7-minute film: Holocaust Heroes: Fierce Females
Featuring Abigail Disney, Eva Fogelman, Henry Galarza, Raymond Learsy, Pheonix McFee, Menachem Rosensaft, Elizabeth Sackler, Linda Stein and Gloria Steinem, this 7-minute film is a tour-de-force highlighting female heroes of the time of the Holocaust, and the large sculptural tapestries that were made about them by artist Linda Stein. Coining the 4 B’s: BULLY, BULLIED, BYSTANDER and BRAVE UPSTANDER, Stein asks her viewers, “What does it take to be a brave upstander?"
Linda Stein has been obsessed with the theme of protection since 9/11, and was drawn to researching the Holocaust. While many people have been recognized for their courage in facing these horrific times, less attention has been placed on the women who made a difference.
The four-part exhibition includes: Heroic Tapestries, Spoon to Shell sculpture, Protector sculpture and a 7-minute looped video. Heroic Tapestries represent different aspects of bravery during the time of the Holocaust: Jew and non-Jew, child and adult, World War II military fighter and ghetto/concentration camp smuggler, record keeper and saboteur. Together they represent the many types of female heroism, with war battle gear and without, during the years of the Holocaust. For her Spoon to Shell sculpture, the artist blended spoon and shell into an amalgam of materials, addressing physical and emotional abuse. Protector includes a Wonder Woman shadow and becomes a symbol for the brave defender.
The key message of this exhibition is to explore opportunities people have to resist scapegoating and discrimination, and to develop the courage to stand up for victims being bullied. While most people are bystanders under conditions of terror, there are always some who defy a malevolent authority and do what they feel is the right thing. If heroes existed during the Holocaust, then certainly we can increase the propensity for individuals to become more empathetic and compassionate under normal conditions, and on an everyday basis.
Linda Stein has been honored to receive the 2016 National Association of Women Artists award for her “Outstanding Contribution to the Arts.” Stein’s archive is at Smith College. The Linda Stein Feminist Art Education Collection is to be housed at the Penn State University.
The four-part exhibition includes: Heroic Tapestries, Spoon to Shell sculpture, Protector sculpture and a 7-minute looped video. Heroic Tapestries represent different aspects of bravery during the time of the Holocaust: Jew and non-Jew, child and adult, World War II military fighter and ghetto/concentration camp smuggler, record keeper and saboteur. Together they represent the many types of female heroism, with war battle gear and without, during the years of the Holocaust. For her Spoon to Shell sculpture, the artist blended spoon and shell into an amalgam of materials, addressing physical and emotional abuse. Protector includes a Wonder Woman shadow and becomes a symbol for the brave defender.
The key message of this exhibition is to explore opportunities people have to resist scapegoating and discrimination, and to develop the courage to stand up for victims being bullied. While most people are bystanders under conditions of terror, there are always some who defy a malevolent authority and do what they feel is the right thing. If heroes existed during the Holocaust, then certainly we can increase the propensity for individuals to become more empathetic and compassionate under normal conditions, and on an everyday basis.
Linda Stein has been honored to receive the 2016 National Association of Women Artists award for her “Outstanding Contribution to the Arts.” Stein’s archive is at Smith College. The Linda Stein Feminist Art Education Collection is to be housed at the Penn State University.
Available Artwork
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