(TUSCALOOSA, Ala.) The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa will be hosting “Stand Up!: Ten Mighty Women Who
Made a Change” in The Arts Council Gallery at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center. A project of
The Holle Center for Communication Arts at The University of Alabama, the exhibit will be on display
April 5-May 24, 2024.
This exhibit celebrates the debut picture book of the same title by Dr. Brittney Cooper, professor of
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Africana Studies at Rutgers University, with illustrations by
Cathy Ann Johnson. Inspiring text and dynamic illustrations bring to life both famous and unsung Black
women who took a stand and made the world a better place for future generations. Each heroic figure is
interconnected by a united quest for equity, and offers young readers a stirring, inspirational call to
action, reminding them that they are also mighty and can be forces for change when they “stand up!”
For more information about author Dr. Brittney Cooper, visit her Rutger’s faculty page
at https://tinyurl.com/y3p3cx9m. Visit Cathy Ann Johnson’s page at https://www.painted-
words.com/portfolio/cathy-ann-johnson/.
Dr. Robin Boylorn, founding director of UA’s Holle Center for Communication Arts says “Brittney Cooper
is one of the most important and celebrated public intellectuals of our time. It is an honor to showcase
the exhibit celebrating her first children’s picture book, which highlights iconic women and girls who
made history but are often excluded from it. Cathy Ann Johnson, who illustrated the book, brings
Brittney’s words to life by mapping her artistic process through the exhibit, inviting us into the
methodology of illustration. ‘Stand Up!’ offers an opportunity for intergenerational engagement of art,
history, and storytelling.”
For more in depth information about this exhibit, contact Dr. Robin Boylorn at rboylorn@ua.edu.
“Stand Up! Ten Mighty Women Who Made a Change” is curated by Nicole Simpson, Associate Curator of
Prints and Drawings at the Zimmerli Art Museum located at Rutgers University. This exhibition is also
supported by PNC “Grow Up Great.” The program is a $350 million, multi-year, bilingual initiative that
began in 2004 to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life. To date, the
program has served more than 2 million children.
The Holle Center for Communication Arts is partnering with The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa, UA’s School
of Library and Information Studies, the Department of Communication Studies, the College of Education,
the Department of Art and Art History, the Department of Gender and Race Studies, and Mark and
Tonya Nelson to present this exhibition.
Events:
- April 5, 2024: Exhibit Opening during First Friday from 5-7 p.m. at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts
Center; author Brittney Cooper and illustrator Cathy Ann Johnson of “Stand Up!” speak about the
book and exhibit at 6 p.m. - May 3, 2024: First Friday event 5-7 p.m. at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center; Panel Discussion
about the book and art exhibit with panelists:
• Moderator: Dr. Darlene F. Atkins, Principal of Westlawn Middle School
• Katherine Baxter, Librarian at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary
• Ramona Caponegro, Professor in Youth Services, UA School of Library and Information Studies
• Exa Skinner, Executive Director of Kentuck Art Center and Festival
Gallery hours are weekdays 9 a.m.- noon and 1-4 p.m. For more information about all gallery events
taking place on First Friday and the locations, visit www.firstfridaytuscaloosa.com.
The Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center is located at 620 Greensboro Avenue in downtown
Tuscaloosa. For more information about The Arts Council, Bama Theatre or CAC, patrons should like the
Facebook page “The Arts Council – Bama Theatre – Cultural Arts Center” on Facebook and Twitter and
Instagram @tuscaloosaartscouncil. Call 205-758-5195 or visit tuscarts.org for further information.