The Amplifier Foundation

Hear Our Voice, Women’s March campaign & Exhibit

Where previously I felt inspired to involve myself in matters of social justice and politics, like many Americans leading up to and following the 2016 election, I felt called to these things out of duty and urgency–particularly as a woman. The strength of these shared sentiments resonated globally as millions mobilized to protest the 2017 presidential inauguration. In preparation for the Women’s March on Washington–and what would be over 670 marches in solidarity on all seven continents–Amplifier Foundation put out “a nationwide public call for art by female-identifying artists”, from which a selection would be made available free of charge to protesters everywhere.

I hadn’t entered any sort of art “contest” since the 9th grade, but this was different, this was not about winning. I used the prompt as a reason to create, as a form of therapy through action. This was the first time I truly realized that creating was not just my happy place, it was also my method for working through feelings of helplessness, my way of contributing to a greater cause.

According to Amplifier, “in just eight days, 5,000+ submissions were submitted.” Five works were selected to be printed and distributed–over 40,000 posters! 70 additional works were made available for download, of which this piece was included. I was immensely proud to know my art might equip a few protesters, but I had no idea just how many or how proud I would be. 

January 21, 2017 proved to be the largest single-day protest in US history; over seven million participated worldwide. When I sat down and created this art as a visual megaphone for my own voice, I could not have imagined how many people would choose it to help amplify their own. In the days following the marches, as images flooded news outlets and social media, I was overcome with emotion every time I saw another woman (or man or child or agender human) holding my art. I’ve never felt such pride. Mission completely accomplished.

That February, 50 of the selected Amplifier works comprised Hear Our Voice, a traveling exhibition that started at the Seattle Center On Contemporary Art. Hear Our Voice would travel to the Asheville Art Museum of North Carolina, Refinery29’s 29 Rooms New York City for Fashion Week and 29 Rooms Los Angeles, and at the Girls Build Leadership Summit in Los Angeles.

“She the People” was also included in the Museum of Design Atlanta 2019-2020 exhibit, “Design of Dissent” and lives in the permanent collection at the Center for the Study of Political Graphics. 

I am so proud to have this work included in these exhibitions. But nothing will ever bring more pride to my heart than seeing it in the hands of empowered women. The experience forever added a new motivation and method to how and what I create.