Dear Community,

What an incredible four days we had coming together around a new kind of monument DENDROFEMONOLOGY:  A Feminist History Tree Ring. Having the sculpture stand  between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in DC felt like a much needed feminist intervention. In a world that has felt dark and polarized, this art installation and activation was about light, coalition building, and an intersectionality that includes all of us.

We chose to do the activation Nov 1-4 because it came right before this week’s election in 38 states, in which there are 93,000 races on the ballots, all of which could impact women’s rights, trans rights, and reproductive rights. It’s vital that we vote for the future we want.  

The powerful four days included inspiring speakers at the sculpture unveiling, an Equal Rights Amendment Convening with 50+ organizations with eyes on getting the ERA finally published, incredible partners (all listed below) voter registration by the students of Voters of Tomorrow, art activations by Michele Pred, Whitney Bradshaw, Autumn Breon, a curated a feminist book list by author Rozella Kennedy, Feminist DC tours by A Tour of Her Own to the National Women’s History Museum’s We Who Believe in Freedom exhibition at the MLK Library, film screenings, a healing Shabbat that Vice President Kamala Harris wrote a special letter for, and participatory elements for people in DC and online that will become part of a new film.

We are so grateful to The National Women’s History Museum and Women Connect4Good, who were presenters of the whole activation, and to Vital Voices, the Global Embassy for Women, who were our indoor headquarters.

"Dendrofemonology offers itself as a bullseye for collective action."    
                                                                                                         - Ms Magazine

“She reclaims naturally felled specimens to create organic, changeable anti-monuments that are fated to eventually return to the earth." 
                                                                                         -Art Newspaper Magazine

The Feminist History Tree Rings holds “a plethora of whitespace that invites viewers to imagine how the future might unfold on the precipice of a major election year. “- Surface Magazine

Speakers before the debut: host of Taste the Nation Padma Lakshmi, #MeToo Founder Tarana Burke, Tiffany Shlain, Planned Parenthood's Caren Spruch, and the Original Wonder Woman Lynda Carter 

An enormous thank you to the amazing speakers who brought so much power and wisdom: the Original Wonder Woman Lynda Carter, host of Taste the Nation Padma Lakshmi, trailblazer Dolores Huerta, #MeToo Founder Tarana Burke, Drag Race star Miss Peppermint, Black Girls Justice Founder Brianna Baker, highest-ranking trans elected official Senator Sarah McBride, March For Our Lives organizer Jasmine Minhas, President and CEO of ERA Coalition Zakiya Thomas, President and Co-founder of the Feminist Majority Foundation Ellie Smeal, and the amazing performer Martha Redbone.  

The Original Wonder Woman Lynda Carter; Host of Taste the Nation Padma Lakshmi

Each day thousands of tourists, student field trips, and group trips came through.

Drag Race Superstar Miss Peppermint, Original Wonder Woman Lynda Carter, Founder of Women Connect4Good Dr. Nancy O'Reilly, Tiffany Shlain, and President of National Women's History Museum Frederique Irwin

Artist Autumn Breon who brought her Care Machine, Singer Martha Redbone who performed, Author Tanya Selvaratnam, Tiffany Shlain, OUTCRY's Whitney Bradshaw, and Abortion is a Human Right Art Parade leader Michele Pred

On Friday evening we had a healing Shabbat candle lighting, where VP Kamala Harris's chief advisor Josh Orton read us a letter from the Vice President. Also think you to Moment Magazine's Nadine Epstein and Amy Schwartz with the contributing to the candle lighting. It was powerful, connecting, and beautiful.

A vibrant intergenerational ERA Coalition Convening of 50+ organizations at Vital Voices orchestrated by Elisa Parker, Speakers include: Ellie Smeal of Feminist Majority Foundation, Gloria Feldt of Take the Lead, Melanie Campbell of National Coalition of Black Civic Participation, Ella Duncan-High of Generation Ratify, Amy Hinojosa of MANA, A National Latina Organization, Sophia Arment of Feminist Front, Jessica Jones Capprell of League of Women Voters, Shermena Nelson of African-American Policy Forum, Samad Quraishi of Voters of Tomorrow, Lisa Sales of Virginia NOW, Christian Nunes of NOW, Jill Thompson of Equality Now, Krystal Leaphart of RH Impact, Dr. Nancy O’Reilly, Women Connect4Good, and Zakiya Thomas of ERA Coalition.

Abortion is a Human Right Art Parade led by Michele Pred

The Parade started at the Capital and went to the Feminist History Tree Ring  

The parade ended in a joyous flash dance to Imagine by John Lennon and Groove is in the Heart by Dee-Lite choreographed by Rena Marie Guidry 

Sawyer Steele and me of Let it Ripple, 17 years of looking at the big picture and all the millions of details

We interviewed the public throughout the four days inviting everyone to say
what they hope the next milestone on the tree ring is.

A huge shout out to an amazing group of people that helped make this possible, including Dr. Nancy O’Reilly, Melissa Miller Young, Frederique Irwin, Jennifer Herrera, Alyse Nelson, Sherene Joseph, Jackie Lockhart-Andretta, Joy Crump, Zakiya Thomas, Elisa Parker, my amazing team of Sawyer Steele, Lauren Schiller, Ajianna Covington, JR Tremblay, Andrea Prebys-Williams, documentors Ashlee Wilcox, Ashlee Love, Clare Major, Mariah Miranda, and Jordan Gibson and our producer on the ground in DC, Stephanie Holland and her heroic crew. And as always, to Ken, Odessa & Blooma.

Looking forward to sharing more soon.

To #ReclaimingOurHistory and #VotingOurFuture.

Love,

Tiffany

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