LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The YWCA National Capital Area has been a voice for women and a
voice for change for 100 years. From the early days when we provided
housing, sold chocolate chip cookies, and marched on Washington to
today’s focus on health and wellness, career education and training,
and child and youth development, the YWCA has always been at the
forefront of change, addressing the critical needs of women and their
families of all backgrounds.
Now in our centennial year, we celebrate our history with an art exhibit
showcasing women from around the world. Twenty-eight female artists
representing approximately 15 different countries have combined their
works making for an eclectic, exciting, and moving exhibit. The YWCA
thanks these artists for their passion and persistence to create in an
industry that often prefers to promote the talents of their male
colleagues.
This is one reason why the exhibit is important to the YWCA, for it
speaks to the commonality all women share from around the world-the
need for a greater voice. Whether women in Africa fight for survival
against AIDS or women in the Middle East struggle for equality, it is
their collective voices that will bring about change. This voice is
represented in their work either as a painted landscape from their
homeland or an abstract piece of mixed media.
Christena Hambrick, the curator, did an outstanding job of combining
these pieces and relating it to the purpose of the YWCA. It is because
of her efforts, those of the Voices Art Exhibit Committee, YWCA Board
members and the generosity of Pepco that this exhibit is made
possible. The YWCA would also like to thank our Centennial Sponsors,
Moet Hennessy for donating wine and the following restaurants for
donating food to the opening art reception: Bistro D’Oc, District
ChopHouse and Brewery, McCormick and Schmick’s Seafood
Restaurant, and Teaism.
May you reap the same level of satisfaction that we have from putting
together the exhibit and may you walk away from it with a greater
understanding and respect for the female voice-strong alone, fearless
together.
Orysia Stanchak
Executive Director
CURATOR’S STATEMENT
Voices, the exhibit, is about a reaction to journey through life as a
woman. This experience cannot be summed up in a few words or
phrases. It takes all forms of expression to even begin the
conversation. A call went out to women artisans of all nationalities to
reflect upon their internal, external and artistic voices as they relate to
a vehicle for empowerment. The response to this challenge has proved overwhelmingly inspiring and thought provoking.
Our common environment has yet produced efforts that are quite varied. As a result, the works in this exhibit span time, geography, subject matter and technique. Living in this country makes one take for granted the idea of free speech without realizing that it comes with tremendous responsibility. These artists have shouldered that responsibility with amazing fortitude; using images to register tone, bouncing elliptical thoughts off canvas so that they resound throughout the gallery. History and future are spoken with stroke, texture and color. Uncertainty and confidence are spoken with sand, wood and metal. Contentment and dissatisfaction are spoken with composition, form and delineation. Bearing witness to this exhibit will feel like conversation across spirit lines. Recognition is made of voice as one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal. Using that tool through art, much is said about the world through their eyes and how those eyes shape life. These women, who represent the international community, use their diverse tongues to remind us of our connectivity and that many voices joined together can and will effect change in the world. They create because they want to but also because they have to; each one in the universal language of artistry, urging us to listen to their sounds.
- Christena Hambrick
Curator, Voices Exhibit
RECEPTION PICTURES
A group shot of the VOICES artists.
Harlem Renaissance Painter, Georgette Seabrook Powell (right) and Patricia Green (left) with WPG
Marketing.
From left to right: YWCA Executive Director, Orysia Stanchak; Board President, Patty Brooks-Nobles;
VOICES Curator, Christena Hambrick
From left to right: YWCA Board Member and VOICES Co-Chair, Natasha Ross; YWCA Executive
Director, Orysia Stanchak; VOICES Co-Chair, Patrice Walker-Powell
YWCA Executive Director, Orysia Stanchak placing corsage on YWCA Centennial Campaign Co-Chair,
Alexine Jackson.
VOICES artist, Karlisima, standing in front of her art work at the gallery.
VOICES Artist, Teresa Gahglino (second from right) and her family standing in front of her art work at the
gallery.
From left to right: YWCA Board President, Patricia Brooks-Nobles; Former YWCA Board Member, Dr.
Roselyn P. Epps; YWCA Centennial Honorary Committee Member Dr. Roselyn E. Epps.
From left to right: YWCA Executive Director, Orysia Stanchak; Lesia Stanchak; YWCA Harrison Center
Practical Nursing Program Director, Retta Zeigler.
From left to right: YWCA Board Treasurer and Centennial Celebration Chair, Susan Henriques-Payne;
Centennial Campaign Co-Chair Bardyl Tirana.
Outside the Edison Place Gallery at 701 8th Street in downtown Washington, DC.
Center, VOICES artist, Gwen Lewis.
Far right, VOICES artist, Cynthia Farrell Johnson.
From left to right: Voices Artists, Karlisima and Marite Vidales.
Left, YWCA Board President and VOICES Artist, Tiffany Bullock.
Tiffany L. Bullock
