Among the bronzed sculptures that dot the campus, Chapman Feminists worked to create an original adaptation of Picasso’s classic work Guernica to reflect violence against women.

With the support of the sociology and women’s studies programs, the Chapman Feminists were hard at work constructing Muernica last Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the lawn in front of Oliphant Hall. The group used the piece to honor the graduating senior members as well as to make a statement.

“We’re hoping to make a powerful statement to people about how violence impacts women,” said faculty adviser Clara Magliola. “We’re also teaming up with Save Chapman Art. This a testimony to how art is such an indispensable medium of political expression.”

Within the Chapman Feminists’ interpretation, shackles bind the arms of the kneeling woman from the original painting with a Nike swoosh symbol, indicating the plight many women face as mistreated workers in sweat shops, among other symbols of domestic violence and injustices that plague modern women.

“[Guernica] is considered one of the most powerful representations of the senseless violence of war,” Magliola said. “We’re taking all of that sentiment, political statement and visual aesthetic power and we’re appropriating this image and giving it a feminist meaning, creating protest art. We’re representing the violence against women that occurs in so many forms.”

Chapman Feminists have hosted various events including “I’m Not a Feminist, But ...” and assisted PEER and Health Education with “Take Back the Night,” an event that took place Tuesday that gave a forum to women who have been the victims of sexual abuse.

One of the organization’s goals is to debunk the feminism myth.

Krista Dehart, senior public relations and advertising major, is an active member of Chapman Feminists and believes in the power of de-stigmatization that the club firmly lays its foundation upon.

“I think a lot of people hear feminism and think they’re these big scary women that hate everything ... this is not the case at all,” she said.

Many students have expressed their personal discoveries of their feminist beliefs.

“There are definitely people that come up after events and say, ‘Wow, I never knew I was a feminist – but I am,’” Dehart said.

Natalie Cohen, president of the Chapman Feminists, claims that feminism is not exclusive to sex. This can be seen right down to the club’s House representative Matthew Ritter, a junior screenwriting major and, most importantly, a male.

“It’s important for men and for women,” Cohen said.

Though they’ve been supported by many faculty members, including male professors and advisers, support from the student body still lingers as something to be desired.

“We’ve had a pretty good turn-out at every event we’ve had thus far, just not good membership,” Dehart said. “We don’t have very active members because people can’t always make meetings.”

Due to Chapman’s small student body, getting the kind of response a club like Chapman Feminists wants may be a straining process but could also be seen as a way to fuel their future projects in reaching out and going against the grain of popular culture.

“There’s a lot of work to be done because people are so desensitized and trained to thinking that equality exists and to equate feminism with consumer power. It’s a hard nut to crack and for some people it’s impenetrable.” Magliola said.

The Muernica painting will be officially unveiled on Thursday in a party that commemorates the many achievements the seniors in the program have accomplished through their participation.
After that, the home of the painting is still up in the air. Magliola and the chief members of the club hope that it can be placed in a public place.

“We want to make a lasting legacy for the feminists club. This is something we want to have on-campus for years to come,” Cohen said.


Contact this reporter: julia.prescott@thepantheronline.com