Nevertheless, She Persisted

NEVERTHELESS, SHE PERSISTED

Laura O’Connor

The portrait series Nevertheless, she persisted is an observance of steadfast women whose continued efforts, regardless of outcome, have inspired Edmonton artist Laura O’Connor. From the Senate floor to a Disney cartoon, this series features a mix of real and fictional women from different walks of life who share the willingness to persist in the face of adversity.

When presiding Senate chair Steve Daines, of Montana interrupted his colleague, Elizabeth Warren, as she was reading the words of Coretta Scott King on the Senate floor —and, then, when Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell intervened to prevent her from finishing the speech— many women felt that silencing viscerally. And when McConnell, later, remarked of Warren, “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted,” many women felt it again. Because, regardless of their politics or place, those women have heard the same thing, or a version of it, many times before. – Megan Garber, The Atlantic (February 8, 2017)

The idea for this series came soon after the silencing of Elizabeth Warren and the following movement that turned Mitch McConnell’s explanation for his actions, “Nevertheless, she persisted,” into a rallying cry that grew beyond the political realm.

Laura’s goal for this exhibition is to share the inspiration and comfort she found while researching these women. While their motivations, goals, and impact may differ, their contributions through perseverance speak to the universal importance of being heard and acknowledged.

Laura O’Connor is a born and bred Edmontonian and mixed media artist. She holds a BFA & BDes in Photography from the Alberta College of Art + Design, where she received the Board of Governor’s award for the Photography major. Soon after graduation Laura incorporated fibre into her art practice and quickly fell in love with the medium of felt for its inherent warmth and humour.