“This is an Emergency!”
A reproductive rights and gender justice portfolio
A collection of 17 Artist Prints and 9 Inter-generational Essays
I am pleased to announce the release of a project which brings together the voices and artwork of over two dozen people on reproductive rights and gender justice. This collection highlights the visual art and stories of people most affected by these issues- women, queer identified, and transgendered artists and organizers. Reproductive rights and gender justice are in a state of emergency. This is a collection of responses to this crisis through visual art and interviews.

This collection features artists from the Justseeds Artist’s Cooperative Grand Prix winner of the 28th International Biennial of Graphic Arts including: Favianna Rodriguez, Melanie Cervantes, Mary Tremonte, Meredith Stern, Bec Young, Thea Gahr and Molly Fair. Another noteworthy participant is Erin Rosenthal of Providence, RI’s historic Fort Thunder. Also included are Providence RI based artists Ian Cozzens, Delia Kovac, Emmy Bright, Arley Torsone, Kristina Brown, Lois Harada, Arthur Katrina, Sam Merritt and Olivia Horvath.
The written essays are presented in the form of a small hand sewn ‘zine. This aspect of the project has an inter-generational component; people in their 20’s and 30’s interviewed their mentors and elders. Among those interviewed are Heather Booth and Judith Arcana of the historic Jane Abortion Collective in Chicago, Peg Johnston of The Abortion Conversation Project, Judy Kashoff, Gina Glantz, choreographer Ken Rinker, Virginia Reath and Elizabeth Esris. Also included is Susan Simensky Bietila’s comic “The Bridal Fair” which was originally printed in World War 3 Illustrated. Women, feminists, gay, and queer identified people are largely absent from most historical texts and within this document we share our stories. This collection includes personal narratives as well as the life experiences of people working for equality through political and grassroots movement work.
To host this collection at a gallery or institution contact Meredith Stern: merrydef [at] yahoo (dot) com
To purchase a copy of the portfolio, you can click HERE.
To check out the website for this project, click Here.
How these portfolios are being used:
Nearly two dozen of the portfolios have been donated to organizations working on these issues. They can reproduce the images for use in their campaigns, display them at their events or in their office, use the images on their website, newsletters or other written materials, or to sell the posters as a fundraiser for their organization.
Portfolio Exhibitions:
Mid July – August 2012: “Backlash On Women’s Basic Freedom and Rights” at SoHo20 Chelsea Gallery in New York, NY.
August 2012: “Radical Portfolio Show” at 186 Carpenter Street Gallery in Providence, RI.
Fall 2012: Brown University Women’s Center in Providence, RI and the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT.