This fourth event in the Essence of Democracy series will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday April 8 and feature artist Linda Stein. Penn State Lehigh Valley (PSU-LV) faculty Samantha Beebe and PSU-LV Student Allyshia Mohr, whose discipline, life experiences and interests align with the artist’s message and concept, will join Stein in this event. The webinar is titled, “Linda Stein's Profiles Series: Addressing Sexuality and Averting the Gaze.”  

The Essence of Democracy is an Arts Project ONLINE series which amplifies voices that are often stifled through racism, gender discrimination, homophobia, ableism, etc. Often fear or ignorance allow the perpetuation of suppression through systemic oppression. Ann Lalik, gallery director and arts coordinator at Penn State Lehigh Valley, will moderate the panel. “I am excited for this opportunity to host Linda Stein as one of our featured artists on Essence of Democracy,” Lalik said. “She is a brilliant and prolific artist whose work celebrates women and opens the dialogue about gender identity. Her recently named Penn State University Scholarship, the Linda Stein Upstander Award, is yet another example of how she speaks up for those who are often underrepresented or marginalized. During this event, Stein will discuss a very personal and expressive body of work, created 50 years ago, that is truly timeless and still relevant today.” 

Stein is a feminist artist, activist, educator, performer and writer. She is the founding president of the nonprofit Have Art: Will Travel! Inc (HAWT) for Courageous Kindness, addressing bullying and diversity. HAWT currently oversees "The Fluidity of Gender: Sculpture" by Linda Stein and "Holocaust Heroes: Fierce Females – Tapestries and Sculpture" by Linda Stein, two traveling exhibitions with educational workshops. Two more exhibitions will travel soon: Displacement from Home: What to Leave, What to Take and Sexism and Masculinities/Femininities: Exploring, Exploding, Expanding Gender Stereotypes. In 2018, Stein was honored as one of Women’s eNews’ 21 Leaders for the 21st Century. In 2017, Stein received the NYC Art Teachers Association/UFT Artist of the Year award and in 2016, she received the Artist of the Year Award from the National Association of Women Artists. Her art archives are at Smith College and the Linda Stein Art Education Collection is housed at Penn State University. In 2020 Penn State endowed, in perpetuity, an annual Linda Stein Upstander Award (starting at $1,500) going to a scholar using Stein’s archives to inspire the Bullied, Bullies and Bystanders to become Brave Upstanders for justice. 

All Arts Project ONLINE events are hosted via Zoom and are free and open to the public. Each session is held in webinar format with a Q&A opportunity at the end of the program.  Visit the Essence of Democracy registration page to sign up and receive the Zoom information. Live captioning will be provided by Penn State Lehigh Valley Virtual Education Department. 

This series is supported by the Dr. Ann Williams Visiting Innovator Program Endowment, Student Activity Fee and the PA Council on the Arts.   

Contact Ann Lalik with questions at aal13@psu.edu or by calling 610-285-5261.