The Cast - The Working Woman

THE WORKING WOMAN

While working on this Bag Lady construction, the artists chose to portray her as “Woman Ascending the Corporate Ladder” and to infer how precarious that climb can be, by showing her leaning slightly off center. The message is- It’s a balancing act- tipping alternately in the direction of family responsibilities and then in the direction of career responsibilities, trying to do justice to both.

Most 1950’s wives felt their options were limited. They were often influenced by typical parental and male attitudes of the time. Judy, who wanted to become an artist, was told that the only work available to her was teaching. Not wanting to teach, marriage was an attractive alternative, and she chose it. Eventually, she returned to school, had variety of jobs in a variety of fields.

Alice, who worked in an assortment of positions throughout her adult life and started a “temporary” business that required 14 hour days and 7 day weeks and went on for almost ten years, says, “I’ve had a checkered past as it relates to jobs I’ve held- but none of them were related to me!”