Testing and ferrying aircraft, towing targets for aerial gunnery practice, and flying simulated missions, these civilian aviators proved what women could do when given the chance. Disbanded before the war’s end and denied military status and veterans’ benefits until 1977, they displayed skill and courage in the face of real danger (including sabotage). The assemblage layers a mythic motif and a reference to Avenger Field, Sweetwater Texas, to commemorate their service and address their erasure from the historical record.

A contemporary, research-driven narrative, Fly Girls connects WWII women’s history and aviation history.

Materials: Pheasant feathers, Murano glass, freshwater pearls, quartz, calcite, ambronite, onyx, dollhouse miniatures, picture frame, ribbon, paper, art board, wood

Framing: Archival museum glass in a deep black custom frame by Chevy Chase Art Gallery, Washington, DC.

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From War to Peace (Series)

A collection of miniature, historically grounded narratives tracing a cultural shift that still resonates today. During World War II, women stepped into expanded roles — cryptography, logistics, parachute rigging, radio repair, and more — only to be steered back toward narrowly defined domestic expectations as the war ended.

Drawing on period posters, archival photographs, and symbolic materials, each work juxtaposes wartime competence and leadership with postwar ideals of home and femininity. Intimate and research-driven, the series rewards careful viewing, restores these contributions to the historical record, and reasserts these women as clear role models for later generations.

Steeped in World War II women’s history, the series highlights the roles of both civilian and military women on the home front and beyond.