Using Film and Art to Tell 'Herstory'

multimedia

Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff's Opening Remarks

podcats


	Arizona PodCats (Nov. 20, 2008): Interview with Scott Bernstein, Center for Neighborhood Technology

news tools

RSS Feeds

Using Film and Art to Tell 'Herstory'

"Innocent Target" by Jill Renee is a work that serves to expose the abuse of women and girls by use of weapons. Much of Smith's work addresses the issue of sexual exploitation of young women and girls.

Linda J. Lumsden, UA associate professor of journalism, is one of several "Women's Herstory Month" speakers and presenters.

Numerous events throughout Women's History Month will explore the levels of oppression women of varying backgrounds and identities face while also celebrating the contributions of women.

By University Communications
March 3, 2008

Using art as the medium, multiple centers and student organizations on The University of Arizona campus will explore issues that affect women today in honor of Women's History Month.

Throughout March, the UA’s campus community has coordinated film screenings, an art exhibit and a fashion show featuring “real” women with varying body types.

Termed “Women’s Herstory Month,” the collection of events coincides with the National Women’s History Project’s theme, which is “Women’s Art: Women’s Vision Celebration.”

“Women’s history goes really deep. Although women, people of color and marginalized groups are not often discussed in history books doesn’t mean that we haven’t been active throughout history," said Carly Thomsen, director of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona's Women’s Resource Center.

“There are still a lot of issues that impact women today, and feminism is alive and well,” Thomsen said.

“People are working on these issues and there are historical roots to all these problems,” she added. “These problems aren’t new. People working for social justice have been working on these issues for some time, and they still are.”

In a broad-brush approach, the month’s events will cover topics such as human trafficking, financial stability, body image and the history of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.

Also, the UA’s Center for Student Involvement & Leadership will hold a number of interactive workshops on topics that include social identity development and institutional oppression.

“We’re are trying to address the fact that racism, homophobia, classism, sexism – all of these intersect with gender,” said Thomsen, who is also a graduate student in the UA’s women’s studies program.

“So, even if we’re talking about one specific issue, it’s going to impact different women differently,” Thomsen said.

The months’ events include:

March 3: The Women’s Resource Center will screen “Iron Jawed Angels” at 7 p.m. Linda Lumsden will speak during this free event. Lumsden, a UA assistant professor of journalism, authored a book titled “Rampant Women: Suffragists and the Right of Assembly,” which deals with ways women used picketing and public protest to win the right to vote under the 19th Amendment.

March 4: The Women’s Resource Center is sponsoring LUNAFEST, a national multi-site festival that features short films produced by women. The event will be held at The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. The cost is $5 for students and $10 for community members.

March 5: The “Forgotten Girls” exhibit reception will be held in the Kachina Lounge, which is located on the third floor of the UA’s Student Union Memorial Center, 1303 E. University Blvd. The exhibit features mixed media art by Jill Renee that speaks about human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of women and girls.

March 6: A screening of “Women Now” will be held at the Social & Behaviorial Seciences Annex, 1443 E. First St., in the conference room. The 7 p.m. event is free. The film, produced by the National Organization for Women, explores feminism.

March 10: Anna O’Leary, a Mexican American Studies and Research Center professor, will speak about the experience of women immigrants. Her free talk, “Foreign and Female: Rectifying Dual Identities and Border Crossings,” will be held at noon at Heritage Hill, which is located just south of the Administration Building. That evening, “Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives” will be screened at Gallagher Theater in the Student Union. The 7 p.m. event is free.

March 24: The Center for Student Involvement & Leadership will host the Media That Matters Film Festival at noon in Room 404 of the Student Union. The festival is a showcase of short films by filmmakers from all over the Untied States.

March 27: “The Real Women Runway” fashion show will be held in The Cellar at the Student Union. The 7 p.m. event will feature live music and a reception.