Vange portrait Bossard self- Regehr acknowledges that her s t y l e is g r e a t l y i n f l u e n c e d b y t h e medieval art and architecture of the c l o i s t e r s , w h i c h s h e s t u d i e d in N e w York. H e r paintings often r e m i n d of the illuminated manuscripts one painstakingly c o p i e d a n d d e c o r a t e d by the m o n k s of t h e m i d d l e ages. A s a child, Regehr was disturbed had by t h e c o m m o n belief t h a t t h e r e been no famous w o m e n artists, musicians, w r i t e r s , o r e x p l o r e r s . She set out to " d e c o n s t r u c t " that myth showing those w o m e n who by have s t o o d o u t as c r e a t o r s , g i v e r s o f l i f e , mothers, and trailblazers.They w e r e t h e r e all a l o n g , b u t t h e i r n a m e s r a r e l y a p p e a r a m o n g the tales of battles and k i n g d o m s that d o m i n a t e the annals of history. Regehr started with Eve--the m o t h e r of humanity and the first t o d o so many things. O t h e r subjects include the wife of N o a h and the o t h e r nameless w o m e n of the ark, Samson's Delilah, the M a d o n n a , Joan of A r c , Hildegard von Bingen.the pioneer w o m e n of the Canadian prairies, the w o m e n factory w h o s e protests led to workers International W o m e n ' s Day, N e l l i e M c C l u n g , and many others. T h e s e days, w h e n t h e r e are s o many opportunities for w o m e n excel, one wonders h o w w o m e n t h e past, w h o w e r e exceptionally to of My work is a b o u t empowering The display of Regehr's paintings opens celebration Centre, Capilano to pm midthe 13. w o m e n , " says R e g e h r . L i k e B r o s s a r d , s h e has h a d a lifel o n g i n t e r e s t in a r t b u t h a d t o off s e c u r i t y a n d c o n v e n t i o n to years throw at 4 pm, December at the North 944 Mall. West 8, with a intelligent and talented, managed to e x p r e s s t h e m s e l v e s in t i m e s when Shore Women's Street, near Monday 16th their sex was almost powerless. R e l i g i o u s life w a s o n e o p t i o n . V o n Bingen, w h o b e c a m e a nun, was able to focus o n a variety of intellectual It will be open and u n l e a s h h e r full p o t e n t i a l . T w o Wednesday and Friday, 10 am to 5 a g o , s h e w a l k e d a w a y f r o m h e r j o b as a n a r t t e a c h e r in S a s k a t c h e w a n a n d came west with her daughter to on Thursdays, Regehr about I to 5 pm, until will give a talk at on January January. centre pursuits, and according to Regehr, was t h e f e m a l e " L e o n a r d o " o f h e r day. Pointedly, Regehr does not focus her w o r k on the violence that w o m e n have suffered o v e r the turies. " M y w o r k is n o t cen- her work w o r k f u l l t i m e as a n a r t i s t . S h e h a s never l o o k e d back. Clearly, Brossard and Regehr are artists w h o h a p p e n t o be w o m e n , n o t w o m e n w h o a r e a l s o a r t i s t s (a d i s tinction we w o u l d never think to m a k e in a m a l e a r t i s t ) . A n d y e t , t h e i r s e x is i m p l i c i t in t h e w a y t h e y o n t h e canvas of t h e i r lives. paint Maureen and chair Recreation Curtis is a freelance writer of the North Commission. Vancouver c o n f r o n t a t i o n a l ; it d o e s n ' t lay b l a m e . I w a n t to use my art to inspire p e o p l e , a n d t h e f i r s t p a r t o f c h a n g e is t o identify w h e r e y o u have c o m e f r o m .