TESTIMONIALS

Gloria Steinem, Writer, Feminist Organizer: “Have Art: Will Travel! (HAWT) works. It inspires young and old to break out of Gender Stereotypes and become Upstanders for Parity, Protection and Peace.”

Loreen Arbus, Activist, Philanthropist: “HAWT makes a difference as it addresses intolerance through art. It’s a mind-expanding fun experience that takes on Bullying and Bigotry.

Paige Ferro, Holter Museum Staff Member, Helena, Montana: “I was helping the museum curator unpack the crates holding the body suits and I could not believe how connected I felt to what this artist was saying: the continuum between masculinity and femininity, being true to your own authenticity, and the courage that art brings out in oneself. I was inspired….and gave a reading….I didn’t realize how hard this reading would be for me, nor how liberating. This experience changed me, and I will remember it for the rest of my life.” Read more or see the performance here

Nancy Davidson, Curator-In-Residence, Maine Jewish Museum: “The question, “How can I be an upstander?”, a major theme of Ms. Stein’s exhibition, was thought provoking to our viewers. It was clear that the connection to bullying was imprinted in our viewers’ minds.” Read more.

Lynda Sommers, Director, Alverno Art and Culture Gallery, WI: “We had 952 visitors for the exhibit, including 300 community school children and over 200 Alverno students.” Read more.

Dr. Anu Androneth Sieunarine from Brooklyn College School of Education: “Words cannot express how magical and imaginative the experience of just being in your studio space had on us.  Listening to your talk that exuded such passion, history, love, and care for what you do made our students and I want to hear and know more about the Holocaust and about Super Heroes.” Read more.

Mary Blake, Retired Headmistress of the Convent of the Sacred Heart: “You are enabling a life-altering experience for kids, for adults, for families, for schools, for communities. What can follow? Sensitive, life-changing discernment. Hope.” Read more.

Dr. Amy Gansell from St. John’s University : “Thank you for such a wonderful and warming webinar presentation of "Below the Eyes: Sexuality and Averting the Gaze." The conversation was so meaningful to so many people on so many levels. We had double the turn-out we expected, and your words and images really touched and heartened us all.” Read more.

Tracy Rolkosky from Visual Arts, Community High School: “The curriculum and gallery visit designed around Linda Stein’s exhibition was very meaningful and relevant to the students of Community High School. The classroom discussions that happened around the video and the journal prompts were a wonderful way to engage our students in important discourse around social justice issues connecting to the arts. The artwork that the students created around the idea of the “Brave Up-Stander” was not only strong work, but this experience allowed the students to engage with materials and tools that we do not have access to in the school classroom.” Read more.

Deborah Brooks, Art Department Chair, Greenfield High School: “More than half of the students had never visited an art museum or gallery before. Many had a limited view of what constitutes art. This live viewing opportunity, supported by hands on self-expression changed their view on several topics as evidenced by their writing…”I never thought the Holocaust had women as heroes.” “I used to think that this sort of thing wasn’t art-now I believe it is.” “This helped me to see how I have been a bystander-and that being a brave upstander doesn’t have to mean I battle a bully.” I’d say this was a great success.” Read more. 

Joel Chapin, Curator, Perella Gallery, Fulton-Montgomery Community College: “Your exhibition had a wide and diverse viewership and it could have found no greater opportunity to make an impact as it did here….Your work and presentation enabled our faculty an opportunity to use The Fluidity Of Gender as a valuable learning resource for courses as diverse as sociology, psychology, criminal justice, art appreciation as well as providing challenging writing topics for English and creative writing classes. The Fluidity of Gender allowed viewers here a way to re-visit their ideas about the meaning of femininity and masculinity in our society. Your work challenged students and members of our community to see the pitfalls of viewing gender roles as a black and white choice with no variations on how we must conform to be accepted by society.” Read more. 

Andy Haag, Student, Fulton-Montgomery Community College: “It was not till I took it [your artwork] off that I had felt like a butterfly come out of its cocoon…I have come to the idea that gender is just a thing that they say you are and you can be what you want to be.” Read more.

Jim Arendt, Gallery Director, Rebecca Randall Bryan Art Gallery, Coastal Carolina University: “The public lecture was informative, humorous, and thoughtful and I was approached by many faculty and students in the days following that expressed their appreciation for your work and ideas.” Read more. 

Suzy Breitner, Visual Arts and Museum Director, Dave and Mary Alper Jewish Community Center: “Of the 75 or so gallery exhibits, I am honestly unable to think of an exhibit that I am more proud of showing than Holocaust Heroes: Fierce Females. The quality of the work, the fascinating subject matter, the professionalism of Linda Stein and the importance of the exhibit are unmatched with anything I have ever put on display.” Read more.

Dr. Juilee Decker, Art Department Chair, Georgetown College: “They [Linda Stein’s sculptures] were ponderable, interesting, stunning, overwhelming, and fantastic all at once….We had nothing but positive comments come from your visit….They [students] were actively thinking about your work and some, even, were spurred to action.” Read more. 

Karlota Contreras-Koterbay, Director, Slocum Galleries and Tipton Gallery, East Tennessee State University: “The lecture presented covered not only the technical and conceptual development of your work but also discussed how art can be an agent for positive change and how the visual power of art can be a strong voice to combat social dysfunctions. Your work is truly inspirational in this aspect, a perspective that I as a curator/gallery director and purveyor of taste is proud to be a conduit of this voice.” Read more.

Shannon Morris, Curator, Georgia College Museum, Georgia University: “The students fully embraced not only the interactive nature of the exhibition…additionally, they really connected to the works’ content as well.” Read more. 

Katryn Burke, Directions and Exhibitions Manager, Martin Art Gallery, Muhlenberg College: “From the moment the show opened, your sculptures and video were a powerful draw for our students, faculty and staff, as well as general public.” Read more.

Karen Keifer-Boyd, Ph.D., Professor of Art Education and Women’s Studies, Penn State: “I loved and agreed with the comment by nine-year-old Miles Zoebisch when you asked what could be improved about your lecture. He said, do more lectures. The content, style, timing, and clarity in laying context for your work through statistics, definitions, and story created a powerfully influential talk about your art and gender justice. Thank you for coming to Penn State.”

Leslie Christina Sotomayor, Penn State University: “Sterling, my 12-year-old son, in watching the movie Mean Girls, connected the main character to Linda Stein’s lecture. There is a scene where the lead character played by Lindsay Lohan is really smart in math, but in order to get a guy’s attention that she has a crush on, she plays dumb, like she knows nothing of math. While we were watching it (critiquing most of the movie) my son says, ‘hey mom, that’s like what the woman at the lecture the other night was explaining, about girls acting like they don’t know things, on purpose, so that the guy feels good about himself.’ She shouldn’t have to do that. It’s not fair!’ Yes, teachable moments! For myself: Wow! If I could wear a Stein sculpture everyday I would feel so tough and protected.”