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Smithsonian Exhibition Features UWs Currano

woman with a false beard
UW’s Ellen Currano is co-founder of “The Bearded Lady Project,” which will be on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. (Kelsey Vance Photo)

The University of Wyoming’s Ellen Currano is co-founder of a new exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History that highlights the unsung achievements of female paleontologists and examines the obstacles they face because of their gender.

“Challenging the Face of Science: The Bearded Lady Project” will offer visitors the opportunity to see female scientists at work and evaluate societal stereotypes concerning gender and professional roles. The exhibition opens Thursday, Nov. 14, in Washington, D.C.

“The Bearded Lady Project” is a traveling exhibition composed of a series of 38 black-and-white portraits alongside a short documentary. In conjunction with the exhibition, the museum will hold a public screening of the feature-length documentary Monday, Dec. 16, at 6:45 p.m. Currano, an associate professor in UW’s departments of Botany and Geology and Geophysics, is featured in the film. A panel discussion on the use of art as social commentary will follow the screening.

Born out of a conversation between Currano and filmmaker Lexi Jamieson Marsh, “The Bearded Lady Project’s” mission is twofold: first, to celebrate the inspirational and adventurous women who choose to dedicate their lives in search of clues to the history of life on earth; and second, to educate the public on the inequities and prejudices that still exist in science, with special emphasis on the geosciences.

The project had its world premiere at the UW Geological Museum in 2017. The exhibition has been displayed at five museums before the Smithsonian, and Currano has organized film showings and panel discussions at universities and museums across the United States to promote women in science.

For more information on the exhibition, visit www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/smithsonian-examines-role-gender-bias-science. Learn more about “The Bearded Lady Project” at www.thebeardedladyproject.org.

About the National Museum of Natural History

The National Museum of Natural History is connecting people everywhere with Earth’s unfolding story. It is one of the most visited natural history museums in the world. Opened in 1910, the museum is dedicated to maintaining and preserving the world’s most extensive collection of natural history specimens and human artifacts. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission is free.

 

 

Contact Us

Institutional Communications
Bureau of Mines Building, Room 137
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: (307) 766-2929
Email: cbaldwin@uwyo.edu


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