In Sisterhood: the Women's Movement in Pittsburgh
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In Sisterhood: the Women’s Movement in Pittsburgh Curated by Patricia M. Ulbrich, Ph.D. In Sisterhood: the Women’s Movement in Pittsburgh Curated by Patricia M. Ulbrich, Ph.D. Publication of this exhibition catalogue is supported in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts. and placards; the perseverance and courage of women and men for equality and human dignity. Somewho put were themselves academics, at risksome to were fight and some were laborers and home makers.involved Their in business stories and show finance, how the personal is still political. The exhibition serves to remind us that, although we are in a different historical period than In Sisterhood: that examined by the curator, the The Women’s Movement in Pittsburgh over. There is still work to be done. Curated by Patricia M Ulbrich, Ph.D Whenfight for the equal project rights is completed, is far from the Exhibition Guide, Introduction Darren Lee Miller, Gallery Director collection of oral histories, re- and Assistant Professor of Art corded on digital video to capture participants’ expressions as well In Sisterhood: The Women’s as their gestures, will be donated Movement in Pittsburgh is an oral to the University of Pittsburgh history and multimedia project Library Archive where they will be designed to promote a deeper available to scholars as well as the understanding and appreciation of general public. The traveling mul- this inspiring aspect of the re- timedia exhibit features a portrait gion’s history, and to highlight how gallery of the diverse group of local progress was achieved through the activists, videos about successful hard work and determination of a efforts to break down barriers to diverse group of local grassroots equality, period photos, buttons, activists. A related project, called placards, and other ephemera. BridgeBuilders, explores the syner- Patricia Ulbrich, Ph.D. is gistic nexus between the civil rights director and producer. She is a and women’s movements in Pitts- burgh during the 1960s and 1970s. student, and visiting scholar in In Sisterhood captures womenprogressive studies social at thescientist, University film aspects of the womens’ rights of Pittsburgh. For more than three movement that may have other- decades, Dr. Ulbrich’s research has wise gone unseen (or been forgot- focused women’s issues, including ten) in scholarly discourse: the how individuals’ race, class, and power of homegrown publications; gender shape their opportuni- the pursuasive power of buttons ties. She co-founded the Women and Girls Foundation of South- Megahan Galleries at Allegheny west Pennsylvania and serves on College present exhibitions and the board of Pittsburgh Action other visual arts programming Against Rape. Other team members for diverse audiences including include: Dino DiStefano, sound students, educators, emerging and recordist and documentary established artists, and other photographer; Mia Boccella Hartle, residents of northwestern videographer and editor; Two Girls Pennsylvania. Sponsored by the Working, multimedia artists; and College’s Art Department, gallery Jenny Wolsk Bain, webmaster. programs are designed to promote The essays and interviews active learning and inter- contained in this booklet were disciplinary exploration of the visual arts and culture. As Gallery my Spring 2012 Freshman Semi- Director, I encourage colleagues narwritten class, by Art first-year & Activism students. Like allin from across campus to collaborate second-semester Freshman Semi- on a curatorial vision that aligns nars, Art & Activism is a course in with the College’s curricular theme. persuasive writing and speak- I seek input from not only faculty ing, but with a focus on creative and alumni in my own department, interventions for social change. I but also those in the social and designed the course to investigate natural sciences, humanities, and current theory and practice as the student body. In Sisterhood was it relates to public, guerilla, and brought to my attention by alumna politically/socially based art works. Maggie Rich, an activist student Initial course work centered on who graduated in May 2011. exhibitions displayed at Allegheny The exhibition and this College (including this exhibition), publication were supported in part allowing students to experience by the Pennsylvania Council on the real activist artwork in a variety Arts, the Art Department of Allegh- of curated contexts. I worked with eny College, the Freshman Seminar the students to help them analyze Program at Allegheny College, the images and “read” visual texts, and Center for Political Participation at I gave them contextual tools to gain Allegheny College, and the Wom- access to the concepts in dense en’s Studies program at Allegheny visual materials and to articulate College. Exhibition of In Sisterhood: them in