DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Designed to activate a culture shift among young girls and inspire them to pursue STEM careers, Lyda Hill Philanthropies®’ IF/THEN® Initiative presents #IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit, a new monumental exhibit of the most women statues ever assembled in one location, at one time. This first-of-its-kind, life-sized 3D printed statue exhibit of more than 120 AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors will be free to the public and will debut at Dallas’ NorthPark Center on Friday, May 1, 2020 and be on display through October 9, 2020. The exhibit will be located in the shopping center’s 1.4-acre CenterPark Garden. (Renderings are available upon request.)
The largest scale 3D printing project of its kind was inspired by a recent study, commissioned by former Treasurer of the United States Rosie Rios, of publicly accessible statues in the top ten U.S. cities plus Washington D.C. and San Francisco, in which her initial research concluded that less than half a dozen statues of real American women exist outdoors in their main parks or downtowns. -- https://empowerment2020.org/national-historic-american-women-statue-initiative/.
As the country prepares for the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, #IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit celebrates the contributions of more than 120 AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors, contemporary female STEM professionals and role models from a variety of industries including entertainment, fashion, sports, business and academia. The full list of women selected as AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors can be found at www.ifthenshecan.org/ambassadors.
“We deeply believe that, ‘IF she can see it, THEN she can be it.’ and this exhibit is just one of the ways – albeit a very striking and fun one! – that IF/THEN® is promoting positive portrayals of women in the images young people see in everyday life to pique their interest in STEM careers,” said Nicole Small, CEO of Lyda Hill Philanthropies® and co-founder of the IF/THEN® Initiative.
From STEM icons like Dr. Sylvia Earle, a pioneering oceanographer and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence since 1998, to leading innovators of today like Allie K. Miller who leads AI, startups and VC at Amazon and who won Forbes’ AI Innovator of the Year in 2019, the exhibit is sure to inspire.
“We are thrilled to be a part of this groundbreaking installation aimed at raising awareness and inspiring young girls everywhere to consider pursuing careers in STEM,” said Nancy A. Nasher, owner of NorthPark Center. “Because of our steadfast commitment to bringing world-class art and important, educational, and cultural experiences to the public, NorthPark Center is honored to showcase this transformative initiative to our millions of visitors.”
Former Treasurer Rios, who led the effort to put a woman on the face of U.S. currency for the first time in over a century, has made it her life’s mission to increase women representation in the public sphere with a concerted effort around statues. “#IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit is giving young girls a glimpse at careers they never knew existed,” said Rios. “Our future leaders need to see inspirations in order to have aspirations.”
#IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit features interactive elements and audio and video of each Ambassador’s inspiring personal story. The AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors participated in individual, full-body scans at Dallas’ Perot Museum of Nature and Science in October, 2019. Using unique technology called the Twinstant Mobile Full Body 3D Scanner, each woman’s full-length silhouette was 3D printed into a life-sized statue.
AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors were selected through a rigorous process by IF/THEN® and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society with the mission to advance science and serve society.
ABOUT IF/THEN®
IF/THEN® is part of Lyda Hill Philanthropies®’ commitment to fund game-changing advancements in science and nature. IF/THEN® seeks to further advance women in STEM by empowering current innovators and inspiring the next generation of pioneers. Rooted in a firm belief that there is no better time to highlight positive and successful female professional role models, IF/THEN® is designed to activate a culture shift among young girls to open their eyes to STEM careers by: (1) funding and elevating women in STEM as role models, (2) convening cross-sector partners in entertainment, fashion, sports, business and academia to illuminate the importance of STEM everywhere, and (3) inspiring girls with better portrayals of women in STEM through media and learning experiences to pique their interest in STEM careers. To learn more, visit www.ifthenshecan.org or follow IF/THEN® on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
ABOUT LYDA HILL PHILANTHROPIES®
Lyda Hill Philanthropies® encompasses the charitable giving of founder Lyda Hill and includes her foundation and personal philanthropy. As one of its priorities, Lyda Hill Philanthropies® funds transformational advances in science and nature. To learn more, please visit https://lydahillphilanthropies.org/.
ABOUT NORTHPARK CENTER
NorthPark Center is the preeminent shopping center in the Southwest and one of the finest shopping experiences in the world with more than 230 stores and restaurants, including more than 60 market exclusives. Anchored by Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Macy’s, and Dillard’s, NorthPark offers an unparalleled collection of luxury boutiques set amid internationally acclaimed 20th and 21st century art, award-winning architecture, and extraordinary landscaping—as well as a 1.4-acre garden, CenterPark, and a state-of-the-art movie theatre, AMC NorthPark 15. NorthPark consistently ranks as one of the top five performing shopping centers in the United States and is North Texas’ number one visitor destination. NorthPark is conveniently located 7 miles from downtown Dallas and 35 miles from Fort Worth. northparkcenter.com, 214.363.7441, 8687 N. Central Expressway, Dallas, TX 75225
