The Henry Madden Library’s Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature and the Fresno Art Museum will co-host a free, public program from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 21, to honor the women featured in the museum’s exhibition, “Rad Fresno State Women.”

The panel discussion, “Walking the Walk: Rad Fresno State Women Talk,” will include Robin McGehee, a Fresno State alumna and national LGBTQ rights advocate; Dr. Joy Goto, a Fresno State associate professor of chemistry who has produced groundbreaking ALS and Alzheimer’s research; Chelsea See Xiong, a Fresno State alumna who helped found the local group HERO (Hmong Empowerment Resource and Outreach); Gloria Hernandez, a Fresno State alumna who advocates for mental health patient rights; and Dr. Francine Oputa, the director of the Cross Cultural and Gender Center at Fresno State.

Oputa will also speak about the work of the late Dr. Paulette Fleming, a Fresno State art and design professor who dedicated herself to reaching out to community youth through art projects.

The museum is located at 2233 N. First Street in Fresno. A wine and cheese reception, featuring Fresno State wines, will follow the program. The program will discuss the work of these women who are Fresno State faculty, students or alumni and the impact their work has had on the community and beyond.

The exhibition on display at the museum recreates the original public art installation that was located on outdoor building walls throughout the Fresno State campus in fall 2015.

The exhibition is inspired by Kate Schatz and Miriam Klein Stahl’s children’s book, “Rad American Women A-Z: Rebels, Trailblazers and Visionaries Who Shaped Our History … and Our Future!”

Fresno State’s Arne Nixon Center curator Jennifer Crow, art and design instructor Teresa Flores, women’s studies instructor Dr. Larissa Mercado-López and Fresno State students collaborated to create larger-than-life portraits of the women. QR codes located near the portraits lead viewers to online biographies of the women, the project statement and a walking tour map of the campus. The women were chosen for their accomplishments, activism for social change, boundless courage, tenacity and their innovative and pioneering spirit.

For more information, call 559.278.8116 or email Jennifer Crow at jcrow@csufresno.edu in advance of your visit.

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