Posts by Dorothee Royal-Hedinger
Women: Get Paid to Make Art
Published June 01, 2009 @ 12:26PM PT
You're creative, you have a great idea for a work of art, a play, film or performance and you want to share it with the world! Great, but how are you going to fund it? No matter how brilliant the artist, funding is often a major obstacle in the quest for creative expression. That's why I'm continually encouraged by organizations like The Fund for Women Artists who are "dedicated to celebrating and supporting art that tells the truth about women's lives".
The Fund for Women Artists is founded on the belief that women artists have the power to change the way women are perceived in our society. We want to make sure that artists have full access to the financial and other resources they need to do this crucial work. We focus mainly on women in theatre, film, and video, and we have two main goals:
- To Challenge Stereotypes - We challenge gender and other stereotypes by supporting the creation and appreciation of art that reflects the full diversity and complexity of women's lives.
- To Increase Opportunities - We advocate for women artists to be paid fairly and to have more opportunities to make a living from their creative work.
The Fund for Women Artists has recently added three pages to their website that list ongoing opportunities for female artists: Ongoing Calls for Films & Videos, Ongoing Calls for Plays, and Ongoing Artist Residency Programs.
Once you win that grant or have your work accepted to a festival, be sure to announce your success story to the Fund of Women Artists' Associate Editor, Deborah Steinberg, at info@WomenArts.org. Afterall, a success for one of us is a success for all of us!
Fab Female Artist Profile: Louise Bourgeois
Published May 21, 2009 @ 02:39PM PT
In my ongoing effort to educate both myself and our readers about female artists, I was excited to come across a profile of legendary artist Louis Bourgeois in a recent Flavorpill email.
Here's why you should know her: Louis Bourgeois is a world renowned sculptor and has been making her work since the early part of the century. After studying art in Paris, she moved to New York in 1938 with her husband Robert Goldwater and became active in the feminist movement. She was the first woman artist to have a retrospective at the MoMA in 1982.
I wanted to share this short video about the artist because I think her philosophy is fascinating and self-affirming. In the clip, she states,
"Look at yourself as you are. Once you do that and like and accept yourself, silence is dissolved and you can start entering a dialogue."
For more information about Louise Bourgeois, check out her Art 21 website and see her work on the Cheim and Reed gallery page.
Sita Sings the Blues - Interview with Reena Shah
Published May 07, 2009 @ 09:25AM PT
The Ramayana, one of the two great epics of India, is a tale of sacrifice, duty and the responsibility above personal desire. In the story, princess Sita is portrayed as the epitome of female purity and virtue but suffers greatly for her convictions.
Here's a brief summary of a year in her life: She follows her husband Rama into exile and then gets abducted by an enemy king. She is imprisoned on his island but prays devotedly to Rama who eventually rescues her. Instead of welcoming her with open arms, Rama is suspicious of Sita's fidelity so she goes through a trial by fire to clear her name. When she emerges unscathed, Rama promptly banishes her from his kingdom. Talk about blaming the victim!
Sita Sings the Blues, which was directed, written, produced and animated by Nina Paley, is a beautiful re-imagining of this story. Paley's version blends the epic tale with a modern day love story told from Sita's point of view,
Sita is a goddess separated from her beloved Lord and husband Rama. Nina is an animator whose husband moves to India, then dumps her by email. Three hilarious shadow puppets narrate both ancient tragedy and modern comedy in this beautifully animated interpretation of the Indian epic Ramayana.
I caught up with Reena Shah, who is the speaking voice of Sita in the film and who choreographed and starred in the film's dance-animation sequence.
You're a multi-disciplinary artist: dancer, actress, singer, choreographer - did you grow up performing?
At the age of 4, my mother took me to Classical Indian Dance Classes for Bharatha Natyam taught by the Late Indian Film Actress and Dancer, Padmini Ramachandran. She started an Indian Dance School in New Jersey in the 80's and I was one of her first students. I graduated from the Padmini Institute of Fine Arts in 1991 with my Arengetram at the young age of 13 and became a professional Classical Indian Dancer. I was also involved with traveling dance troupes as well. I was always a part of my school plays, as well as choral groups. I created skits and songs that my sisters and I would perform. I always knew performing was something I wanted to do in my adult life as a profession.
How did you get involved with the production of Sita Sings the Blues?
