1998-1999
Series
University of Michigan
students in Carol Jacobsen's "Photo-Active Feminist
Artists" courses are documenting the visits of eight
female activist photographers. Artists Paula
Allen,
Susan
Meiselas,
Connie
Samaras,
Pat
Ward-Williams,
Kathy Constantinides,
Wendy
Ewald,
Marilyn
Zimmerman and
Barbara
Kruger traveled
to Michigan from both coasts this Fall to present their
work to students and the public as part of a two semester
project sponsored by the National Endowment for the
Arts.
As socially active
artists, Allen, Meiselas, Samaras, Ward-Williams,
Constantinides, Ewald, Zimmerman, and Kruger connect
photographic representation with feminist agendas by
addressing and documenting such issues as violence
against women, stereotypical representations of women in
the mass media, women's labor and lifestyles, and issues
of difference among women; i.e. race. ethnicity and
sexual identity. As social and political activists, they
call attention, through their artwork, to women's issues
that have remained in the shadows of society for
centuries.
Students organized,
publicized and documented the visits of these eight women
through interviews, photography, video, and other
resource materials. They arranged and hosted community
events ranging from a book signing to discussions with
various local and political groups including Amnesty
International, Focus Hope, Common Language Books, The
Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center, The
Heidelberg Project, The Detroit Art Institute, and
several Michigan colleges. The series ends in Spring of
1999 with the production of a public catalogue that
presents information about these artists, their work, and
their visits to the University of Michigan.