The #CelebrateHer Project.

The #CelebrateHer Project.

We all have women in our lives who inspire us to be better people. #CelebrateHer is about recognizing those women. Here's how it works: Nominate someone you know by filling out this form - just answer 5 short questions and upload any photos you have of your nominee (ideally 3 to 5). All submitted stories will be featured in the official #CelebrateHer book. 25 diverse, inspiring submissions will be transformed into 25 stencilled portraits by artist Aquil Virani.
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Your first name*
(If you don't want to share your real name, make one up and add an *asterisk*!)
Your last name
(If you don't want to share your real name, make one up and add an *asterisk*!)
Her first name*
(If you don't want to share her real name, make one up and add an *asterisk*!)
Her last name
(If you don't want to share her real name, make one up and add an *asterisk*!)
Your email*

Confirmation Email0% spam guaranteed. I'll only use this to keep in touch for the art project.
Part I: Written answers

Answer in 3 to 5 sentences each.
The point here is to provide context about who you are, who you're nominating, how you know her, and exactly why she is so inspiring. This is your chance to share her story. Readers might be interested in some basic identity information such as age, location, occupation, or ethnicity as well as personal details like hobbies, quirks, and vulnerabilities.
1. Describe yourself.*
Hint: Age, Location, Occupation, Background, Hobbies
2. Tell us the basics about her.*
Hint: Age, Location, Occupation, Background, Hobbies
3. Explain how you know her and why you nominated her.*
Hint: How you met, Relationship, Her character, Best qualities
4. Write about why it's important to celebrate women.*
Hint: Because it's 2015. Because duh. Because feminism.
5. Express why the world is better with art in it.*
Hint: Consider the opposite, what art brings you personally
Anything else?
Part II: Images

Upload at least 1 image of her.
Ideally, you send a mix of posed images, candid photos, or best of all, active shots! Professional head-shots and well-lit images from point-and-shoot cameras and smartphones all work great. Your submission may provide inspiration for a painting, so the photos should be decent quality. Photos downloaded directly from Facebook often aren’t high enough resolution. Check Google Images too. If you’re unsure, just ask!
Image 1

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Image 2

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Image 3

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Image 4

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Image 5

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Part III: Video (Optional)

Record a rough, 30-second nomination video.
This is 100% optional and will not affect your submission. If you have a bit more time, I'm asking you to record a quick cellphone video. Start with: "My name is ______ and I am nominating ______ for the CelebrateHer Project because _______." It can be quick and rough.
Video 1

Upload a File

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Just click submit below!

Then you're done!
Frequently asked questions:

Who can I nominate?
The only rule is that you can only nominate a woman who you know personally. She doesn't have to be Canadian nor Quebecoise. She doesn't even have to be still living. With #CelebrateHer, I want to explore real, everyday stories.

When's the deadline?
March 31, 2017 at 11:59pm EST. But don't wait! If you don't do it right away, you might forget!

A few final notes:

Firstly, there’s a well-documented history of men painting women, often as sexualized objects for pleasure or consumption. Systemic sexism has historically kept female artists out of the art history canon. Women were only shown, not invited to show. If you want to learn more about this, research the “male gaze” and feminist art theory. My goal is to create artwork that celebrates the autonomy and agency of women, representing them as respected subjects and not passive objects.

I also believe that feminism is everyone’s issue, so a project recognizing women does not necessarily have to be produced by a woman; that being said, the process should and will be shaped by discussions with the women in my life.

I can’t make 100% of the submissions into paintings. It’s not guaranteed that what you send will be made into art. As you can imagine, these conceptual portraits take time to create. I anticipate receiving quite a few submissions.

Be aware that I may publish what you submit. Since this is a public art project, I intend to publish submissions, whether that’s online, in print, or in a gallery, for example. If you’re not really comfortable with your name or her name being published, we can make one up instead. You can just add a little asterisk (*) to the name.

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this.
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The #CelebrateHer Project.

Part I: Written answers

Part II: Images

Part III: Video (Optional)

Just click submit below!