These Sisters Created A Female Empowerment Exhibit To Fiercely Celebrate Womanhood
As women, everyday we have to roam this earth dripped in the essence of who we are, all while being undervalued and undermined at every turn. From the lack of women in power, to patriarchy, sexism, racism, and economic inequality, we are often forced to dig deep into our magic, just to know that it's there.
But self-belief is a superpower. And through each obstacle, we are reminded—by triumph—that our actual self-belief, is that all women have superpowers.
I'm not sure anyone believes this more than sisters, Danyelle and Dionna Gray, the amazing ladies behind the WOMANISH exhibit. These ladies took on the massive task of curating a game-changing 40,000-square-foot revolutionary exhibit, with 16 exploratory rooms, all packaged and themed to overload your badass, female senses.
In the heart of Downtown Chicago, this interactive celebration of all things feminine, hosts five floors of rooms carefully crafted to encourage conversation, change, and imagination, with names such as the PARTYISH room, the PAIDISH room, and so much more. This exhibit has championed the marriage of creativity and message. #hello
Think of it as similar to the Museum of Ice Cream, or Refinery29's 29Rooms, but instead, with all female perspective.
"This is for everyone and all womxn, but Danyelle and I wanted to make sure that Black womxn knew that this was done by Black womxn and you're going to be specifically celebrated in here," the ladies tell Chicago Tribune. "Our hope is when Black womxn walk past, it's like 'Yasss!' It's very picturesque, but you can tell that this is done by two Black womxn because of the different touches we have. The paid-ish room refers to the pay gap between men and womxn. Everything is very Instagrammable, but our (exhibit) is purposeful ... conversation starters meant to inspire you."
And both a conversation and inspo is definitely had. Whether the illuminated fluorescent floors, or the shopper's room featuring a receipt detailing how grossly underpaid women are, this highly Instagrammable experience, is unapologetically here to make its impact.
"We made it our life's mission to support women and create safe, uplifting, and simply FUN environments to connect in. After years of growth in supporting women by hosting podcasts, workshops, and events, we decided to take our overall mission to the next level. Together we've built a team of progressive women who were already pushing the barrier of experiences in Chicago, and with whom we shared our mission. We wanted to connect women living here--and beyond--and we developed WOMANISH as a movement that breaks single-definition stereotypes of being a woman and celebrating various womxn's perspectives through the interactive art of experiences."
Below are a few photos from a direct look inside:
Change the game, ladies!
WOMANISH runs September 3-November 8. Tickets, $35, are on sale now. Ages two and under are free. Guests aged 4 and over are required to bring and wear their own masks.
Feature image courtesy of Danyelle Gray
Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Rihanna Talks Shedding Expectations And Finding Balance As A Mother
Since becoming a mother in 2022, Rihanna has defined parenthood by her terms and hopes to pass that sense of autonomy on to her children.
For Vogue China’s April cover story, Rihanna shared her perspective on raising her two sons with A$AP Rocky, and how she hopes to preserve her children’s uniqueness, devoid of societal expectations.
"The most beautiful thing...is that [children] come into the world with their own individuality and sincerity, without any logic or conformity,” she told the publication. “Which usually makes you feel that you must fit into a certain group."
The “Work” artist, known for her trendsetting style and captivating persona, expressed her desire to support children in fully embracing their individuality and encouraging them to be whoever they want to be. "It's really beautiful to see and I want to continue to help them navigate that and make sure that they know they can be whoever they want to be,” she says.
She continues, “They should embrace it completely, because it's beautiful, and it's unique. I love them just that way."
From shattering music charts to shaking up the beauty industry, Rihanna has forged a path that has since created the “dream” life we see today. One that she says has made her parents proud of.
“I’m living my dream,” she continued. “My parents were very proud of that because they just wanted me to be happy and successful. So, I think the key thing is to find some kind of balance. Yes, balance is important. Do this and you get the best of both worlds. You can write your own life the way you want, and it will be beautiful. Sometimes, you just need to let go of everyone’s expectations and start living your own story.”
Rihanna, who shares sons, RZA, 23 months, and Riot, 8 months, with rapper A$AP Rocky, recently shared her vision for expanding her family in the future in Interview Magazine.
When stylist Mel Ottenberg asked about the number of additional children she hoped to have, Rihanna replied, "As many as God wants me to have.”
"I don't know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl,” she adds. “But of course, if it's another boy, it's another boy."
Featured image by Neil MockfordWireImage