The correct of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any Point out on account of sexual intercourse.

19th Modification to the U.S. Constitution

Marilyn Artus, Her Flag.

As portion of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, the Countrywide Museum of Women in the Arts is partnering with Her Flag to screen a new banner on its New York Avenue façade.  

Developed by visible artist Marilyn Artus, the work is, like the suffrage movement and the passage of the modification, the do the job of numerous women of all ages about time.

Describing herself as “a female equality activist, fiber artist and a suffrage period nerd,” Artus’s do the job is a comment on women’s roles in the improvement of the United States. Artus has lengthy been employing the American flag as a car or truck for feminist exploration, as she slice and sewed back again with each other items of American heritage. 

“The flag is usually associated with guys and their accomplishments, and around the years has turn into involved with conservative People. But the flag is supposed to represent all of us.” 

From the passage of the 19th Amendment by Congress in June 1919, it would be a further 15 months before—by one particular vote—Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the modification, thus ensuring its adoption on August 26, 1920, as element of the Structure of the United States.

For the development of Her Flag, Artus planned to travel to all 36 states that voted to ratify, in order of ratification, about a time span of 14 months to do the job with the state artists making a stripe for Her Flag and sewing it on to the 18- by 26-foot flag.

Starting off from her property in Oklahoma Metropolis, from June of 2019 right up until February of 2020, Artus made 11 of the prepared 17 journeys. Then COVID-19 shut the globe down. 

Marilyn Artus, Her Flag (element), 2020 UV grade polyester, 18 x 26 ft. Courtesy of the artist Picture by Shevaun Williams.

“I received to 28 of the 36 states ahead of I had to start out stitching the stripes nearly on the originally scheduled dates I had planned from home. I logged more than 22,000 miles in my auto and several miles to the couple of states I flew to in the course of the winter season months. (I was not about to travel into rural North Dakota in January!)” 

The job involved a community of curators, artwork coaches, artists and other creatives who spread the phrase. A committee reviewed over 340 applicants to decide on the finalists. There are graphic designers, book illustrators, painters, fiber artists, photographers, blended media artists and other people that make up the 36 collaborators from across the place. Artus points out that whilst there is some recurring women’s suffrage imagery, there are various artwork kinds so just about every stripe seems to be exclusive. Even though most artists targeted on gals activists in their state’s histories, they had been requested to preserve their artwork celebratory and contemplate background both regional and nationwide. The task features women from the suffrage and civil legal rights actions as nicely as modern day ladies and women associated in today’s social justice activism.

A handful of of the artists employed their regular art-building methods—such as Lisa Jean Allswede, a fiber-blended media who represented Nevada. She painted on watercolor paper then machine and hand sewed specifics to her stripe and experienced the completed work photographed. From digital information, Artus experienced all 36 stripes printed on outdoor UV-grade industrial banner cloth. Most observed is Nashville-primarily based artist Higgins Bond whose pencil drawings honor Ida B. Wells, Mary Church Terrell, Rosa Parks, Ella Baker and Fannie Lou Hamer.

Her Flag reveals numerous internet pages left out of the historical past guides. Although some ladies grew to become earth-famous and are revered right now, lots of were only known in their spot and time. Symbolizing distinct races and creeds, they are united in their perseverance to suffrage and civil rights actions.

Though the 19th Modification states that no a person be denied the vote centered on intercourse, the ideal to vote to all women of all ages would not be afforded to Indigenous American, Asian American, Latinx and African American women till substantially later on. Displaying Her Flag in Washington D.C. is specially important, as D.C. people do not still have comprehensive representation.

In a person of its remaining exhibits before closing for a two-calendar year renovation, The NMWA will unfold Her Flag from June 9 by means of July 12, 2021. A digital panel discussion will consider position June 16 at 1:30 pm EST with Marilyn Artus, Higgins Bond, fellow showcased artist Nicole LaRue and Stasha Rhodes, campaign director of 51 for 51 in conversation with NMWA Affiliate Curator Ginny Treanor. They will focus on the centenary of the 19th Amendment, the making of Her Flag and the continuing battle for common access to the ballot box.   

Up upcoming:


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By Harmony