Warrior Women Spark Community Conversation at UGA’s Russell Library

Submitted by Camie on

Community members are invited to celebrate the strength and resiliency of women at a Women’s History Month event exploring the art of Watkinsville potter Alice Woodruff, who recently presented the exhibition Warrior Women: From Invisible to Formidable One Hundred Strong.

The March 11 event, sponsored by the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies and the Jeannette Rankin Foundation, encourages participants to engage with a selection of sculptures, on display beginning at 1 p.m. at the University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries. At 2 p.m. Woodruff will kick off a discussion about the experiences of women depicted in her artwork, joined by panelists Tracy Brown, shelter coordinator for the Athens Area Homeless Shelter; Joan Prittie, executive director of Project Safe Domestic Violence Center and UGA instructor; and Patricia Richards, professor of sociology and women’s studies and director of UGA’S Institute for Women's Studies. 

Malala, sculpture by Alice Woodruff, photograph by Harry Hayes
Malala, sculpture by Alice Woodruff, photograph by Harry Hayes

“This is a unique opportunity to explore issues facing women through the lens of sculpture,” said Sheryl Vogt, director of the Russell Library. “We are honored and excited to host this important community event during Women’s History Month.”

Woodruff began her professional artistic career as a production potter. After 24 years, she became a nurse practitioner specializing in neurosurgery and spine rehabilitation. In 2011, she returned to her love of clay, with an emphasis on sculpture. Her work reflects personal challenges as well as the historical and current traumas, trials and successes experienced by women worldwide.

The event will be held Saturday, March 11 from 1 – 4 p.m. at the Richard B. Russell Building, Special Collections Libraries, UGA, 300 South Hull Street, Athens, Ga. A light reception will follow.

About the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies
The Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies was established in 1974 by the Richard B. Russell Foundation, Inc., Georgia General Assembly, and the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. The library’s original mission was to collect and preserve materials documenting the life and career of Richard B. Russell, Jr., United States Senator from Georgia from 1933 to 1971. The Library's holdings have since expanded to include approximately 500 manuscript collections and more than 1,000 oral history interviews documenting modern (1900-present) politics and public policy in Georgia and an array of issues related to the American political system. The Russell Library enjoys a national reputation as one of the largest and foremost repositories for modern congressional papers. In 2014, the Russell Library received a Governor's Award for the Arts and Humanities.  https://www.libs.uga.edu/russell-library

About the Jeannette Rankin Foundation
The Jeannette Rankin Foundation provides unrestricted Scholar Grants to students who identify as women or nonbinary, are 35 and older (25 and older in Georgia and Montana) and demonstrate financial need. Inspired by its namesake, the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress, the Jeannette Rankin Foundation transforms futures through education. rankinfoundation.org