Press Release
University of North Carolina Asheville
Spanning generations of feminist thought and cultural influences ranging from African-American spirituals to punk rock, Women’s History Month 2014 at UNC Asheville will extend into April.
Women’s History Month events include talks by Robin Morgan, editor of the groundbreaking Sisterhood is Powerful anthology, and Laverne Cox, the African-American transgender television star; the Core Ensemble’s performance of Ain’t I a Woman; and the annual F-Word (Feminist) Film Festival.
February 28-March 29: Remembering Ravensbrück: Women and the Holocaust – This national traveling exhibition tells the story of the Nazi concentration camp where more than 150,000 women were interred. The exhibit, created by the Kennesaw State University Public History and German Studies Programs and the Ravensbrück Memorial Site, will be staged in Karpen Hall by UNC Asheville’s Center for Diversity Education. Free.
March 4: Laverne Cox presents Ain’t I A Woman: My Journey to Womanhood – Actress, writer, producer and advocate Laverne Cox, the first African-American transgender woman to appear on a reality TV show, is best known for her role in the Netflix Orange Is the New Black series. Her talk, addressing how the intersections of race, class and gender uniquely affect transgender women of color, will be followed by a question and answer session, and a meet and greet opportunity. This event begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, in UNC Asheville’s Lipinsky Auditorium and is sponsored by UNC Asheville SAIL and Underdog Productions. Admission is $5 at the door with first-come first-served general admission seating.
March 5: F-Word Film Festival – This year’s festival takes the form of a documentary double-feature: Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines and Grrrl Love and Revolution: Riot Grrrl NYC. The film screenings begin at 7 p.m. in the Humanities Lecture Hall. A panel discussion with UNC Asheville faculty and students will be held after the screenings. Free.
March 6: Art Opening: Works by Mary Alice Ramsey and Bet Kindley – Ramsey and Kindley, longtime friends and co-proprietors of the Sassafrass Studio in the River Arts District, present joint exhibitions in the Highsmith Art and Intercultural Gallery in Highsmith University Union. Ramsey’s show of acrylics and mixed media works is called Faces, Flowers and Super Powers; Kindley’s show of photos and encaustic paintings is titled Windows, Doors and Glass Ceilings. The opening reception takes place from 5-6:30 p.m. The exhibition is on view through March 30. Free.
March 27: The Core Ensemble performs Ain’t I a Woman – This musical theater work for actress and trio (cello, piano and percussion) celebrates the lives of four significant African-American women: Sojourner Truth, Zora Neale Hurston, Clementine Hunter and Fannie Lou Hamer. The score is drawn from many streams of African-American music including spirituals, jazz and classical. The performance begins at 7 p.m. in the Humanities Lecture Hall. Free.
April 3: Robin Morgan presents Sisterhood Tweets and Blogs into the 21st Century – Editor of the 1970 anthology, Sisterhood Is Powerful, which was named by the New York Public Library as one of the 100 most influential books of the 20th century, Morgan also has written more than 20 books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, and is the global editor of Ms. Magazine. Her talk takes place at 7 p.m. Free.
The university’s Women’s History Month activities are sponsored by many UNC Asheville programs and offices including the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program. For more information, please contact Lori Horvitz, professor of literature and language, at 828.251.6590.
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