can learn more about INK MEETS PAPER by visiting their website.
Blackbird Letterpress is a letterpress printshop that was founded by Kathryn Hunter, a printmaker and fine artist, in 2003. After many moves and expansions, you can find Blackbird Letterpress in Baton Rouge, LA, with an expanded lineup of impressive letterpress equipment including the original Chandler & Price letterpress that has been with Blackbird since the beginning. You can learn more about Blackbird Letterpress by visiting their website.
Join WGS for a special panel and behind-the-scenes look at this virtual exhibit – featuring Jamie and Allison Nadeau of INK MEETS PAPER, Kathryn Hunter of Blackbird Letterpress, Jennifer Farrell of Starshaped Press, and Jessica Spring & Chandler O'Leary, of Dead Feminists. Panelists will discuss their involvement with this project and their careers as letterpress printers.
March 23, 5:30pm – Panel: Inspiring Women Letterpress Prints: Voices Across Her/story
Pre-Register for this Zoom event: bit.ly/WGSherstorypanel
View the Exhibit
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