Evanston Women's History Project » Project Information

EWHP exhibit installed at Rest Cottage

EWHP — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:00:57 +0000

Rest Cottage with Willard, Anna Gordon and Mary Thompson Hill Willard

The EWHP exhibit Lifting as We Climb: Evanston Women and the Creation of a Community is now installed at the Frances Willard House, 1730 Chicago Avenue, Evanston, Illinois (also known fondly as Rest Cottage). An exhibit opening will be held on Sunday, November 6th from 1-4 pm. Refreshments will be served. In addition to the exhibit, visitors can tour the home, catching a glimpse of 19th century Evanston and learning more about Willard’s amazing career as a world-renowned social reformer. Willard called Evanston “a paradise for women” and the Lifting as We Climb exhibit explains how this was so from the earliest days of the community up through today. The exhibit will be open when the Willard House is open for regular tours (the first and third Sundays of the month) through 2012. For more information, visit www.franceswillardhouse.org.

A tree for talking back to us…

EWHP — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:22:10 +0000

Our recently closed exhibit at the Evanston History Center included a feature our exhibit team worked hard to imagine and create. We called it the “talk-back tree,” somewhat following our “Lifting as We Climb” theme. We created a tree of plywood and paint and put out post-its in leaf colors for vistors to write on. We asked them to tell us about an important woman in their lives or in Evanston, and what made her important.

The comments we received were amazing. The tree was regularly covered with notes (as you can see from the photos) and the notes mentioned all sorts of women — most often family members, mothers, grandmothers, aunts — but sometimes women from the visitor’s personal past. Many also mentioned women from Evanston today and from Evanston history. Many were written by children. We hoped it made the exhibit a little more fun and personal.

This web site is in some ways an online extension of that tree. We have received comments about the women we’ve highlighted here. Some of those comments reference a personal connection to the stories we are telling. We’d love to continue the conversation about the meaning women, especially Evanston women, have had in our virtual visitor’s lives. So, write your comments here…

Looking Forward

EWHP — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:59:02 +0000

Join us on January 27, 2011 for a special event where we culminate a year of exploring Evanston’s women’s history with a look toward the future, asking “What issues do women face today that need our leadership?”

This evening will include a viewing of the 2010 YWCA Evanston/North Shore YWomen Leadership Award film by Susan Hope Engel, documenting the work of three Evanston women leaders and the Evanston Women’s History Project, and a presentation by Sunny Fischer, Executive Director of The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and co-founder of the Chicago Foundation of Women. Fischer will speak about current issues women in our community face and how we can be inspired by women leaders of the past to take on these issues today.

The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a light reception and exhibit viewing of Lifting as We Climb: Evanston Women and the Creation of a Community, EHCs current exhibit in partnership with the Evanston Women’s History Project. The film and presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. The cost is $5 for the public, free for EHC members. Reservations are encouraged as capacity is limited. To make a reservation call (847) 475-3410 or email losborne@evanstonhistorycenter.org.

Award-winning women’s history!

EWHP — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 22:38:54 +0000

We are proud to announce that the exhibit Lifting as We Climb: Evanston Women and the Creation of a Community is the recipient of an award of excellence from the Illinois Association of Museums. The EWHP is being honored for its work to make the “remarkable record of women’s achievement” accessible to the public through this exhibit. If you haven’t seen the exhibit yet, come to the Evanston History Center soon. (More about visiting the history center is available at www.evanstonhistorycenter.org.) This award goes to all those who helped make the project and the exhibit possible, especially our partners and funders, but also to all those women whose stories we documented, who worked so hard to make Evanston the community it is today.

YWomen Leadership Award

EWHP — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 18:29:56 +0000

The Evanston Women’s History Project is proud to announce that it is one of the recipients of the 2010 YWomen Leadership Awards from the YWCA Evanston/North Shore! The YWomen Leadership awards honor and celebrate women and organizations for their work to empower women, eliminate racism, promote justice and encourage women’s leadership. For more information about the award, the other amazing recipients, or the October 14th event where the award will be formally presented, you can visit the YWCA Evanston/North Shore web site at: http://www.ywca.org/site/pp.asp?c=erLOK1PJLsF&b=4444857

The EWHP receives this award on behalf of the many Funding and Project Partners, and volunteers, who have made the project possible. For a complete list of Funders and Partners, click on this link: http://evanstonwomen.org/home/project-partners/.

It also receives the award on behalf of all the women and organizations whose stories we have documented, who struggled against great odds, worked tirelessly for the betterment of women’s lives both near and far, and left us a community where the leadership of women is valued, encouraged and recorded.

A Great Time and more to come!

EWHP — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:41:16 +0000

Everyone seemed to have a great time at the Evanston History Center Ice Cream Social this past weekend. It was hot and humid, but we had free frozen custard, so somehow it all worked out! Here’s a link to EHCs youtube channel that has several short films from the day — including one that features a visit by Frances Willard! And don’t forget to reserve your spot on the women’s history walking tour coming up Saturday, August 7th!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha8zhu-0QFg

Two upcoming women’s history events!

EWHP — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 13:57:02 +0000

EWHP will be featured at two upcoming events at the Evanston History Center. Come to EHCs Annual Ice Cream Social on Saturday, July 24 from 1 – 4 pm to enjoy free frozen custard, kid’s games, the Ridgeville Band and tours of the Dawes House — and also see the EWHP exhibit: “Lifting as We Climb.” Don’t miss a special visit by Frances Willard! The event is free and open to everyone. For more information see the EHC website www.evanstonhistorycenter.org or call (847) 475-3410.

And on Saturday August 7 you can enjoy a walk through Evanston’s Lakeshore Historic District with a women’s history focus. The walk will take place from 1:30 – 3:30 pm and the route will go past homes of women who were pioneers in women’s rights, art, literature and government. The cost is $15, $10 for EHC members. Tour begins and ends at the Dawes House. Call (847) 475-3410 to make a reservation or for more information.

Girls Scout Programs

EWHP — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:24:58 +0000

We are excited to launch our new Girl Scout Badge program. Local scout troops can visit the Evanston History Center, view the women’s history exhibit, and work on a badge related to Evanston women’s history. See the Events and Programs tab at the top for more information — or call (847) 475-3410 or email ewhp@evanstonhistorycenter.org.

EWHP Database is Live!

EWHP — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:03:29 +0000

While it still remains a work in progress, we are excited to announce that our project database has gone live on this website! Just click on the tab at the top of the web site. Now you can find information about many of the women and women’s organizations that we’ve spent the past three years researching. Only a selection of them are available now but we have plans to finish up data entry and formatting and make more available soon. Consider this your invitation to check out the “beta” version. Send us your comments too!

EWHP Programs

EWHP — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:46:38 +0000

Announcing two special program options for groups who’d like to access Evanston women’s history in a new way. Groups can now schedule a special viewing of the women’s history exhibit, with either a brief exhibit introduction and tour, or a special program created for them. Groups can also schedule a private bus tour of Evanston’s women’s history sites. Please see our Events and Programs tab at the top of the page for more information. Hope to see you and your group at one of these programs!