Violet
I am excited about the monument because it isn't fair that girls aren't on the National Mall.
“Based on both freedom and constraint and resembling buildings like the Parthenon and referencing cultural village centers, my design is a large encompassing hoop skirt of metal and glass, topped with an oculus. It will be surrounded by smaller versions (without the glass) for children to climb on, and the whole monument will be set in a garden of sunflowers and butterfly bushes.”
My influences are my studies in costuming, constraint, and support. My mother was the first woman City Commissioner and first woman Mayor of my hometown of Gainesville, Florida in the 70's, the era of bra burning. My mother brought me into the voting booth when I was in elementary school.
My mother also worked as an attorney for the Department of Children and Families.
Other inspirations include glass ceilings (both literal and figurative), greenhouses, things growing, inclusiveness, multiculturalism, and feminism.
Featured Submissions
Leslie
My grandmother, Juana, came to the United States from the Philippines in 1973 and opened the door to the life I was born into. She was gentle but strong, and her love shaped our big, close family in ways I carry with me every day. When I think about the monument, I see her and all the women whose quiet courage, often unseen, built the foundation for the generations that came after them.
Graham
I am inspired by the suffragists bravery when protesting outside the White House even when they knew they would get arrested.
Diane
I am inspired by the suffragists creativity and resilience. I sewed this replica banner with one of my favorite slogans from the suffrage movement, "Forward Into Light".
Sloane
My drawing is of a strong independent woman holding the women's suffrage flag that I feel represents this movement in history and continues to hold true today.
Lily
My monument idea is one that honors the fight of the past while allowing space for the future of women’s rights to come. It is of a sash winding and rising upwards towards a fire. The fire represents courage, endurance, and the many voices of women who fought, and continue to fight for equality. It is a flame that can never be extinguished. At the bottom of the sash are symbols of the early suffrage movement such as a “Women Vote” button, a suffrage bluebird, and a yellow suffrage rose. The middle of the sash has the saying, “They ignited the flame. Our Voices Keep it Burning.” This honors the fight of those who came before us, and encourages new voices to continue their efforts for equality. The top of the sash is left empty and unwritten to allow for the next generation to leave their mark.
