Celebrate Women's History Month this March with Chicago Public Library! We're exploring the theme "Women's Activism: Then and Now" through workshops, lectures, craft times, author readings, film screenings and more.
Women's History Month activities begin with Celebrating Textile Art for Teens on Wednesday, March 1 at Sulzer Regional Library. Throughout history, crafts such as knitting, crochet, sewing and lace making were not considered art, simply because they were done by women. Examine the beauty and art of "women's" crafts and experiment with the endless possibilities of textile.
Check out the complete list of Women's History Month events. We'll explore women's contributions in topics from art to zumba with more than 30 events for kids, teens and adults.
Featured Events
These events highlight this year's theme of "Women's Activism: Then and Now."
- Women Artists Rock the Protest Poster! Simple materials express big ideas in this workshop where we use printmaking and collage to create protest posters on topics of your choosing. Artist Elaine Luther presents this event Saturday, March 4 at Harold Washington Library Center.
- Celebrating Chicago Women: Pioneers in Their Field: View one-of-a-kind artifacts from our special collections that document the history of Chicago's female leaders. See archival artifacts from a variety of collections and hear the inspirational histories behind the materials. Saturday, March 11 at Harold Washington Library Center.
- Vintage Hair Accessories: Hair Style and Headband Workshop for Teens: Join Maggie for a tutorial on a few updated classic hairstyles like the Rosie roll and the Gibson Girl. Then dress them up by making your own headband/hair scarf on the sewing machine. Wednesday, March 22 at Albany Park Branch.
- Intro to Self-Defense with IMPACT Chicago for Teens and Adults: Through activities and exercises, this workshop raises awareness of basic safety principles and tools. Topics covered: current knowledge about risks of violence and effective prevention, confidence and awareness, safe distance, strengths of a defender's body, getting to safety and more. Saturday, March 24 at Coleman Branch.
- Women and the Internet: A Discussion of Lindy West's Shrill: Join a discussion of Lindy West's Shrill. West boldly shares how to survive in a world where not all stories are created equal and not all bodies are treated with equal respect, and how to weather hatred, loneliness, harassment and loss, and walk away laughing. Wednesday, March 29 at Harold Washington Library Center.
Exhibit
Balance and Tension: Sculpture by Elaine Luther is on display through March 18 at Harold Washington Library Center in the Popular Library exhibit cases and Congress Corridor east display window on the ground floor.
Artist Elaine Luther states, “Many of these pieces have implied movement, they’re in the act of falling, or look like they’re about to fall, but they don’t, because as a mom, I’m holding it all together. That’s what those pieces are about. We all have this push/pull in our lives, this juggling.”
Reading Recommendations
- Women Who Made a Difference: Books for Adults: This list contains books about just some of the women who have made a difference in the world in many different ways. Come along on this journey with them!
- Teen Titles for Women's History Month: Activism Then and Now: Learn about current and historical activists with these book and DVD recommendations.
- Women Who Changed the World: Books for Kids: Learn about trailblazing women in American history.