The University of Oregon’s Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (JSMA) in Eugene, Oregon is currently exhibiting portraits and photos taken by the renowned late photographer Brian Lanker in an exhibit called “From the Heart.”
Brian Lanker had also taken several of the portraits of disabled women activists featured in MIUSA’s Brilliant and Resilient collection, including one of Ghin Chu Pua, a wheelchair user from Malaysia. Lanker’s portrait of Ghin Chu graces the cover of the book Brilliant and Resilient: Celebrating the Power of Disabled Women Activists, published by MIUSA in 2013, and will be on display for the duration of “From the Heart.”
Over twenty years ago, I first saw Brian Lanker’s book I Dream a World featuring photographs and vignettes about African-American women who had changed the face of our nation. The book was deeply moving and left me with one overriding question: Why isn’t there a similar book and photo exhibition celebrating the lives of women with disabilities – their hardships and triumphs, their hopes and dreams? More than two decades later, this idea has been nourished and grown from a thought into an emerging reality.
– Susan Sygall, CEO and Co-Founder, MIUSA
See the portrait at the JSMA now through April 24, 2016.
For museum hours and admission fees, please visit the JSMA website.
About Brilliant and Resilient
The Brilliant and Resilient book and accompanying photo exhibit features a collection of professional images by world-renowned photographers, including Brian Lanker, and personal stories of women representing a variety of cultures, countries and disabilities, all alumni of MIUSA’s Women’s Institute on Leadership and Disability (WILD).
This project highlights the achievements of an unparalleled group of women with disabilities who have used determination, drive and resilience to confront discrimination and make unique contributions – in the fields of education, employment, policy and legislation, reproductive health, emergency response, HIV/AIDS and violence prevention – in their communities and in the world.
The photo exhibit, featuring 30 of the photographs, has traveled across the United States and around the world.
Get more information about hosting the Brilliant and Resilient exhibit.
