Sara Nevedal

Artist’s Statement: My initial research into creating a stamp series led me to the suffragettes. The election in 2020 was the 100th anniversary of Women’s right to vote in the United States. Historical photography from the years leading to 1920, depicts women rallying for the right to vote. Bikes were in most of the photos. Many images featured proud lines of women posing with their bicycles. I stumbled upon the shared story of women’s rights movement and the rise of the bicycle. The bicycle played a significant role in the freedom of women in the United States and England beginning in the 1890s. It led to women having more freedom to travel unchaperoned. I wanted to showcase my favorite photos from the period to help establish connections with a modern audience. The illustration techniques used on magazine covers and advertising in the 1890s were simple yet had purposeful mark-making. This was difficult for me in ink and gouache, but on my iPad in Adobe Fresco, I was able to achieve a similar effect. The stamps are presented in a card that contains a synopsis of the history represented.