This March, the Smithsonian is putting a fresh spin on Women’s History Month and setting their sights on the future rather than the past, with their new “Women’s Futures Month.” On March 5, they’ll kick off a month-long celebration of women in STEM by unveiling “#IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit,” an army of bright-orange, 3D-printed statues of inspiring women that will reside throughout Smithsonian properties until March 27.
This exhibit, consisting of a grand total of 120 statues, is the largest-ever assemblage of statues of women. It features successful women from across the United States who have done important work in a wide array of specialties, from astrophysics to conservation biology.
Included in the exhibit is Jessica Esquivel, a particle physicist who is one of only about 150 Black women in the U.S. to hold a Ph.D. in physics. Also represented in the ranks are several women based in the Northern Virginia area, including computer engineer Afua Bruce, international human rights statistician Davina Durgana, and climate change expert Shyla Raghav.
STEM is a field where women have long been undervalued and underrepresented, as shown in a recent report by the US Census Bureau, which found that less than 30 percent of STEM jobs are held by women. The organizations behind this exhibit hope that the representation will show young girls that it is possible for them to succeed in scientific fields.
The women featured were all named “AAAS IF/THEN Ambassadors,” a collaboration between the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Lyda Hill Philanthropies to give young girls role models in STEM, with the intention of inspiring more young women to pursue careers in the sciences.
“‘#IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit” provides the perfect opportunity for us to show that women have successfully thrived in STEM for decades, while also illustrating the innumerable role models young women can find in every field,” says Ellen Stofan, the Smithsonian’s under secretary for science and research, in a press release by the Smithsonian. “Through this exciting collaboration with Lyda Hill Philanthropies, the Smithsonian is furthering our commitment to fostering an environment where all girls know they can make an indelible mark on our future.”
The statues will start out all in one concentrated area, in the Arts and Industries Building, the nearby Smithsonian Castle, and the Enid A. Haupt Garden. After the first weekend, they will be dispersed throughout other areas of the National Mall, including some to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
If you stumble across a statue you want to know more about, you can scan the unique QR code that accompanies each statue and find more information about the subject.
In addition to the statues, there will be a series of events throughout March to keep the celebration going, including “Work It! FUTURES Career Day” on March 5, where guests will get the chance to meet the female changemakers, and “Tell Me More: Living in Space,” with aerospace engineer Dava Newman, on March 10.
Feature image courtesy If/Then
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