绿帽社

April 3, 2025
scattered clouds Clouds 71 °F

Meet the Winners of the International Women鈥檚 Day Art Exhibition at 绿帽社

Every March, the world honors the strength, creativity and determination of women on International Women鈥檚 Day. This year, 绿帽社鈥檚 Kaschak Institute for Social Justice for Women and Girls, in collaboration with the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and , brought that spirit to life in a powerful art exhibit.

The International Women鈥檚 Day Art Exhibition was more than an event 鈥 it was a vibrant, moving celebration of womanhood, activism and creativity. Inspired by Maya Angelou鈥檚 iconic words, the exhibit unleashed all modes of art forms including writing, painting, animation, music and more, with the theme of being a 鈥渞ainbow in someone鈥檚 cloud.鈥

Each artist approached the concept of women as representations of beauty, resiliency and hope through a uniquely personal lens. These pieces emphasized women who have battled for justice, triumphed over hardship and motivated others 鈥 often in subtle, invisible ways 鈥 whether through multimedia portraits or feminist film edits. The exhibition鈥檚 winners presented an astounding array of viewpoints:

Maggie McNeely

University Archivist Maggie McNeely won the Visual Arts category for her beautiful tribute to artist Howardena Pindell, 鈥To Howardena, with love.鈥 McNeely honors Pindell鈥檚 conversion of childhood suffering into artistic genius and cultural criticism by using punched paper cards and circles, which are a nod to Pindell鈥檚 distinctive style.

Ali Kiani

Music composition graduate student Ali Kiani won the Performing Arts prize for 鈥Whispers Beneath the Burden.鈥 This poignant work, which is divided into two movements and is based on a poem by Rumi, examines the resilience of regular mothers who quietly and gracefully bear the burden of society.

Autumn Jacobs

Autumn Jacobs, a student majoring in art history, won the Cinema category with the statement, 鈥So much bullshit but we won鈥檛 give in.鈥 Her video edit, set to Le Tigre鈥檚 iconic feminist anthem 鈥淗ot Topic,鈥 honors female filmmakers and theorists who were studied in a class on feminist film theory, transforming scholarly inspiration into a call to action for empowerment and resistance.

Riley Thomas

TRiO/Upward Bound Assistant Director Riley Thomas won first place in Writing: Poetry and Prose for 鈥We Are Girls Together,鈥 a heartfelt two-part poem authored for their sisters and the power of sisterhood in riding life鈥檚 rainstorms on waves of laughter and love.

Claire Juergens

The Graphic Design award was presented to Claire Juergens for 鈥Women, Power,鈥 a colorful photo collage of trailblazing women throughout history鈥攆rom Ida B. Wells to Susan B. Anthony鈥攎erged into a rainbow of strength across generations and cultures.

Samia Ahmed

Samia Ahmed, a PhD candidate in English from India, won the People鈥檚 Choice Award for her short story 鈥淥谤辫丑补苍蝉,鈥 set in war-torn Syria. Through Rosaleem鈥檚 journey, Samia paints a poignant portrait of women who become beacons of survival and hope, showing that even small acts of kindness can illuminate the darkest skies.

A tribute to our own campus community

In addition to the amazing pieces, the exhibition provided a forum for introspection, community building and remembrance. It paid tribute to Ellyn Uram Kaschak, the Institute鈥檚 namesake and a steadfast supporter of women鈥檚 rights. Remarks from University officials and a poignant video of Maya Angelou鈥檚 鈥淩ainbow in the Cloud鈥 served as a reminder to everyone present why occasions such as these are important.

Using art to motivate action, ignite dialogue, and elevate the voices of women and girls worldwide is the goal of the Women鈥檚 Day Art Exhibition. This event serves as a reminder to everyone, whether they are students, artists or just supporters of equity and creativity: you can be someone鈥檚 rainbow.

Benazir Paikan is a social media coordinator and webmaster assistant with 绿帽社鈥檚 social justice-focused institutes for the Office of Media and Public Relations. She is a graduate student majoring in business administration with a concentration in marketing. She is interested in pursuing a career in marketing and communications. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading and watching movies.


Have questions, comments or concerns about the blog? Email us at social@binghamton.edu.