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Power of Women's Clothesline Project collection

 Collection
Identifier: W057

Scope and Content of the Collection

The collection consists of the 80 T-shirts and two quilts displayed at the Power of Women's 3rd Annual Clothesline Project, March 18-22, 2002, as well as printed materials relating to the event.

Dates

  • Creation: 2002

Creator

Restrictions on Access

Collection is open for research use.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Georgia State University is the owner of the physical collection and makes reproductions available for research, subject to the copyright law of the United States and item condition. Georgia State University may or may not own the rights to materials in the collection. It is the researcher's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and obtain permission from the copyright holder before publication, reproduction, or display of the materials beyond what is reasonable under copyright law. Researchers may quote selections from the collection under the fair use provision of copyright law.

History of the Clothesline Project

The Clothesline Project is a display created by survivors of violence and those in support of survivors. The personal narratives and graphic messages illustrated on the shirts are a testimony to the reality of violence and the strength of the survivors. The shirts are placed on a clothesline and are displayed in public places for viewing.

The Clothesline Project started in Cape Cod, MA, in October 1990. Thirty-one t-shirts addressing the issue of violence against women were displayed on the village green in Hyannis as part of the annual "Take Back the Night" rally. The project was the brainchild of a small core of women, many of whom had been affected by domestic violence, who wanted to create a way of expressing the problem in the form of an "in-your-face" educational and healing tool. Inspired by the AIDS quilt, artist Rachel Carey-Harper came up with the idea of using t-shirts hanging on a clothesline: Doing the laundry has traditionally been women's work, and women often communicated with one another whilst hanging out their laundry.

After the first 1990 Clothesline Project event, a small piece appeared in Off Our Backs magazine. This piece was picked up by Ms magazine and the project expanded dramatically. Over the following years other magazines (including Shape and USA Weekend) published articles about the project, with the result that it grew from a local grassroots effort into a large-scale national campaign.

Currently it is estimated that between 50,000 and 60,000 shirts have been decorated, and projects are running in 41 states and 5 countries.

At Georgia State University, Power of Women organized their first Clothesline Project in 2000. The 3rd Annual Clothesline Project took place March 18-22, 2002, and throughout the week, t-shirts were hung on lines across the University Plaza.

History of Georgia State University Power of Women

Power of Women is a Georgia State University student organization affiliated with the Women's Studies Institute. They are committed to making feminism and feminist issues and philosophies visible and relevant to the Georgia State University campus, and to developing a focus on personal awareness and issues affecting female and male students by organizing activities, presenting information, and providing education on gender and human rights issues. Some of the programs they have sponsored include visiting classrooms, attending the Georgia Women's Assembly (1999), volunteering for the Feminist Women's Health Center, starting "Voices of active Resistance: Power of Women's Sexual Assault Education Campaign," (2000) and "Sexual Assault on Campus Rountable" (April 2003). Power of Women is sponsored by GSU's Offices of Diversity Education and Health Promotion, Georgia Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Alliance, Campus Civitans, Social Work Club and by the International Student Association Council.

Extent

16.25 Linear Feet (in 28 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract:

Power of Women is a Georgia State University student organization affiliated with the Women's Studies Institute. The Clothesline Project is a display created by survivors of violence and those in support of survivors. The collection consists of the 80 T-shirts and two quilts displayed at the Power of Women's 3rd Annual Clothesline Project, March 18-22, 2002, as well as printed materials relating to the event.

Arrangement

Arranged in two series: I. Textiles, II. Printed materials.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Jennifer Gillespie, Treasurer, Power of Women, June 2002.

Online Availability:

Several items have been digitized and are available online at Georgia State University Library Digital Collections.

Bibliography

For further information on the Clothsline Project see:

Processing Information

Processed by Jiling Yang at the item level, September 2004.

Title
Power of Women's Clothesline Project:
Subtitle
A Guide to Its Collection at Georgia State University Library
Status
Completed
Author
Georgia State University Library
Date
2004
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Repository

Contact:
100 Decatur St., S.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
404-413-2880
404-413-2881 (Fax)