Nina Paley was looking for voice-talent for Sita Sings The Blues and started blogging about an upcoming audition for the project. I received the casting notice via a list-serve I participated in called - SAWCC (South Asian Womens Creative Collective). I emailed Nina, got an audition time and went in and read a few scripted lines of dialogue... a week later Nina called me and said she liked my voice for Sita's character.
Once we started working on recording the dialogue she had written, she asked me about musicians for the soundTrack. When my husband, singer/songwriter/composer Todd Michaelsen, took a look at what I was working on for Nina's movie, he was amazed at Nina's talent as an animator and was interested in the story. I told Nina, Todd would be interested in composing music for the project and she asked him to be the composer... to score it, and create original tracks/songs. The opening title track music was created after Nina described exactly what she wanted musically and Todd gave her various ideas. Once the title track was complete, Nina animated the opening sequence to the music. It's quite beautiful and epic. The music and animation work so well together.
Nina then asked Todd to compose the Fire Song - "Agni Pariksha." Todd came up with the melody and music, my mother- Laxmi Shah, wrote the lyrics in Hindi, and I sang the song and recorded it in our home studio out of our Brooklyn, NY apartment in Williamsburg. It was a wonderful experience all around to work with Nina, my husband-Todd, and my mom-Laxmi. You can download original soundtrack music from Sita Sings the Blues here: ToddMichaelsen.com
The film is directed by Nina Paley and is based both on her own autobiographical story and the Indian epic The Ramayana. What was it like working with a director for whom the story was so intimate?
Nina was great to work with and is such a talented artist. I was respectful of what she had gone through in her personal life. Out of that personal experience, came a piece of art that is so empowering, especially for women. Nina was open and honest about all that had happened to her. You see it in the film. It's inspiring to see such truth & honesty. Everything she did in creating the film took much time, love, and care. She devoted 5 years to making this movie. Its such a personal piece of art that many people have responded to or have related to.
Had you worked with female directors in the past?
What a great question! Yes, I have worked with a number of very talented female directors:
- Providence Filmmaker, Laura Colella cast me in her Indie film, "Stay Until Tomorrow."
- Universal Pictures' Feature "The Guru" directed by Daisy Mayer, where I was the Assistant Choreographer for the film & a Dancer on-camera.
- Ambika Samarthya cast me in her short film "After."
- I narrated the PBS 'Independent Lens' Documentary, "A Dream In Doubt", Directed by Tami Yeager.
Each female director was confident, open-minded, and passionate about their projects. They brought out the truth in the stories they were telling and were specific with me and yet gave me the opportunity to bring my own truth to these roles. I love working with female directors because they often have a sixth sense about life. I feel very connected to that sixth sense out of my own life experience & through my meditation practice. It allows me to really give an honest and pure performance. A director is so important and each one of these women brought out the true character in the story I was portraying. I hope to direct as well at some point in my career.
Was The Ramayana a story you were familiar with before you began this production?
Yes, as an Indian-American child born and raised in New Jersey, my parents made sure we knew of the stories they grew up with. They exposed my sisters, brother, and I to our traditional Indian culture with stories of The Ramayana and The Mahabharata.
How do you feel about this interpretation which is told mainly from Sita's point of view?
I think Nina Paley's interpretation from Sita's point of view is BRILLIANT. Relating her own experience to Sita's experience was her way to cope with what she was going through as a woman with the relationship she was in at the time. I know other women who have related to Sita's point of view, as well. With these stories, they know that they are not alone. The retelling from the perspective and interpretation from Sita was really special and beautiful for me. It's liberating! We all have a right to tell our own point of view of our own stories. Women have a voice and those voices and stories are shared to reveal the true emotions we go through. Our stories should be heard and I am always comforted to know that we are not alone in all of these sacred, personal experiences.
The film uses many different animation styles and features the singing voice of 1920’s jazz singer Annette Hanshaw. When preparing to do the voice of Sita, were you able to see the drawings or hear the music for the film first?
All of the different animation styles are awesome! Annette Hanshaw's voice is so pure and beautiful and I think that's what Nina heard in my own voice when I auditioned for her. Once, I landed the part, Nina did show me the animation sequences she completed to Annette Hanshaw's songs. Those lovely songs and Nina's creative animation helped me to be even more sweet and sincere in my portrayal of Sita's speaking voice.
You were roto-scoped for the dance-animation sequence that you choreographed in the film. What was that like - were you dancing in front of a green screen?
