'Through the Sawgrass: Women Impacting South Florida History,' a photo narrative
Sun Mar 8, 1:00 PM - Mon May 25, 4:00 PM

History Fort Lauderdale, proud steward of our community’s past by making our heritage accessible and engaging to residents and visitors, will celebrate Women's History Month, World Water Month, and the centennial year of Women's Suffrage with "Through the Sawgrass: Women Impacting South Florida History," a photography narrative by award-winning artist Lisette Morales. The exhibit will open on March 8, International Women’s Day, with a special reception where attendees will have the opportunity to meet some of the subjects and participate in a brief introduction and Q & A with Lisette Morales, via video conference, from 1 – 3 p.m. The exhibit will be on display through May 25 in the New River Inn (231 Southwest Second Avenue in Downtown Fort Lauderdale).

"Through the Sawgrass: Women Impacting South Florida History" addresses women’s issues, social injustice, migration, human rights, environmentalism, and LGBTQ concerns and features Betty Osceola (a Miccosukee grandmother and Everglades conservationist), Sister Maureen Kelleher (37 years as immigration attorney with Legal Aid Broward and Collier Counties), Melanie Oliva (artist and founder of the Artful Activist for social change) and Marta Sicaján (survivor of human trafficking and women’s empowerment leader).

Lisette Morales is a Nicaraguan-born photojournalist and interdisciplinary artist based in Florida. Her camera has been her tool for activism since the early ‘90s when she traveled
through war-torn areas of Central America, documenting the disruption from military conflicts. After surviving domestic violence in her own life, Morales turned to painting and illustration as a mode of catharsis and self-expression. Her work echoes the feminist worldview that she now embodies and has been featured in numerous publications. In recent years, Lisette has returned to photography as her media of choice. Lisette was an official delegate to the United Nations Women 2018 Commission on the Status of Women. She’s a member of the Artful Activist, Zuma Press, The Authority Collective, ArtAid Naples and Colectivo Liminal. Her current project is The Road to Immokalee documenting the women farmworkers of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

"Through the Sawgrass: