WomenISH...is so dope!
I had fun attending the 2020 WOMANish Exhibit Experience in the heart of downtown Chicago. The founders of this exhibit are sisters Dionna and Danyelle Gray and Emily Dahlquist, the creative director. This fabulous experience included exhibits curated by a diverse group of internationally known artists. Various artistic expressions were conveyed through both visual and physical presentations. This experience was originally scheduled for March but was postponed due to COVID-19 and expected to run for a month. After such an overwhelming response and several SOLD OUT days, the schedule went from one month to run for 3 months and counting. This creative expression included women who have been traditionally left out of the feminist movement, including women of color. The exhibit touched on several issues, including consumerism, compensation, sexuality, and self-care. I learned more about the pay inequalities that exist between men and women—the high cost of consumerism, where women are charged more for clothes, shoes, and toys. I was stunned when I found out women spend an average of $11,000 on feminine care products over a lifetime. One exhibit concluded self-care is not selfish, along with beautiful expressions of black women and their hair. There was also a dark room with the most profound poem on depression as experience through a woman's eyes during the pandemic. I could go on and on about these wonderfully curated artistic expressions. There were so many beautifully curated spaces that were perfect photo opportunities throughout the exhibit space. They definitely need to take this exhibit to every city across the nation.
This was a unique celebration of womanhood, creative expression, and empowerment!