Artist Statement

In-depth textual analysis of classical works reveals the complexity and depth of the female characters of Greek and Roman mythology, yet many male scholars have dismissed these women as sexual plot devices. They are not celebrated for their complexity.

The urge to change this is what inspired The Kalliope Project.

Throughout this project we sought to tell the stories of the multifaceted women of antiquity, offering art as a celebration of their depth through a feminine lens.

One very important aspect of this project has been bringing women together, empowering women to feel beautiful, and encouraging women to take joy in their appearance without the male gaze of sexualization and shame.

These portraits are rife with devotion and tribute to femininity.

The portraits hang beside a retelling of a story from each character’s mythology, inviting the viewer to not only engage with the photographic content, but also the offering of a narrative freed from male lens that it has so often been trapped in. The key concept behind these works is poetic synthesizing.

We asked women from all aspects of our lives to participate in The Kalliope Project by posing for the portraits. We were also fortunate to find many individuals and businesses in Bellingham willing to donate time and space to our project. In our creative process we discovered that women and men, young and old, were fascinated by these ancient myths of complex womanhood, and developed a vested interest in helping us celebrate the characters. The project would not have been possible without the love, support, and interest of our community.

-Maesie Halliday, Sophia Robertson, and Anne Lillis

Reception on April 6th at 6 PM.