Gala 2013 – Work From Honoree Barbara Leoff Burge

August 30, 2013 by

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None of Your Damn Business tells the story of Yang Huanyi and of “Nushu” – the secret language of Chinese women. Written in shorthand, the language of stenographers past, the book is a reflection of the private lives of women all over the world. Huanyi’s story is screen printed in bold red text – written in shorthand on one side and cursive on the other.  Bright yellow pages are protected by a dark green hard cover, and sealed shut with a lock and key. It feels timely to puruse the pages of this edition, as we gear up for our gala on September 22nd, which annually celebrates the accomplishments of those who have trail-blazed for today’s women artists.

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The book was created by Barbara Leoff Burge, a WSW co-founder and one of this year’s Gala honorees. A former stenographer herself, Barbara draws upon personal experiences personal experiences to create a document in shorthand, leaving us with visuals that are both elegant and mysterious. Her book is representative of an important story, often one kept hidden, and the character of the book reflects that.  Barbara herself is creative and lively, full of vibrancy, with an unsuspecting exterior. Her spark is something that has played an important role in both the life of the workshop and her own work. From her thought provoking work to her lovely personality, this year we are honored to celebrate “Babs” at our 6th Annual Gala.