Femme – “A Celebration to Woman”
An exhibit honoring the International Women’s Day.
March 26th – May 26th
HCC (Houston Community College) Southeast Campus
6818 Rustic
Houston TX, 77087
Learning Hub Building – 2nd Floor Gallery
Hours:
Mon – Fri: 9am – 6pm
Sat: 10am – 2pm
Sun: Closed
Femme, A Celebration to Woman, talks will continue on Friday, May 10, 2019, with the subject of “Mother”.
This event is part of the French Cultures Festival coordinated by the Cultural Service of the French Embassy in Houston, TX
Guest Speakers:
Geraldina Interiano Wise – Latina Artists / Abstract & Performance Art
Kinga Ferguson – Executive Director of Ars Lyrica Houston , Early Music Ensemble
Karine Parker – Director of TFFA Texas French Alliance for the Arts
Mayita Garza – International Interior Designer
Odette Macdonald – Vintage Expert and Bon Vivant
Olive Boureche – Designer, Realtor and Mother
Nathalie Bonnete – Entrepreneur, Mother of 6 with one special needs child.
Stephanie Laborde – Housewife, Mother extraordinaire and Fashion Expert
Claudia Velazco Osorio – Consul of Mexico
Dr. Catherine Karmel – MD Gynecologist Private Practice
Karol Bennett – Wife, Mother, Lyrical Performer
Samara Martinez – Music Instructor, Musician, and Performer
Kaye Fraser – Granddaughter of Florence Terry Griswald, Founder of the Pan American Round Table
Eglantine Pauvarel – Attorney
Caroline Guirette – Wife, Mother, and International Entrepreneur
Curator Statement:
A few months ago my friend Felipe Reyes Director of the Arts and Culture Dept. At HCC Southeast Campus invited me to curate an exhibit for the International Woman’s Day, March 8th. It was with great enthusiasm that I accepted the honor. For years I have been mentally curating this exhibition that will finally come to its fruition.
Originally I had worked on a personal manifesto that I wanted to share about this subject. This idea had stemmed from the moment I became a mother to a baby girl over 11 years ago now. It was at that moment that the role of women and their place in society began to have an increasingly important place in my mind and heart.
This initial idea for the exhibit has changed and evolved as the years have gone by. It started as an exhibit to exemplify woman’s sad ploy in third world counties as a constant victim and the emotional outrage I felt, I had also envisaged illustrating the inequalities of woman in the western world in the professional and political arenas.
I realized that there are so many interests and so many examples of injustices towards women, but then I also realized the many examples of illustrious and successful women throughout history that it would be impossible to encompass so much richness of subject in one simple exhibit.
My feminine instinct has lead me today to propose an art exhibit as a “Celebration to Woman”.
The title and content of this exhibit are largely influenced by my experiences and personal thoughts on being a woman, the title of the exhibit comes from my life in France.
I arrived in France at the young age of 17 and at that time songwriter and singer Julian Clerc was in vogue. I loved one of his hits, the words captured my heart because of the simplicity and yet the depth of their meaning. In his song Clerc sings to a woman or perhaps to all woman with great love for her strengths and her weakness’. The title of the song is “Femmes, je vous aime” and will be played in the background of the exhibit thus enveloping the viewer in his beautiful lulling words and tune.
In an era where there is pain and rancor among men, women and all genders this exhibit is but a mere reflection and desire to express my own personal feelings on the beauty and privilege of being a woman.
Through the extraordinary talent of the artists I wish to exhort the multiple facets of a woman in her life. These facets are illustrated in the exhibition through a grouping of diverse art works that will cover areas such as the physical, the spiritual and the natural elements that compose a woman’s life.
The exhibit will also include art performances and a series of talks and concerts.
Some art works will be replaced by others to give the exhibit extra depth and an evolutive element throughout the duration of the exhibit.
