As the country commemorates the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the United States, the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science presents a special exhibition featuring women in our own community. Faces of Evansville Women, underwritten by a grant from the Efroymson Family Fund, was conceived to give an authentic understanding of women who live in our “River City.”

Photojournalists Lewis Chaney and Neil Kellen were charged with photographing and documenting the stories of 50 women in the Evansville community with varying ages, demographics, religions and ethnicities. From the stories recorded, similar themes of resiliency, determination, strength and courage were shared by the participants.

Joycelyn Todisco, exhibition designer and guest curator, incorporated the iconography and the colors of the suffrage movement into the exhibition. Each woman’s photograph and story are displayed on “picket signs” reminiscent of the political activism of the American suffragists. The colors, purple and gold on a white background, represent loyalty, hope and purity, respectively. The ribbons tied at the bottom of each sign imitate the sashes and pins worn by the suffragists during their demonstrations and parades.

With reverence to the American Suffrage Movement, this exhibition gives a view of contemporary Evansville women and the many ways suffrage opened the door for improvements in our quality of life and opportunities for full citizenship.