Women in the Arts - Dorothea Lange

Dorothea Lange's photographs record the effect of the Great Depression on "invisible" Americans. Her studies of poor migrant workers during their search for day labor in the Southwest drew much-needed attention to their plight, and her images of the Japanese-American Internment of World War II describe marginalization more meaningfully than words ever could.

Women in the Arts - Nina Simone

Eunice Waymon was a prodigy on the piano, but it was only through charity that she could be trained classically. Her career in song began by chance, but she went on to create a musical style all her own. "The High Priestess of Soul" sings of love, loss, and the injustices of race and gender in American society.

Women in the Arts - Agnes De Mille

Despite her family's Hollywood connections, de Mille struggled for years to become a dancer. She found strength in collaboration, and her lifelike, expressive choreography set a new standard for Broadway and American ballet.

Women in the Arts - Virginia Woolf

The British essayist and author Virginia Woolf was born into publishing, and her writings problematized the condition of the woman in a male-dominated society. With a close group of fellow writers, she developed a new, more personal way of telling stories, and she became a leader in the literary revolution that followed World War I.

Women in the Arts - Sarah Bernhardt

I am honored to introduce WOMEN IN THE ARTS, a continuing series of books about courageous, talented women whose work has changed the way we think about art and society. The women highlighted in this series were persistent, successful, and at times controversial. They were unafraid to ask questions or challenge social norms while pursuing their work. They overcame barriers that included discrimination, prejudice, and poverty. The energy, creativity, and perseverance of these strong women changed our world forever.