ART FORCE 5 ENDS TRIBUTE WITH JERSEY SALES AND #CENTENNIAL 19 REQUEST
Alfred University’s Art Force 5 has spent the past year building a visual tribute to female empowerment, honoring the August 18 centennial of the 19th Amendment which granted women the right to vote. As the actual centennial approaches, the student organization is now selling all their screen printed jerseys and asking supporters to post pictures wearing the shirts to a shared hashtag handle of #Centennial19.
The Art Force 5 began their project in Rochester at the Buffalo Bills training camp, painting a mosaic tribute to Susan B. Anthony while wearing Buffalo Bills jerseys (See video here) before traveling to other stadiums to build tributes in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Baltimore, New Jersey, and Miami. They also conducted residencies including a tribute to Inez Mulholland at Keene Central School in the Adirondacks (See video here) and a tribute to Coretta Scott King at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester. When COVID forced their efforts on-line, the NFL Network took notice and featured their effort to recruit 32 spokespeople from around the country to launch the first annual Women’s Empowerment Draft.
The program is seeking to build a grand finale in August with #Centennial19 filled with hundreds of tributes and a possible socially-distant meet-up at Seneca Falls on the morning of August 18 (more details to follow). Limited supply of jerseys may be purchased at the AU bookstore by e-mailing aubooks@alfred.edu
Program director Dan Napolitano, recently posted this request to various Art Force 5 social media platforms;
“I personally extend this #centennial19 challenge for your consideration and thank you for reading.
In less than thirty days, the country will celebrate the centennial of the 19th Amendment which granted women the right to vote (but as we know, not all women had access to such vote). This past year we have traveled the country, partnered with NFL Network, professional soccer players, and engaged many in honoring these icons as if they were modern day superstars. We acknowledge the August 18, 1920 accomplishment while praising those who worked beyond for equal voting rights both in 1965 and still today.
99% of the celebrations from Seneca Falls to Nashville, Tennessee have been cancelled due to COVID, so we need some creative action to properly recognize this moment.
We have screen-printed over 300 jerseys featuring 40 icons, so you may select an icon you admire or choose to learn of a life hidden from the majority of history books. About 50 friends already have these jerseys and others have requested more. They are now available, in limited quantity and sizes, at the Alfred University bookstore. All proceeds go back into our program and if you cannot afford for any reason, please message me and I will send you one.
The challenge is to post your picture in tribute, wearing a jersey tagging #centennial19 and #artforce5 before the August 18 centennial. Even, if you do not have a jersey, please commit yourself to add any tribute of your choosing onto these hashtags. Please share with others who would care and forward through your social media platforms.”
Thank you for reading and THANK YOU for participating.”