On August 10, Clientele opened its doors for a special day celebrating women and their artwork with an all-female group of artists. Using unladylike as a guiding theme, artists were prompted to unpack the traditional rules of being a lady and turn them upside-down to redefine the rules of femininity. With over 25 pieces on display, it was inspiring to see how the theme resonated with each artist. Some pieces were bold and brazen, while others were soft and more nuanced, but each focused on a specific part of the female experience and encouraged you to think more deeply about its purpose.

Behind the scenes, it was an amazing experience to curate the exhibit with the artists. Through a group chat, the ladies were able to share information, ask questions, and support one another as we geared up for the big day. The Unladylike artists included: Alex Wright, Amanda Carney, Cfe Jimenez, Devin Ashmore, Jessica Broverman, Kathryn Holt, Katie Welch, Kaytlyn Snyder, Lizzy Hannah, Maelin Biondillo, Megan Jones, Mindi Yarbrough, Monica Mull Hedrick, Natalie Kovacs, Rachael Schmitt, and Sam Amberg. We hope that the tiny community that was created leading up to the show evolves into something bigger over time.

On the morning of the Unladylike, two fitness classes were hosted to offer a sneak peek of the exhibit. Bad Babes Bootcamp, led by local fitness instructor and creator of The Movement, Allison Hickey, started the morning off with a high-intensity 60-minute workout. Attendees sweat it out to a fun playlist of badass women and had the opportunity to get a first look of the Unladylike exhibit. Later in the morning, Kylie Ignace led a yoga class focused on female empowerment. It was an inspiring morning and we hope that all attendees left feeling strong and energized.

In addition to the exhibit, attendees in the evening were treated to live music from Sophia Rehak as well as spoken-word poetry by Samantha Pearl and Nativa O’Brien of The Prosers and Sarah Clark. Attendees were encouraged to be a part of Unladylike by sharing what makes them feel empowered on our art wall. At the end of the evening, it was fun to see what everyone had chosen to share. 

We would like to thank the 100+ people who attended Unladylike!! Your support of local art is important and we look forward to planning other events that celebrates and empowers women. We would also like to thank Wheeling Heritage for their support of the Unladylike exhibit.Their contribution allowed us to take the exhibit to the next level.

As we mentioned, we want to continue the conversation and plan more events for women in the future. If this is something you are interested in too, follow The F Collective on Facebook and Instagram, and request to join The F Collective Group; it is here where we can continue to explore more ways to collaborate and share our gifts with the community. We hope you’ll join us! 

Until next time, 

-Alex, Miranda, and Sam