​Olga Ivashkevich, PhD

Summer 2009

The first workshop entitled UnLayered, was conducted with a group of seven girls and resulted in the production of multimedia collages on large wood panels. The issues that emerged during classroom dialogues and were subsequently explored in the girls’ work, included sexualized female body images in popular culture, drug addiction, unequal gender relationships, and family struggles. I am thankful to student volunteers Chayah Stoneberg and Kathleen Hall for their help with this project. 

The artwork was exhibited in the Russell House on USC campus from October 12 to October 19, 2009. This exhibit was planned as an activist venue and a large number of young women were able to see it and relate to the issues addressed in the artwork. Some of the viewers left written feedback which revealed the relevance and evocative nature of the exhibition.