Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary’s College
(574) 284-4579
August 28, 2008 (Notre Dame, Ind.)— The Saint Mary's College Center for Women’s InterCultural Leadership (CWIL) will bring the photo exhibit Celebrating Women, by renowned photojournalist Paola Gianturco, to the Cushwa-Leighton Library from October 2 to January 15, 2009. It is currently on display at the Field Museum in Chicago. Gianturco will open the show personally in the library at 12 p.m. on October 2 with a conversation about her work. She will also give a public lecture, illustrated with her photographs, later that day at 7 p.m. in Little Theatre, Moreau Center for the Arts.
The exhibit depicts how the world celebrates women according to different cultures and customs. Gianturco’s collection includes 40 colorful images of festivities from around the globe that honor the feminine spirit, observe women’s rights of passage and commemorate women’s achievements. These images include parades, parties, ceremonies and competitions. The theme of the photo exhibit is in keeping with CWIL’s purpose—to prepare Saint Mary’s women to be leaders in a global society, while developing their intercultural knowledge.
“Paola’s photographic work furthers Saint Mary’s mission of preparing women to make a difference in the world, while promoting their aesthetic sensibility,” commented Elaine Meyer-Lee, CWIL’s director. “Saint Mary’s celebrated the opening of CWIL seven years ago with one of Paola’s earlier exhibits called In Her Hands: Craftwomen Changing the World. It seems appropriate to celebrate CWIL’s recent move into the new academic building with this exhibit.”
Photos from Gianturco’s Celebrating Women collection have also been published in a book by the same name. On her website www.celebratingwomen.com Gianturco says she was excited to learn that festivals celebrating women exist since in many countries women are considered less valuable than men or not valuable at all. “It would make my heart sing if (the photos) could help women everywhere understand one another more completely so we can put to use our similarities—and differences—to tackle the problems that beleaguer our families: poverty, hunger, illiteracy, disease, inequality, violence and environmental degradation.”
To arrange an interview with Paola Gianturco and/or to get images to use with an article about the exhibit, please contact Gwen O’Brien.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. The College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary's College ranks among the nation's top liberal arts colleges in U.S. News & World Report's 2009 annual survey. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
