Seventy Four Painting

"Still Counting... 4. 34. 48. 130. In a world where women continue to fight for equality, we are “Still Counting” the moments and milestones that make up a movement. Known for designing noteworthy exhibits focused on women’s empowerment, Emily Mackie, founder of Chicago’s Inspired Interiors design firm, gathered 21 female artists to create personal, powerful works provoked by the number of years it has taken to receive equal rights in a list of categories essential to living in true gender equity (think everything from Supreme Court appointments and Presidential nominations to the right to economic identity). " What, When, Where... When I received an email inviting me to collaborate there was an attachment outlining titles we could select from. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974 just jumped out at me. Amongst other things, it was the act that made it illegal for creditors to discriminate against women seeking credit. It was finally illegal for creditors to interrogate a woman with a barrage of questions to find out if she planned on having children, if she was divorced, etc. And it finally became legal for a woman to secure her own credit card, even if she was not married. It also became legal for a married woman to obtain her own credit card without her husband's approval or signature. I was a little shocked. I was 9 years old at the time. This was in my lifetime. Still counting... I created this piece "Seventy Four" inspired by this important step forward for women. Created with the same mediums and materials I have been working in, I wove this message into the fibers of this painting. It represents the strength of women before me and the determination of my generation and the next to keep pushing for equal rights, from credit and fair pay to equal representation in art. Still counting.... This painting and other artworks celebrating our triumphs in history will be on exhibit at SOFA in Chicago at the Navy Pier in Chicago....