It was such a fun day of filming the dance-animation sequence. Nina filmed me in front of a green screen with the dance choreography I prepared for the "Agni Pariksha" song. She shot me dancing from different angles with my full costume on and towards the end of the shoot, she filmed me with my bodysuit, so she could get the outline of my full-body. It was genius to see what she did with the footage. She traced my entire outline by hand for every frame for each dance movement for the song. The "Agni Pariksha" sequence was really unique and one of my favorite parts of the film!
What's next for you?
This past March 2009, I just finished taking the LAByrinth Theater Company's Master Class for Writing, Directing, Producing, & Acting in New York City. The class with John Patrick Shanley inspired me to start writing and working on my One-Woman Show!
I also shot an Indie Film in 2006 called ASHES, which is the directorial debut of actor/performance-artist Ajay Naidu (Samir in Office Space), who wrote and stars in the film. I am also in a Rock Band with my Husband, Todd Michaelsen, called MY PET DRAGON. We started the band a few years ago and just signed an indie deal with GTS - Gimme That Sound Records.
I am always looking for creative projects to work on. An opportunity to give a voice to a story is what interests me, whether it be through acting, dancing, choreography, comedy, visual art, or voice-talent. My life mantra is: ROCK ON WITH PEACE, LOVE, & RESPECT ALWAYS.
Sita Sings the Blues has been released under a Creative Commons license and you can screen the whole film online at Thirteen.org.
Adrienne Shelly Foundation - Supporting Women Filmmakers
Published April 23, 2009 @ 11:04AM PT
On this blog, I've written passionately about supporting women artists and making sure female film directors get the recognition they deserve. That's why I'm excited to share information about a wonderful nonprofit that is working hard to support women filmmakers across the U.S.
The Adrienne Shelly Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated in loving memory to the gifted actor and filmmaker Adrienne Shelly, whose life was tragically cut short in November 2006. Adrienne wrote, directed and acted in three feature films, Sudden Manhattan, I'll Take You There, and Waitress, which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.
Here actress Keri Russell shares her thoughts on how the organization commemorates Adrienne's life and career:
The foundation was established to help young women pursue their filmmaking dreams, and to assist others in making the same leap from acting to writing and directing as Adrienne had done so successfully.
The Adrienne Shelly Foundation supports the artistic achievements of female actors, writers and directors through a series of scholarships and grants, providing recipients with financial support and consultative access to the Foundation's advisory board of actors, directors, producers, composers, law, publicity, academic and trade professionals. Reflecting Adrienne's spirit, generosity, courage and whimsy, our goal is to recognize the tremendous passion and commitment of women artists in creating their own work, and provide them with support and guidance particularly during periods of transition and struggle.
I'm happy to know that an organization like this exists and I hope to share more news about their events and initiatives in the future.
Help Women and Children in America's Poorest State
Published April 09, 2009 @ 02:59PM PT
According to a 2007 report by the United States Census Bureau, Mississippi is the poorest state in the country. With a median household income of only $36,338 and the highest infant mortality rate in the nation, you would think the Governor of Mississippi would be eager to accept a government stimulus package during these hard economic times.
However, Governor Haley Barbour has publicly threatened to reject money included in the recent stimulus bill that will extend and expand unemployment insurance benefits. These benefits will help thousands of Mississippians, including part-time workers.
To give you more perspective on this issue, here are some statistics that Real Women Real Voices highlighted about poverty in the region,
- Mississippi has the highest percentage of children living in poverty at almost 3 in 10 (the national rate is 1 in 6). The vast majority of Mississippi families living in poverty are working families.
- Of all babies born in Mississippi in 2007, 477 or 10.3 per thousand newborns died. Mississippi also has one of highest rates of low-birth weight babies in the nation.
- Maternal deaths resulting from complications of pregnancy and childbirth are also among the highest in the nation. Mississippi’s has an overall maternal death rate of 21.5 per 100,000 live births. The maternal death rate for black mothers is almost three times the rate for white mothers.
As Jen mentioned in a recent post about how the financial fallout is effecting women, it's clear that we need to make sure women and vulnerable populations aren't short-changed when it comes to the stimulus money. Especially when it seems that politicians are putting partisan politics before people's lives, we need to stand up for those in need.
The Mississippi Center for Justice has started a petition campaign called Standing With Mississippi which urges people across the country to tell Governor Barbour to put the needs of 39,600 hardworking families first. You can sign the petition and get more information about this issue here.
Are TV Ads for the HPV Vaccine Too Good?
