ART TO HEART TO ACTION
Inspired by art, we are creating stage performances to inspire and empower others through telling the incredible stories of the women who were the heroes of WWII through visual art, music, narration and dance.
Based in Sarasota, we plan to grow WOR into WOW with your help and take our shows nationally and internationally! Thank you to all our guests and donors.
Images, concept and stories by Co-Producer Vicki Chelf
Co-Producer, score and music direction, Warren Slim Williams
Board Chair, Brenda Boone
MC and narrator, Carolyn Michel
Choreography by James Jordan, Brentney J. Megha Vaid, Suzanne Caesar, and Tania Vergara Perez
Outreach and development, Suzanne Lucas.
CELEBRATE
Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate the extraordinary women who became heroes in WWII at our live performance and dance party at Art Avenue Gallery!
Watch Performance Clips
Noor Inayat Khan | Josephine Baker
Support Women of Resistance
To join our journey as a sponsor, make tax-deductable checks payable to: WOR2WOW Productions
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Click to donate securely online.
For more information contact Vicki Chelf 941-928-3426 or John Lambie 941-323-8800
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THE INSPIRATION
THE TEAM
Vicki Chelf
Warren Slim Williams
Brenda Boone
John Lambie
Carolyn Michel
James Jordan
Brentney J
Megha Vaid
Suzanne Caesar
Tania Vergara Perez
From artist Vicki Chelf
It all began in the basement of a 200-year-old house in Central France. I discovered a pile of soggy newspapers dating back to 1912. I realized that not only were they salvageable, but they were full of beautiful images. I knew I could somehow use them in my art.
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Shortly afterward, I visited a Resistance Museum just down the street. The mother of the Museum director had been a resistance fighter. She was a beauty, but more impressively, she had risked her life fighting the Nazis. I was brought to tears. Here in this small-town museum, I learned how an ordinary woman made a difference that helped turn the tides of history.
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Returning home, I delved into researching women who were WWII heroes in France. I looked not only for stories of bravery, but for beautiful photos that I could use as painting references.
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Curiously, the war years were absent from my trove of newspapers. However, there were newspapers from the year 1935, when Nazis were already doing their dirty work. I began to select images that related to the stories of the women heroes I chose to paint and collaged them onto canvas. I then painted their portraits over the collage, in preparation for my gallery exhibition.
Visitors to the gallery loved hearing the stories of the Women of the Resistance, and were quite moved by the combination of their images with their personal stories. After seeing the reaction of hundreds of individuals to the stories, I imagined how they could be told with even more impact through multiple arts.
THE ART
​​Vicki Chelf's artwork honoring the brave women of WWII compelled her to bring the images and their stories to life. The idea grew to become a multi-disciplinary stage production.
THE HEART
The gallery displayed Vicki’s work, but visitors wanted the stories behind the women in the paintings. They were moved by the bravery and resilience of these women who fought Nazis and succeeded.
THE ACTION
Women of Resistance (WOR) become Women of the World (WOW) by inspiring and empowering audiences to take action in their communities.
THE WOMEN OF RESISTANCE
Help Tell Their Stories
Please support the Women of Resistance & Women of the World project. You can help us showcase inspiring stories and empower women through visual and performance art.
To order prints or inquire about art available for purchase, please contact Paul Sykes at Art Avenue: 440-227-4592
The Inspiration Continues
Marina Ovsyannikova
Senior editor for Channel One in Russia, Marina Ovsyannikova, made international headlines when she walked onto a live news broadcast with a sign that said “No War, Don’t Believe the Lies.” She was fired, arrested and at the time of this writing is in hiding, facing 10 or more years of prison.
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Megan Whitney Howell
Sarasota’s own Megan Whitney Howell is the founder of Second Heart Homes. At 34 years old, she has provided housing for 46 formerly homeless mentally ill individuals in beautiful art-filled homes where they feel safe and loved so they can begin to heal, and if possible, transition to independence.
THE WOMEN OF THE WORLD
Inspire & Empower
941-928-3426 | Contact Us
WOMEN OF RESISTANCE IS A 501(C)(3) CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION. THE FLORIDA CENTER MEETS ALL REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED BY THE FLORIDA SOLICITATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS ACT. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION #CH74160 AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING 1-800-435-7352 WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.