Art is the Intersection

When Michelle d. Parrish created the "Making HerStory" brand concept, it sort of just happened.  An exhibition that she had developed turned out to be a woman only showing and happened to fall at the start of Women's history month.  She thought it would be a good idea to tie the two together.  Little did she know that other fellow female artisans would agree.  Since that time, she's met dozens of women artists with whom she's talked, laughed, mentored, broken bread, and created.  She's found much diversity among the women she's met making the opportunities to learn and grow astounding.

What amazes her most is the "oneness" she feels among the women she's met in HerStory.  "The stereotypical boundary lines of difference do not exist in HerStory.  ...Not in age, race, skill level, genre, ethnicity, religion...it does not exist," says Parrish.  Her favorite example of that of the relationship between she and co-curator, Jennifer Judelsohn.  "Jen is Jewish and I am Christian; so, when we began working together we had to find balance on weekends because she observed on Saturday and I on Sunday.  In our desire to respect one another, we found an amazing number of similarities between us."  HerStory 5 is their second year working together as co-curators, but they have been friends since they met a few years prior.

As an artist, Parrish's style is organic which most would say is an overflow from her personal style.  She is connected to and believes in the creativity of each woman with which HerStory has come into contact.  She firmly believes that once an artist participates in the program, she is forever art part of HerStory.  As Parrish to eloquently puts it, "We make art.  We are women.  In those things, we are one.  Art is the Intersection by which our paths cross and we connect."