More than 45 people attended an exhibit last Wednesday at the University Library on the Brownsville campus that gave women the chance to showcase their artwork to the community.
The “100 Women, 100 Words” exhibit was held as part of the UTRGV FESTIBA events.
Speakers at the opening included Art Gallery Associate Gina Otvos, Hinovations Art Gallery Director Raquel Hinojosa, South Texas College Assistant Professor Patricia Ballinger and UTRGV Professor Kristin Croyle.
The exhibit consisted of miniature canvases paired with a short written piece. The exhibit aims to feature influential women from the Rio Grande Valley from a wide array of backgrounds.
One of the pieces done by Rachel Comminos, the owner of Comminos Studio, described her self-realization about her right to set her boundaries for herself concerning physical contact.
Comminos’ canvas was covered in a blue and purple floral print fabric, embroidered with the words “Don’t Touch Me” in gold thread with beads accenting the letters.
The South Texas College Art Department and the Library Art Gallery curated the exhibit to “honor South Texas women who have made an impact to the community.”
Some of the women featured in the exhibit are educators, administrators, health care professionals, small business owners and community activists.
Jennifer Cahn, UTRGV School of Medicine grant research officer, also spoke at the event.
“My background is in art history and museum studies, so I was really excited to participate in this project and to come tonight,” Cahn said.
She and others spoke on the purpose of the exhibit and the importance of giving women a platform to give their artwork exposure.
Cahn appreciates the exhibit for celebrating the diverse women who have contributed to the community and for giving women the opportunity to share their art with the public.
“As a museum person, I am very aware of the fact that [women’s] art doesn’t get shown in museums as often as men,” she said. “[Women] still have a lot of hurdles to overcome in the world of art, so I’m very proud to be part of this group of women and I hope we do more things like this.”
Cahn said the artwork, in combination with the stories of the contributions the women made to the environment of the Valley, made for an inspiring experience to share with her daughter, Natalie Fisher.
“I made my daughter come tonight,” she said. “I wanted her to see women who maybe [are in fields that] have nothing to do with our literature or creative fields, but they created beautiful things and said amazing things.
“Telling their stories, the words they chose, it’s very thoughtful. It’s really vibrant and diverse and I just wanted her to see that she belongs to a group of really wonderful people as well.”
Natalie Fisher, a high school student at the Science Academy of South Texas, attended with her mom, Cahn, who was featured in the show.
Fisher enjoyed the variety of stories presented and made personal connections to some of them.
“It’s really inspiring to see [the women] … expressing their opinions and beliefs and sharing their stories,” she said. “There are ones that I don’t relate to, but I empathize with. There’s ones that I totally understand and feel the same way about.”
Fisher found the exhibit inspiring because of the opportunity it gives to women artists, like her mom, to share their creations with the community, that they otherwise wouldn’t have.
“I know just from seeing it from [my mom’s] point of view that a lot of the things she does, the little pieces of art she does at home, she never puts them out into the world and no one ever gets to see them,” she said. “I’m assuming a lot of the women in this exhibition have that same [situation].”
Jessica Angel Ortega, a Texas State Technical College student, said she liked how the women used their art to discuss important issues about growing up, learning and wisdom and to also share what they learned.
“I think they are able to read stories that people are trying to show like, ‘Hey, this is my story. This is what I’ve learned from it and someone else will probably learn from it [too] without having to go through that harsh experience the other person did,’” Ortega said.
Special Collections Manager Milagro Resendez said she hopes that by hosting exhibits like these, students will become more cultured and inspired.
