Our Story
HOW IT STARTED
When the Dobbs decision came down eliminating access to safe and legal abortion and many other essential forms of women’s health care, Julia Haart --rebellious fashion entrepreneur and feminist who was formerly ensconced in a fundamentalist religious sect-- decided her life could never be the same.
A group of like-minded artists, businesswomen and activists began meeting at Julia’s home (inspired by Gloria Steinem’s decree “Gather and gather often”) to devise ways to inspire, celebrate, amplify and empower women. Brandishing negative press planted by her combative litigious ex-husband on Page Six, the group hit upon an idea to create art built upon the pages of Julia’s pain; and now in the wake of the women led revolution in Iran, catalyzed by Mahsa Amini’s death, it is a crucial time for women to come together in community and spread messages of resistance.
Says Haart: “We have seen that this country’s power structures are not inclusive or equitable to women, from my own family law case where two women’s testimonies about abuse were dismissed and ignored, all the way up to the Supreme Court deciding that women should no longer have control over their own bodies. I was was struck by dozens of women, both in and out of my circle, coming to me with their own painful stories of being disbelieved or dismissed during times of crisis. The purpose of this project is to therefore create a moment of transformation around the systemic pain impacting women by inequity and patriarchal structures that disenfranchise us, through a beautiful explosion of art centered on the idea that EVERY woman has a similar story, and together we can reclaim, rise and grow in our power.
PAIN(T) TO POWer
ABOUT C. FINLEY: C. Finley, Founder and Curator of the Every Woman Biennial and director of the La MaMa Galleria is known for her elaborate paintings and intense use of color, monumental murals, multi-disciplinary collaborations, and her activism through urban art interventions, including her acclaimed Wallpapered Dumpsters. As the creator of the 2014-2021 Every Woman Biennial she exhibited 1200 female and non-binary artists in New York, Los Angeles and London. Finley has shown internationally and her work has been featured in the The New York Times, La Repubblica, Dazed, Fast Company, Women’s Wear Daily, LALA, and more.
iamfinley.com @iamfinley
ABOUT LA MAMA: Founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, La MaMa is a home for artists of all identities, races, ages, and cultures. At La MaMa, artists are provided the space, support, and creative freedom to explore new forms of expression and to make new work. La MaMa believes art is a force for change. Violence, discrimination, and systemic racism will not stop without a unified resistance. La MaMa is committed to battling bigotry and intolerance in all its forms, and to providing inclusive spaces for our local, national, and global community.
LEADING THE CHARGE ALONGSIDE JULIA HAART TO ACTIVATE THE PROJECT ARE ARTIST ACTIVIST KATE SIAHAAN-RIGG, POLITICAL ACTIVIST AND PRESIDENT OF VOTEPROCHOICE HEIDI SIECK, COMMUNITY ORGANIZER SHAUNA THOMAS OF ULTRA VIOLET, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF LONGTIME D&I CHAMPION LA MAMA ETC. MIA YOO, AND IRANIAN ARTIST ACTIVIST NICOLE ANSARI.
THE EVENT
La Mama ETC, a haven for women artists since the 1960s, has generously provided a large wall on their building to house a mural, inviting women to turn their pain into power on December 4th, on the heels of the autumnal equinox, through a collective artwork designed by C. Finely.This wall will hold the stories of hundreds of women within individual stars. Each star can be pre-filled with images, writings, letters or art encapsulating individual women’s ascendance from oppression to empowerment. Meant to inspire and connect women to their power, the stars will be laid over a giant (include actual size here) technicolor painting of Lady Justice, created especially for this moment.
2pm Gathering: Live DJ, refreshments, make your Story Star (See How Page)
2:30pm Star Formation: Inspiring music and storytelling from performers and Special Guests
3pm Star Ceremony: Share our "Star Stories" and official launch of the work
3:30pm: A powerful performance by AnonymousNYC in support of women-led revolution in Iran
4pm Star Placement: Mural Artists will add all the Story Stars to the mural to create a living work of art and dedication by Julia Haart
AnonymousTheatreNYC performs at 3:30PM
Activist band BETTY performs at 3pm