COVER ART — “Strands of Sisterhood Secured” by Page Turner
Assemblage sculpture from found and handmade objects, 24 x 18 x 1 in. Visual blessing text at the end of the Table of Contents.pageturnerstudios.com | @pageturnerstudios
Editorial Staff
Editor-in-Chief Rachel Rueckert
Managing Editor Carol Ann Litster Young
Art Editor Rocio Cisneros
Layout Designer & Editor Rosie Gochnour Serago
Fiction Editor C. Chanel Earl
Blog Feature Editor Natasha Rogers
Book Reviews Editor Ynna Padilla
Poetry Editor Abby Parcell
Sabbath Pastorals Editor Nicole Sbitani
Women’s Theology Editor Eliza Wells
Executive Board
President Lori LeVar Pierce
Vice President & Secretary Lindsay Denton
Treasurer Jeanine Bean
Members Andee Bowden, Carol Ann Litster Young, Jessica Gray, Natasha Rogers, Nancy Ross, Rachel Rueckert, Rosie Gochnour Serago, Heather Sundahl
Additional Staff
History and Editorial Support Katie Ludlow Rich
50th Anniversary Logo Designer Gloria Pak
Art Community Ambassador Page Turner
Subscription Manager Gwen Volmar
Proofreaders Kami Coppins, Hannah Mortenson, Cherie Pedersen, Karen Rosenbaum
Strands of Sisterhood Secured: A Visual Blessing
PAGE TURNER
Sisterhood is a force — the power that holds us together — connecting each of us through threads that weave and stretch and are strong. The sisterhood cultivated by Exponent II was born from the threads severed by patriarchy, buried and hidden for generations. These severed connections — retied, bundled anew — are secured with the wisdom of our foremothers. This glue that holds the stars in the heavens restored the touchstone of our sisterhood.
I made this “Visual Blessing” for the cover of the 50th anniversary issue of Exponent II. A women’s blessing, offered through visual medium rather than verbal. An act I claim from Emma, Eliza, and Pheobe; Claudia, Laurel, and Judith, Caroline, Aimee, and Rachel. This work reflects my personal experience with finding Exponent II a decade ago, connecting me with a community that is both contemporary and solidly grounded in our women’s history. I am inspired reading the words and work of my sisters who, like me, were severed from the knowledge of our history and power but now reclaim and restore so that it will not be lost again. When I found Exponent II, I truly felt that I had found my place where I am seen, my story heard and celebrated. Working as art editor during my tenure gave me an opportunity to find and connect with artists. Dare I say, I have been bundled with them. This artist solidarity allows me to continue to pull these threads that are our sisterhood and add a few threads of my own. Adding to the support and strength of our sisterhood, I stand on the shoulders of strong sisters — securing our sisterhood. Page has served as art editor and art community ambassador for Exponent II since 2015. This piece, like much of her artwork, draws on collected materials that reflect her own sacred spaces while inviting other women to search for their own. Instagram: @pageturnerstudios
