TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) — Women in the arts often go overlooked and unrecognized but last Tuesday the International Arts Center gave women the spotlight.
Love, grief, unity, family, and freedom were some of the themes found in the pieces performed in the IAC’s music and poetry event. One major theme connected all the different pieces: they were created and performed by women.
“We have such a wonderful university and we have so many talented women on this campus, we could pick a different group of them every day to honor and I hope that we do I hope we all appreciate what we have here,” said First Lady Janice Hawkins.
Participants took turns presenting poems and songs, all of them created by other women. One professor that presented a poem focused heavily on the background of the artist she was representing
“She’s a WWII survivor, she saw the horrors of war, so what I talked about was how easy it is for us to forget war and how the cleanup that takes place afterwards is one of the most simple things that we do but somebody has to do,” said Professor of History, Margaret Gnoinska.
Beyond the Crown: How Troy ended up with three Miss Troy pageant queens on its campus
Hawkins hopes that by shining light on the unrecognized successes of other women, like those discussed by Gnoinska, younger girls will be inspired to make an impact too.
“We are not always celebrated, and I think sometimes it’s more difficult for a woman to achieve at a certain level and we are celebrating the women we have that have – and that pass on that talent to our students,” Hawkins said.
Although International Women’s Day is over, women’s history month continues and with it, the chance to acknowledge everything women have done for society.
“Say thank you,” Hawkins said. If someone is passing something on to you and appreciating you, say thank you, tell them what a difference they’ve made in your life and let them know how wonderful you think they are.”
Though the event is slightly different every year, the celebration of women by the College of Arts and Humanities and the John M. Long School of Music is an annual event.
