In 2020, the Equal Rights Amendment was ratified by Virginia, making it the 38th and final state needed to add gender equality to the U.S. Constitution. However, as the Amendment has yet to be published and with the current Republican attorney general of Virginia in opposition of certification, a group of talented artists from across the country, and now with local Virginia artists, have taken the fight upon themselves to elevate the issue through their beautiful and inclusive works of art with Artists 4 ERA at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.
On February 17th, the Virginia Museum of History and Culture will play host to The Artists 4 ERA exhibit, put together by VoteEquality, from 7-9 pm. The event will feature 28 pieces of stunning gender equality artwork for the 28th Amendment, submitted by both Virginia artists including CrudCity, EVERGIB (Rachel Scott Everett + Brian Gibson), Faithe Norrell, Fried Skrimpz, Haadia Khan, Hamilton Glass, Jess Walters, Jowarnise Mahari Chabwera, Meme, Michael Birch Pierce, Nico Cathcart, Noah Scalin, Pete Morelewicz, Rachel Welsh de Iga, Roshi, Tracie Ching, Silly Genius, Sophiola, and Studio Two Three, as well as national artists such as Amir Khadar, Chuck Sperry, Claw Money, Deedee Cheriel, Ferris Plock, Kelly Tunstall, Shepard Fairey, and Tara McPherson.
These pieces will be available for purchase with proceeds donated to help the fight to certify!
Find more information on Artists 4 ERA HERE
To catch you up, the following is from February 2022:
The state of Virginia, under new Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares, withdrew from a legal effort on Friday to have the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) recognized as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution. This decision is a significant shift from Virginia’s prior Democratic leadership, who ratified the ERA in 2020, and is a setback to supporters of the amendment. Virginia’s ratification was seen by supporters as the final necessary step for the ERA to be implemented, despite legal questions. Miyares’ decision led to Virginia’s dismissal as a party to an appeals case brought by former Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring that seeks to have the ERA published. The states of Illinois and Nevada, which had also ratified the ERA in recent years, remain involved in the lawsuit. While ERA supporters argue that the deadline for ratification can be removed by Congress, opponents argue that the amendment is dead due to the deadline having already passed, and five states rescinding their support within that timeframe.
We received this from the office of Senator Tim Kaine (D) of Virginia on January 27th, 2023:
Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced their cosponsorship of bipartisan legislation to remove the deadline to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which would expressly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in the U.S. Constitution. This bipartisan, bicameral resolution was first introduced by Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and U.S. Representatives Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Tom Reed (R-NY) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. The resolution passed the House of Representatives in 2020, but did not receive a vote in the Senate. “We’re proud that two years ago today Virginia became the 38th and final state needed to ratify the ERA, meeting the requirement to enshrine equal rights in our Constitution,” said the Senators. “Congress must act now to remove the arbitrary time limit standing in the way of the ERA. We must live up to our nation’s promise of equality.”
