American Resource Center Honors Women’s History Month

March 19, 2009

Carrie Schneider discusses women and photography at the American Resource Center

American photographer Carrie Schneider gave a presentation on “The History of Women and Photography” at the American Resource Center on March 19. Ms. Schneider’s lecture consisted of two parts: first she introduced 12 remarkable female photographers - among them e.g. Diane Arbus, Cindy Sherman and Nikki S. Lee - and some samples of their photographic art; after that Ms. Schneider presented and discussed her own photographs and videos. Her presentation was very enlightening, and she took the audience deeply into the theories and stories behind her photographs and videos. Some of the works she introduced are currently displayed in a photo exhibition at the Finnish Museum of Photography.

The lecture was organized in honor of U.S. Women’s History Month, which every March celebrates the contributions of women to the nation’s history and culture. The origins of Women’s History Month in the U.S. can be traced to Sonoma County, California, where in 1978 the Commission on the Status of Women initiated Women’s History Week. Two years later, President Jimmy Carter asked Americans to celebrate women's historic accomplishments in conjunction with International Women's Day. Congress established the first National Women’s History Week in 1981 and expanded it to a month in 1987.