Women on the Rise (WOTR!) is a unique, gender-specific outreach program serving at-risk, teenage girls and young adult women ages 12-21. Adressing self esteem and positive choices, WOTR! studies the work of contemporary women artists with an emphasis on their life experiences and issues such as female identity, discrimination, and empowerment in their work. Workshops are coordinated so participants develop critical thinking, communication and social skills as well as improve literacy and language skills.
WOTR! relies on a gender-specific approach to respond to the unique needs of participants who struggle with various degrees of domestic and street violence, drug addiction, and physical/verbal/sexual abuse. The program serves females at various social service institutions in Miami-Dade County.
WOTR! consists of a series of two-hour workshops in which artists trained as educators teach participants about the work of contemporary artists and lead hands-on art projects inspired by the artists’ work. The program uses female contemporary artists as positive role models for participants. Artists are selected for the curriculum based on their experiences overcoming challenging life situations through their artwork and the themes which inspire their work.
Workshops are conducted free-of-charge, off-site at the facilities of partnering institutions. These institutions are located in under-sourced areas of Miami-Dade County. Most partnering institutions have no funds for providing art classes, WOTR! therefore serves as the only opportunity for these participants to engage in the visual arts. Collaborating institutions include: the Department of Juvenile Justice, Pridelines Youth Services, Urgent Inc., W.J. Bryan Elementary School, Casa Valentina, Girl Power, Breakthrough Miami, Honeyshine, Alliance for GLTBQ Youth, Young Women’s Preparatory Academy and Hands 2 Help.
In addition to hands-on workshops WOTR!, provides participants with field trips to exhibitions at MOCA. In many cases, these field trips are the first time participants are exposed to a museum environment.
For more information on WOTR! contact Crystal Pearl Molinary, WOTR! Coordinator and Instructor.
Women on the Rise! is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and board of County Commissioners, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and is funded in part by the Aqua Foundation for Women.
In addition, in its 10 year history, WOTR! has been funded in part with generous support from the Girls Coalition of Miami-Dade, Horvitz Family Foundation, The Institute of Museum and library Services, The Kresge Foundation, The Miami Foundation, The Peacock Family Foundation and The Women’s Fund of Miami-Dade.
MOCA Art Institute is funded by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as part of its Knight Arts Challenge.
MOCA Education programs are funded in part by the State of Florida, Department of State and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment of the Arts, with the additional support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, the Irma Braman Creative Arts Scholarship Fund, Micky and Madeline Arison Family Foundation, and The Children’s Trust. The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade county, the Arnold S. Katz Endowment, City of North Miami, Jan & Dan Lewis, Bank of America, Ethel & W. George Kennedy Family Foundation, Peacock Foundation, the Columbine Foundation, The Fine and Greenwald Foundation, Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s.
The Museum of Contemporary Art is accredited by the American Association of Museums.
Women on the Rise! at MOCA, North Miami 