Elizabethtown College held an opening reception for professor of music and director of music therapy Dr. Gene Ann Behrens’ Womenfolk photography exhibit in Zug Memorial Hall Thursday, Sept. 12 from 4 to 6 p.m.
Her photography collection was made up of 15 portraits of women of all different ages and from all different places. Many of the women were from more poverty-stricken countries such as Kenya, India and South Korea. Each photograph was accompanied by a card that included a caption and description of the image. Along with the description, the card identified the location of the photograph, the date it was taken and the camera type and setting used. Each photograph also had a virtue, such as “courage,” written above the caption. “The virtues chosen reflect the virtues embodied in the women,” Behrens said. The photographs emphasized the strength of women.
“As I took these photographs, I wanted to capture the presence of these women in cultures where often females are neither seen nor have a voice. I wanted the images to celebrate these women, their comradery and their roles to portray the virtues and powerful presence they have,” Behrens said.
The event was open to students and the community. Behrens also provided a pamphlet for children in which they had to look for particular things within the photographs, such as finding the picture of a mother and baby. The reception also included refreshments that people could snack on while walking around and looking at the photographs. Sophomore Heather Waugh’s favorite photograph was the one titled “Courage.” This photograph was of a woman stepping outside a door.
“I liked the colors in the photograph and the beautiful door. I also liked how natural it looked,” Waugh said.
Near the end of the event, Behrens gave a short speech about her travels that inspired her work and the overall message of her collection. She started by explaining how she came up with the title “Womenfolk” for her collection. She explained how, when she was traveling to South Korea, she met a woman who was very kind to her. She had set out to find a hiking trail that day, and on her way she passed by the woman inside a small restaurant. The woman waved her in and offered her soup and water. Then the two communicated with one another through gestures because of the language barrier, and at the end of the meal the woman wouldn’t let Behrens pay for the food.
“I was inspired by the sense of comaraderie among women, and it is a moment I will never forget,” Behrens said. This moment helped inspire the theme of her collection. “I was also inspired by the sisterhood and gentleness of the woman,” Behrens said.
However, she did struggle at times to capture these photographs.
“It was hard to see past the poverty and devastation that pulled on your heart strings,” Behrens said. It was the women who helped her to refocus. “Seeing the strength, hope and gifts that they had and could give me as a traveler and a woman was very inspiring,” Behrens said. She also explained her approach when shooting photographs was a “more journalistic” approach. She also talked about how she asked permission to take some of the subjects’ picture, and others just came into the shot. “If I’m shooting a landscape then I typically don’t ask the person, but if I feel like I’m invading into their personal space then I do,” Behrens said. In terms of how she decides which picture to feature, she said she goes through the photographs right away to find the ones that she connects with the most. “The pictures are like my children,” Behrens said.
The exhibit will be on display until Dec. 13. “I found the exhibit to be inspiring, humbling and offered a unique perspective,” Waugh said. The exhibit hours are from 9 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