writing. Creating, design- The Women’s Movement in Pitts- ing, and publishing this catalogue burgh was part of the 2011-2012 represents an ambitious mid-term Year of Sustainable Communities project for my students, and was at Allegheny College, an annual followed by months of editing. curricular and co-curricular theme The Bowman~Penelec~ chaired by Dr. Elizabeth Ozorak. their hard work is currently re- ceiving its deserved recognition. A smiling close-up photograph of each featured member hangs in this exhibition, along with various artifacts and information from the feminist movement in the 1960’s and 70’s. The exhibition praises the individuals as pioneers who helped to shape the current land- scape of women’s roles in society and as activists who gathered, en- couraged, and inspired women in voices and to use them for social change.the Pittsburgh region to find their Each member has had per- sonal experience with some type of discrimination that inspired his or her involvement in NOW. Phyl- Phyllis Whetherby discrimination in matters involving Pioneers of Pittsburgh genderlis Wetherby and employment. felt the first stingIn 1952 of she worked for the US Steel Corpo- Haley Lynch ’15 and Julie Smith ’15 ration where she found that only her male coworkers were being When World War II ended, promoted. She threatened to quit women were encouraged to return to their domestic roles as house- civil suit by giving her the new title wives after temporarily taking posi- ofand research they deterred engineer. her She from gathered filing a tions as breadwinners while the knowledge from feminist literature, men were at war. After experienc- which inspired her to join the Pitts- ing such power and equality, some burgh chapter of NOW in 1968. In women were not pleased to return 1972 she was elected president of her local chapter. More recently, she response, a group of advocates has maintained an activist view- to their gender-defined roles. In formed the National Organization point on many controversial topics, for Women, or NOW. They fought such as the environment (Bryant). during a time when feminism was Similar to Wetherby, Cindy not widely popular and was not Judd Hill experienced discrimina- well received by the public, but tion in the workplace. She was a music teacher in Pittsburgh and of creativity in the feminist move- - ment when she became the chair- tion because she had a baby while woman of fundraising for the Wild shewas wasfired on from sabbatical her teaching earning posi a Sisters Coffee House, which was master’s degree. Ms. Hill sued the dedicated to presenting feminist Chartier’s Valley School District artists. Before this unique en- for discrimination. Both NOW and deavor, she was on the Chancellor’s the Pennsylvania Teacher’s As- Advisory Committee on Women at sociation supported her lawsuit. the University of Pittsburgh. She In August 1968, Judge Benjamin also participated in the Duquesne Lencher ruled that Chartier’s Valley Women Law Students Association. School District reinstate Ms. Hill She was Allegheny County’s Assis- for the full term. As a result of this tant District Attorney from 1977 to precedent, teachers’ unions added 1980, and then became the Attor- language to teachers’ contracts ob- ney-at-Law. Her primary work was ligating schools to retain a woman processing rape cases: “attorney in the same slot and pay scale when Ann Begler, a pivotal force behind she returns after pregnancy. After privacy rights for rape victims the ordeal, Hill became an active (Shaw).” member of NOW and worked with Barbara Hafer is pictured the other women to promote the smiling, but not looking directly at Equal Rights Amendment. Hill is a the camera. Instead she is looking dancer and performer, and she cur- up and to the right, with a gener- rently provides entertainment as a service to less able elderly women. Like Belger, Hafer focused on ac- At age 67, she won the Ms. Na- cessously to filled heath bookshelf care for women,behind her. with tional Senior Citizen Pageant and a special interest in helping rape declared herself to be breaking the victims. She grew up in poverty, stereotype of older women, who and Hafer’s single mother taught according to her are “very vibrant.” her to be a hard worker. As a public She performs for civic organiza- health nurse, she was motivated to tions and senior citizen homes, and work against the poverty, malnutri- encourages all women to be policy- tion and abuse that she saw while makers and leaders (Corbin). working. This led her to become The photo of Ann Begler involved in the women’s movement shows her sitting, relaxed with a in 1972. She joined the South Hills welcoming smile. Her right hand, chapter of NOW and the Pittsburgh with an oxidized silver ring on one chapter of the Women’s Political Caucus is looking directly into the camera. executive director of Pittsburgh Ac- Likefinger, Hill, supports Begler hersupported chin and the she use tion Against.