Mercedes Jelinek, Giver Her Space – National Competition Juror

This series is about reclaiming space for women today that has traditionally been reserved for male writers, artists, and scientists of the past. Each piece is a portrait of graphite over inkjet prints of aspiring teen artists or more mature female emerging artists living today. These portraits are then layered on top of recycled book pages written by successful past men, including William Shakespeare, Ludwig van Beethoven, Sigmund Freud, and others. All books were purchased through Safe Place, a program that supports women who have survived domestic violence. Funding to produce this project has been made possible by The Puffin Foundation.