Women in the Arts
Through our Creator Spotlight series, we celebrate successful creative women and girls by sharing their inspiring stories. The series also helps debunk the myth that you can’t have a successful career as a creative.
Filmmaker Emily Cohn
Creativity is bountiful on both sides of filmmaker Emily Cohn’s family. Her maternal great-grandfather was a cartoonist, while her mother is a clothing designer who currently creates one-of-a-kind necklaces and bracelets. Cohn’s father is a musician and songwriter. From both parents, she saw how much hard work goes into artistic endeavors, especially as monetary demands …
Artist and Professor Carol Prusa
It was not until college that Carol Prusa realized creating art made her feel fully engaged. A native of Chicago, Prusa had originally thought she’d pursue a career in the sciences. However, that first drawing class at the University of Illinois (coupled with its teacher’s support) put her on the path to becoming an artist. …
Writer Linda Hirshman
Those arguing #MeToo is losing steam are sorely mistaken. That’s the belief of best-selling author Linda Hirshman. Her latest book, Reckoning: The Epic Battle Against Sexual Abuse and Harassment, details the 50-year history of legal and cultural moments that precede #MeToo. It also serves as a reminder that the movement did not mysteriously happen overnight …
Filmmaker Jennifer Townsend
In 1991, an iconic film changed Jennifer Townsend’s life. Not only did Thelma & Louise inspire her to drop her former husband’s last name, it caused Townsend to launch a research project to see if other viewers also had strong emotional responses to the film. Email was not available, so a press release went out to …
Artist and Playwright Sarah Greenman
The arts have always been a part of Sarah Greenman. As a child, this painter, playwright, and activist spent hours with her maternal grandmother, a watercolorist in a small attic studio. Her grandfather built the sacred room, because he knew it was important for his wife to have space of her own. That tradition has …
Writer Jess Rinker and Illustrator Daria Peoples-Riley
Jess Rinker didn’t realize “writer” was a job title growing up. It wasn’t until reading Harry Potter that she understood her love for jotting down stories could become a career. Daria Peoples-Riley tossed her first self-portrait into the kitchen trash can. Luckily her mother rescued the piece, which today hangs in Peoples-Riley’s parents’ living room. Although they hadn’t …
Why Girls That Create
Why Girls That Create? Several years ago, I became part of the team behind WONDER WOMEN! THE UNTOLD STORY OF AMERICAN SUPERHEROINES. The documentary film explores the enduring legacy of Wonder Woman and how powerful women are often portrayed in mainstream media. It also encourages girls to be creators of the media they want to …