Welcome!

My name is Kira Cheshier, and welcome to my blog. I am currently studying Art, International Studies, and German with a minor in Women’s Studies at the University of Wyoming. This blog will highlight my deep passion for both women’s studies as well as art and although this topic is enormous (believe me, the amount of resources available will boggle your mind) I will try to provide a variety of an overview of history, artists, as well as contemporary issues. First, however, I would like to discuss my personal feminist beliefs and understandings.

I look at feminism as a way of living, not just a belief system or movement. Feminism to me means accepting and understanding differences through experiences and education. Over the past four years, I have had the amazing opportunity to learn about different cultures and groups of peoples and this is most definitely reflected in my feminism. I believe as humans we have the right to be treated equally and fairly in society. I believe acceptance and acknowledgment of differences is important to grow as a community and society, and without these, we cannot progress. And to me, education is one of the most important elements in understanding. The more we educate ourselves about each other, the more we can understand our positions in life. Now understanding is much different than knowing and although we can understand each other, we will never be able to fully know each other and the hardships, restrictions, and confinements we feel in society. With that said, I feel feminism provides an opportunity for everyone to start to understand our society and the people within. Our society is patriarchal which is reflected in our systems and institutions. Because of this, women and other minority groups have a special view of the world which should be seen and honored. I believe there are differences among women and men, mostly created by society and social factors, however, these differences should be acknowledged and equally valued.

To me art holds a special place in society. It is a form of expression and is able to convey a message from the artist to the viewer. Often times, the message a viewer receives is not the exact same message an artist has sent because our perceptions are formed by our own personal experiences and ideas, which I believe only adds to the beauty of art. Art, and feminist art in particular, is a powerful form of communication that can change a society and an individual all at once. Therefore, to me the intersection of feminism and art is so very natural; they are both powerful and have the ability to change a nation.

I hope you enjoy the following posts!