Mayor Walsh Announces Launch of Exhibition Honoring Women Power Lifters

The Mayor's Office of Arts & Culture together with the Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement launched 'Lift/Women Power-Lifters,' an exhibition by photographer Liane Brandon at the Strand Theatre in Upham's Corner. The exhibition will be on display throughout October 2015.  

"Women are to be celebrated for all they contribute to our families, workplaces, and communities as a whole," said Mayor Walsh. "When we empower women to reach and go beyond their full potential, our society thrives in the best way possible. This artwork displays the strength that women are capable of, and I am proud to showcase it at the Strand Theatre this year." 

LIFT is a series of photographs celebrating four women power-lifters - women who defy physical and cultural stereotypes. They range in age from 27 to 60 and they are smart, interesting and strong. They have all won regional, national or world competitions  Lodrina is a forensic computer expert who weighs 123 pounds and can lift (an astonishing) 385 pounds.  She just placed first in national competition.  Jessica has a bachelor's degree in kinesthesiology.  Candace is a mom, the lead singer in a band, and a national titleholder.  Jane, the oldest, is a grandmother who went to Wellesley College.  She holds four world records. Brandon has created astounding images that convey the physical nature of the sport while evoking the spirit of these women.   "I have always been concerned with the disconnect between public perception, media portrayal and reality - especially in the characterization of women," Brandon said. "While my still photography has covered a wide range of subjects, the lingering issue of media stereotypes and women has never been far from my mind. 

"The challenge for me as a documentary photographer is to create images that both convey the physical nature of the sport and evoke the spirit of these women.  While they are quite literally strong, I also see their physical strength as a metaphor for all the qualities I respect in women who have made a total commitment to any endeavor: courage, conviction, dedication, and perseverance."   Liane Brandon (http://www.lianebrandon.com) is an award-winning independent filmmaker, photographer and University of Massachusetts/Amherst Professor Emerita.  Brandon has photographed wildlife, jazz musicians, artists, writers, Cape Verdean longshoremen, and production stills for the PBS television series American Experience, Nova, and American Masters.  Her photos have been published in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe and many other publications. 

Her groundbreaking films Anything You Want To Be and Betty Tells Her Story were among the first and most popular consciousness raising tools of the Women's Movement.  Her films have been featured on HBO, USA Cable, and TLC and presented at MoMA, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Tribeca Film Festival.