Washington Post reporter Carl Shane wrote in Why the dearth of statues honoring women in Statuary hall and elsewhere? (April 15, 2011) that the Maryland General Assembly ended Monday’s session without a vote to replace a sculpture of John Hanson in the U.S. Capitol’s national Statuary Hall with one of Harriet Tubman. He quoted Linda Mahoney* as follows, “Women continue to be put in the margins or in the footnotes…this is separate and unequal treatment.” According to the article statues commemorating a female figure are rare: only 394 of 5,193 public outdoor statues in the United States, or less than 8 percent, are of women (Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Art Inventories.)
The article gave me yet another reason to get my memoir, Unsinkable, in print. I don’t expect to be immortalized in stone but perhaps the version of a female role model offered on the pages of my book can inspire women too. I agree that we should do better with diversity in public statues. I can think of few statues that depict women as providers, protectors, parents and partners but I can attest to the fact that statues depicting determined and courageous women are important for the aspirations and identity of young girls.
I grew up in Bethesda, Maryland and was fortunate to walk by such a statue, Madonna of the Trail, one of 12 monuments dedicated to the spirit of pioneer women in the United States. That stone woman, oversized in life and in my psyche, shaped my imaginings and helped me find strength. As a single parent I embodied her --a child in my arms, a young boy clinging to my skirts and a metaphorical rifle by my side. Each time I took on a new frontier I walked in her footsteps.
The legacy of women’s leadership can and does distinguish them in “his-story”: but the power of sculpture, like all artistic expression including memoir, engenders emotions and motivates in a unique way. Gender equity in stone and in “her-story” creates dreams that will empower future queens. I want my three grand daughters to have the visceral experience provided by sculptural representations of noble and capable women overcoming the challenges of life. I also hope my book can be a living statue that encourages and influences as Madonna of the Trail inspired me.
*no relation to me
The reality is that we don't remember who John Hanson is, but we all know who Harriet Tubman is! These common heroines, like Rosa Parks, mean so much more to us today than the random military guys on horses that appear around D.C.
Posted by: Elizabeth | 04/27/2011 at 12:40 AM