A flag celebrating the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which ensured women’s right to vote within the United States Constitution, will be displayed on the New York Avenue facade of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., June 10 until July 12, 2021.
The “Her Flag” project was created by Oklahoma artist Marilyn Artus in collaboration with a woman artist from each of the 36 states that ratified the 19th Amendment by 1920 to create an 18-x-26-foot U.S. flag. Each of the collaborating artists created a stripe—depicting notable women from the suffrage and civil rights movements as well as contemporary girls and women, or addressing the ongoing effort to protect and expand voting rights.
“‘Her Flag’ is not only a celebration of what was achieved 100 years ago but also a reminder that when it comes to women’s rights, we are still working toward true equality,” museum Director Susan Fisher Sterling said an a press release.
Among the participating artists were Allison Cole of Rhode Island, Amie Kennedy of Maine, Nicole LaRue of New Hampshire and Kari Percival (my sweetheart) of Massachusetts.
Artus made road trips to the capitals of each of the 36 states, in the order that they ratified the amendment, to sew that state’s stripe onto the “Her Flag.” (The live events shifted to virtual events when the coronavirus pandemic arrived after her 25th stop.)
“Her Flag,” Artus says in a press release, is “a thank you and a love letter to the states that ratified the 19th Amendment into law. This project is about moving forward. This project is not about Democrats or Republicans. It is about Americans. It is about celebrating an important anniversary in our history and…how we can encourage more women to participate in their democracy.”
The museum will host a virtual discussion about “Her Flag” with Artus, contributing artists Nicole LaRue of New Hampshire and Higgins Bond of Tennessee, and the museum’s Associate Curator Ginny Treanor on June 16, 2021, at 1:30 p.m.
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