Lockdowns and stay-at-home orders may have halted in-person museum visits for the time being, but that has not stopped artists and curators to continue creating.
Like many other cultural institutions, downtown art boutique hotel FOUND:RE suspended normal operations in the spring to help thwart COVID-19 and protect visitors and staff.
But the hotel didn’t let COVID-19 keep it from hosting a 2020 centennial celebration of women’s constitutional right to vote in September. It just had to take a different form.
In partnership with The Phoenix Arts and Culture Commission, the FOUND:RE Hotel launched The Phoenix Herstories project. The project showcased the significant contributions prominent female heroes have made and continue to make in the Phoenix community, and is marked as the museum’s most innovative exhibition to date.
The project includes an online photography exhibit, video testimonials, storytelling and curricular guides for schools to teach about the 19th Amendment. It also aims to educate the next generation about significant historical events in women’s suffrage while allowing community members to share their own inspiring stories.
“Our original idea of having a large audience and traveling exhibit had to be adjusted due to the pandemic (but) it never stopped our task force’s momentum and we are proud of what has been accomplished,” said Regina Nixon, former task force chair of the Arts & Culture Commission.
Phoenix Herstories was be displayed through a six-story video installation on the southeast-facing exterior hotel wall with multiple safety measures and protocols in place during the month of September.
The iconic video screen on the outside hotel wall played an ever-changing carousel of video-projected images displayed from 8 p.m. until 1 a.m. throughout last month.
“We want to honor the historical struggles to gain ratification of a woman’s right to vote by amplifying the stories of women within our own community who are pushing us forward today,” said Linda Alexander of Phoenix Women’s Commission.
It’s an innovation that Nixon expects will outlast the pandemic. While the exhibit is not available at the hotel itself, the project also has an ongoing website where the material can be viewed.
“The FOUND:RE Hotel has always been innovative in their work as a hotel. They seamlessly integrate art into the experience they provide their clients and the community and I think they utilized methods they already had at their disposal to help Phoenix Herstories spread a community message,” she said.
The website includes women describing their voting experiences, stories about other inspirational women, and links to the history of the 19th Amendment. There are also guides for teachers and students that highlight historical aspects and connect our shared history to today’s female leaders.
Despite the restrictions imposed by COVID-19, Nixon remains hopeful for the future of in-person galleries and art exhibits.
“It is heartening to see things starting to bloom in safe ways that are allowing patrons the opportunity to experience art and all of its benefits,” Nixon said.
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