Our Projects
A multimedia endeavor
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The Paintings
These are not traditional portraits of stiff military brass. As the viewer approaches each portrait, a motion-activated sensor will play recorded stories from each of the women about combat on and off the battlefield, valor and vulnerability, Purple Hearts and broken hearts. The full series will bear witness to the commitment, hardships and grit of our American sisters-in-arms. A heroine. A fallen soldier. Female “firsts.” An immigrant, now a citizen and intelligence officer. A soldier now in public office. A victim of sexual abuse from a ranking male officer. A disabled veteran. A homeless veteran. A veteran suffering from PTSD – these are some of the narratives that accompany the paintings.
In homage to the Women’s Reserve Camouflage Corps, a unit of American women artists who designed and tested camouflage techniques during WWI, and as a way of contemporizing these portraits, camouflage patterning will both reveal and sometimes conceal parts of my subjects. Camouflage disrupts perceptions, so what better metaphor for these women who disrupt the status quo in the male-dominated world of our current military. “Defending Democracy” will illuminate an under-celebrated, marginalized sector of our military, the 350,000 women who serve. To date, there are few, if any, painted portraits of women in the U.S. Military.
Anna
Hays, KS. Fourth Generation Army, third generation Airborne, Staff Sergeant Anna Wear was a member of the Cultural Support Team’s (CST’s), an elite female unit that served alongside Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan. In preparation for her deployments, Anna committed herself to attaining the same levels of competency as was expected of the men on her missions. Her role was to directly interact with Afghan women and children during combat operations, as it was deemed culturally inappropriate if performed by a male service member. Today Anna is adjusting to life back home. Though she suffers from PTSD and chronic back pain, she remains grateful for her military experience.
"Rosa"
Key West, FL. “Rosa” (name changed for security purposes) grew up in the Panama Canal Zone and witnessed Operation Just Cause as a teenager. As a young adult, feeling her career opportunities were limited in Panama, this brave young woman left her family and childhood home and emigrated to the United States. With just a few hundred dollars in her pocket and hungry to find work, “Rosa” enlisted in the National Guard. Today, as a naturalized citizen, she serves as an intelligence officer. Her three deployments have included tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. When we met, she was awaiting her next assignment
Nora
Oro Valley, AZ. Vice Admiral (ret.) Nora Tyson was the first female Carrier Strike Group Two Commander and the first female Third Fleet Commander responsible for approximately fifty million square miles of the eastern and northern Pacific Ocean areas including the Bering Sea, Alaska, the Aleutian Islands and a sector of the Arctic.
Nora also served as Vice Director of the Joint Staff. Nora’s exemplary 38-year career began days after graduating from college with an unexpected phone call from a recruiter.
The Work Continues...
Rhona and Makayla
Queens, NY and San Antonio, TX. Rhona and Makayla are on the easel! This double portrait celebrates the long and historic legacy of women who serve our country in a medical capacity. Rhona Arond, 97, was a WWII nurse and 1st Lieutenant Makayla Shanice Mills, 26 is getting her Medical Degree through the Army.
Docu-Series "Sisters in Arms"
Play Video
“Sisters in Arms” tells the epic tale of women in our Armed Forces. From the birth of our nation to today, since they weren’t drafted, women have always volunteered to serve in our military, protecting and defending our country, our freedom and our Constitution. It is time our nation understands and recognizes their invaluable contribution.
The warrior women we encounter invite us into their personal and military lives with stories that reveal their grit, their patriotism and their sacrifices. They come from all branches and ranks. Conversations are unscripted.
Be it on land, air or sea, at a base, at home or overseas, at a VA hospital or on an amphibious assault ship, we dive into their day to day. The film becomes a tapestry visually enriched with B-roll of personal effects (mementos, photographs, and video).
Archival footage historically contextualizes their stories and deployments.
From the heroism to the hardships and the sometimes disturbing reality of life in the military, “Sisters in Arms” offers a platform for our military women to speak candidly about their service. As we get to know some of the key women, we see painted portraits of them evolve. The more we learn about them, the more defined their faces become, culminating in works of art that serve as an offering of gratitude, venerating their roles in protecting and defending our precious democracy.
We are committed to working with an all-female veteran crew.
“Ma’am… may I speak freely?”
The Podcasts
On the local level, at community events such as the Coconut Grove Arts Festival in Miami, this outreach program invites the public to hear first-hand about the lives they have lived, and the things they have done. We have heard stories about WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Iraq wars, Gulf War Syndrome, 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.
The recorded interviews for, “ Ma’am… may I speak freely?” will have national reach as a series of podcasts.
We have hours and hours of content and need funding for producing and editing the series. Can you help?
Calling All Female Service Members to Get Involved
Active duty, Guard, Reserve and veteran women are urged to get involved. Tell your meaningful story about life in the military.
Contact Mary Ellen at [email protected] and find out how you can become a part of the project.