Events
in the Community
Women Peace & Security Roundtable
Miami Dade Military Museum
miami, may 2023
On May 18, 2023 we attended the Women Peace and Security roundtable and ribbon cutting celebrating the new women’s room at the Miami Dade Military Museum. The roundtable panel included Southern Command Ambassador Jean Manes, Gold Star mother Georgina Carter Krell, and Command Chief Warrant Officer Sandra Albelo. They spoke before a notable military and civilian audience. On behalf of the museum, Dr. Anthony Atwood, purchased four signed and numbered Defending Democracy portraits for the exhibition and the museum’s permanent collection. Mary Ellen spoke on the project and about the women in her paintings.
The ribbon cutting was performed by Ambassador Manes.
Mary Ellen Scherl with Duilia Mora Turner, Former Chief of Women Peace and Security, United States Air Force. Turner was the visionary and curator the new exhibition that honors and celebrates the South Florida women who have served our nation.
Mary Ellen gives a brief history on each woman in the portraits.
Attendees pose “Rosie Riviter style” to express their solidarity with our female service members.
It was a spectacular evening!
Perrine Community House
Palmetto Bay, March 2023
The evening began with the all-female South Miami High School Junior ROTC cadets presenting the colors.
We were honored to have Chief of Media and Entertainment at the Pentagon and Former Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Glen Roberts give inspiring and supportive remarks.
I gave a tour of the portraits. The series won’t be complete until it includes women from all of the services.
GREAT NEWS!!! We just launched Limited Edition Art Prints, signed and numbered.
To order yours, go to:
https://usmilitarywomen.org/limited-edition-prints/
100% of the proceeds go to Defending Democracy, our 501(c)3 non-profit.
McKennaTurso greeted guests and pinned ribbons on our Veterans.
I was so proud of the young people who are committed to being of service to our country.
Parents Melvin and Michele Mills (left) proudly stand before their daughter Makayla’s portrait. The Mills raised an incredible young woman who excelled at MATER Academy in Miami and at the University of Florida where she graduated with honors. Makayla was one of only 20 accepted into the Army’s prestigious Physical Therapy Doctorate Program at Baylor. We were sorry that Makayla could not attend. She is stationed at Fort Benning, and will soon move to Fort Hood for her next 5 years of service. This double portrait with 98 year-old Rhona Arond, a WWII nurse, celebrates the long and historic legacy of women who have served as medics. Also in the photo are Makayla’s cousins (right).
A DOUBLE HONOR!!!!
Mayor Karyn Cunningham (left) of Palmetto Bay, Florida proclaimed March 18, 2023 “Mary Ellen Scherl’s Defending Democracy Day!” I was thrilled to have Colonel Jennifer A. Reynolds (right), from the U.S. Southern Command, join us for the evening.
Words from my talk…
“What’s truly meaningful about this beautiful evening is how our Defending Democracy mission is being served.
In this room we are a cross section of Military, Political and Civilian communities.
No doubt we think differently.
If we pray, we pray differently.
And it’s likely we vote differently.
BUT, what UNITES us is stronger than our differences.
And that is our core American values.”
No doubt we think differently.
If we pray, we pray differently.
And it’s likely we vote differently.
BUT, what UNITES us is stronger than our differences.
And that is our core American values.”
Thank you DAR!!! Coral Gables Chapter Regent of the DAR, Dana Outlaw-Pezoldt (right) was the brainchild of the event, and DAR members Patricia Mederos (center), Brenda Auer (left), Pam Cadman, Mary Turso Cadman, Judy Wiggins and Elizabeth Harvey were part of the advance team who created a fabulous spread for our guests. Thank you sisters!
Many thanks to Jill Cadman, CAR leader, for her tireless help and Devon Mederos (Patricia’s Son) who tended bar.
And to Janis Klein-Cohen Board Chair of ArtSouth and Beatriz Herrmann Board Secretary of ArtSouth for making the evening go so smoothly.
We are very grateful for our sponsors.
A special shout out to those who generously donated and who actively participated in making the night truly memorable.
In celebration of Women’s History Month 2023...
Special Viewing
Bakehouse Art Complex Studio 24, June 2022
The Coral Gables and the Everglades John McDonald DAR Chapters and their families were invited to attend our Independence Day studio celebration. The “Daughters” in the photo are Mindy Clark, Jennifer Williams, Karen Sunderland, Dana Outlaw-Pezoldt (Coral Gables Regent), Brenda Auer, Linda Buquet and Susan Rush.
DASH
the Design and Architecture Senior High School in Miami’s Design District, March-April 2022
I was invited to give a lecture on “Defending Democracy” and teach a ‘Social Art’ workshop to the 9th graders in Nick Mahshie’s art classes. The students chose their topics of concern and visualized how they might create the change they want to see in the world through their own Social Art ‘campaign’. Body dysmorphia, gun violence, social media pressures and the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” were a few of the popular topics.
Coconut Grove Arts Festival
Defending Democracy at the CGAF, Miami, Florida, February19-21
The Coconut Grove Art Festival generously supported our programming by giving us a booth at the festival. There we welcomed female members of our Armed Forces and veterans to record their stories for our new podcast series in development, “Ma’am… may I speak freely?” The intention is to offer some of 357,000 Active Duty women and 1.64 million female veterans a national platform for telling their stories and lessons learned. From the Iraq wars, the war on terror in Afghanistan, breaking the “brass” ceiling, female “firsts”, heroism, heartache, humor, basic training, deployments, combat, PTSD, physical disabilities, sexual assault and harassment, and homelessness, no topic was off limits.
