American Flag

This installation features an artist-made American flag sewn by 24 women throughout the nation who were invited to participate by Missoula native Andrea Rogalski. The pieces were united and stitched together, both literally and metaphorically, for the Million Woman March that took place on January 21, 2017.

An estimated 2.6 million people took part in 673 marches in all 50 states, as well as 32 countries worldwide— with the largest in Washington, D.C. So many people gathered in some cities, including Chicago, New York, and Boston, that marching was nearly impossible. In Montana, an estimated 10,000 people gathered and marched in Helena.

The protest celebrated the awakening of the spirit of resistance, uniting people of all ages, races, and religions to assert civil liberties and human rights. Rogalski says, “Our group includes several Missoulians, a Lebanese immigrant, the granddaughter of an interned Japanese American, and the granddaughters of a Holocaust survivor. We are educators, artists, archivists, and most of all, feminists.”

The flag was created by Andrea Rogalski (organizer), with Kelly Alecci, Susan Alexander-Wilson, Samantha Almanza Barrett, Amanda Browder, Sachi Edson, Leslie Gallant, Rose Goldfarb, Erika Voss Hickey, Patty Hixson, Manal Melhem, Micael Marie Monroe, Jamie Nelson, Allison Roda, Blue Rogalski, Pearl Rogalski, Gabrielle Sather-Olson, Erin Lambert Sipe, Jennifer Sladek, Joanna Pedersen Smetanka, Nicole Vanek, Emily Weerts, Neva Whipple, and Amy Wood.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website