Published April 03, 2009 @ 06:56AM PT
Today I saw this ad for the HPV Vaccine Gardasil on television and was struck by how much I identified with the women portrayed in it. Judging by the sleek production value and retro-chic set, this vaccine is no longer just being targeted at 10-12 year old girls. In fact, these smart and creative-looking twenty-somethings look like they would be my friends. And who wouldn't trust their friends?
Clearly, this means Merck (the company that makes Gardasil) is doing a great job with marketing to my demographic but there's just one problem: I'm not going to choose to get the HPV vaccine. Despite Gardasil's almost frighteningly cute commercial, I'm perfectly happy with regularly scheduled pap smears to detect any risk for cervical cancer. I'm also not satisfied by the lack of long-term testing for the product and I'm a bit spooked by reports of serious illness and death associated with the vaccine.
Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that young women's reproductive health has become such a mainstream concept that these commercials show up on prime-time television. However, I worry that with so much money being pumped into this campaign, women and girls might forget that getting this vaccine is a personal choice, not a requirement.
And this is not an unjustified fear, as Jen mentioned in her post, Reverse the HPV Vaccination Mandate for Immigrant Women, getting treated with Gardasil is no longer voluntary for immigrant woman entering the United States. That means women are being subjected to treatment that has known side effects - without their consent. That sounds an awful lot like using human guinea pigs to me...
Especially now that Merck is pushing for boys and men to get vaccinated as well, I'm really starting to wonder how much of this campaign is about public health and how much is purely profit-driven.
What are your thoughts? Have you had the vaccine?
"On the Dish Over There"- An Interview with ARC Artist Rine Boyer
Published March 26, 2009 @ 10:00AM PT
As part of the lead-up to SWAN Day on March 28th, I've been talking with female artists about their craft and relationship to the conventional art scene. This week I got a chance to interview Rine Boyer, a painter based in Chicago whose new "Conversations" series explores the often unnoticed gestures and body language that contribute to human interaction and sometimes lead to miscommunication.
Rine recently became a member of Arc Gallery, an internationally recognized exhibition space that has been an integral part of the Chicago art scene since its inception in 1973. Founded during the women’s movement as an alternative to the mainstream gallery system, ARC is one of the oldest co-ops of its kind in the country.
Being a non-profit, woman artist-run cooperative, ARC continues its feminist tradition by providing exhibition opportunities for professional and emerging artists working in all media based on excellence of artwork, without discrimination toward gender, race, age, class, physical/mental ability, sexual, spiritual or political orientation.
What made you want to join ARC as opposed to other organizations?
I was drawn by the community of a group of artists who are serious about their art. I also liked that there is an exhibition space the group maintains - it meant that the group was engaged in the Chicago art scene along with their individual artistic pursuits. I didn't focus on the fact that it's an all women collective but I do enjoy being around a group of women.
Do you identify yourself as a "woman artist" as opposed to just an artist or is that even an important distinction?
I don't necessarily think of myself as a woman before I think of myself as an artist, but my gender is still an important part of who I am. Feminism is in an interesting place right now where professionally we aren't any different from men. But it is not so much a part of my art as it is a part of my life.
Have you had any experiences in the art world that made you feel like you may have been discriminated against because of your gender?
Nothing comes to mind. Many of the shows I participate in seem to have an even distribution of men and 
women.
What are you working on at the moment?
My work for the past few years has been a study of how people interact with one another. In my latest series (which will be displayed at the ARC next February) I'm focusing on the composition of people interacting. I've cropped very close into the body where the communication is most apparent. In many paintings it's the hands and arms that are doing most of the talking, not the face as one might think. Along with the gesture I was also interested in capturing the little miscommunications that happen everyday. For each painting I invented a plausible conversation and then put slightly differing little icons on each character's skin/clothing to show how the same idea can be interpreted differently.
What's next for you and ARC?
In June we have the juried exhibition called Bearing Witness: Art as Social Action which will be about artwork that is made to express a social issue that may be inspired by personal, interpersonal or society events. We'll have some lectures and a film screening. The juror is Barbara Fish who is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois and the Graduate Art Therapy Program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago which is an interesting background for the show. She is really engaged in the topic - I'm excited to see the work she picks. I'm also looking forward to seeing Hyun ja Shin's work in person which we will be showing in July. Her work engages the gallery space in an interesting and modernist way while being quite simple and beautiful.
Paintings by Rine Boyer "On the Dish Over There" and "What a Cute Dog!" used with permission from the artist.
