The box, reminiscent of a hope chest, is a resonating, archetypal symbol of woman herself. It expresses the hopes, dreams and ideas of women and their quest for freedom of expression throughout the world. Wbb honors their vitality, wisdom, sensitivity, and collective power. Linda McCall and Sojourner Rolle who organized a poetry workshop about women with Abigail Albrect Completed works range from powerful, conceptual pieces to whimsical and nostalgic boxes. Cuban images reflect perseverance and a longing for liberation.
Some works are fraught with the terror of oppression and others brim with hope and humor.
Each exhibition varies as coordinators reinvent the project at each location, inviting children and adults to participate, anthropologists and art historians to speak, poets to reflect, and viewers to comment. The boxes have roamed the world traveling from historic museums to a temple in Katmandu, a 15th century villa overlooking Umbria, a mall in Canada, an historic train car in Europe, and most recently, a museum atop a forested hillside in Japan. The boxes have been accessible to thousands of viewers through these diverse venues where participating artists have gathered to meet, celebrate, and exchange ideas. Numerous events inspired by the process and intent of Wbb continue to occur, including adjunct exhibitions and workshops. A new project titled First Footsteps is being developed in the Rift Valley in the heart of East Africa.