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This website lays out a description of and a schedule for the "Cuentos de Hadas (Fairy Tales) Art Exhibtion at Avenue 50 Studio, Inc. in California. It is the intent of the artists' collections to display the discrepancy between the assumed and enforced male and female gender roles within fairy tales. The physical appearance, control of emotions, and psychological mind-set of the leading heroin and hero roles are pre-destined and the same stereotypes in most fairy tales. This exhibition asks the viewer to acknowledge this fact and address the underlying issues and implications within it. Furthermore, the weekend of the Art display is a march where participants will march in the name of a prayer for Juarez, Mexico where Femicide is both an immediate and devastating reality.

I LOVE this idea! Since I seem to be in connection mode... this really made me consider the fairy tales and new renditions of fairy tales and short stories I read over the past month for my English class, "Romancing the Novel." Typical tales do seem to subjugate women, and set them up for interactions of violence towards and against them, while the Angela Carter renditions of past fairy tales set up new heroines much like this artwork is attempting to do. Also, I think it is great that the institution and artist are relating these works to the Femicide in Juarez. Rather than make art for arts sake, they are trying to force more impact and meaning within the work, and this really appeals to me. It is scary to think that most young girls are read or watch the more traditional versions of fairy tales... perhaps this sets us/them up for ignorance of violence against women???

I found this article/sound bite to be very interesting. Women in Baghdad are beginning to reclaim femininity (although a more western view of what femininity is) in fashion and appearance. Women describe their ability to wear western clothing as freedom; many say it is more about the freedom than the fashion itself. One has to wonder though, will the violence specifically against women be provoked by these women who are contradicting the male ideal of what a woman should wear and act like? I certainly hope not, but it does make me nervous. Woman have drastically come from abaya's and hijab's to low rise jeans and snug shirts. At times even, if a woman was seen without one of these (hijab or abaya), she may be kidnapped or even killed. However, we should hope that this freedom continues for these women, in more ways than one. Relates to past readings like Narayan and Sylverstein, or the film "Killers Paradise."