THE EBELL OF LOS ANGELES SERVES AS LA’S CENTER FOR WOMEN’S HISTORY, OFFERING A POWERFUL AND INSPIRING SERIES OF PROGRAMMING TO CELEBRATE WOMEN AND AMPLIFY THEIR VOICES THIS MARCH

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THE EBELL OF LOS ANGELES SERVES AS LA’S CENTER FOR WOMEN’S HISTORY, OFFERING A POWERFUL AND INSPIRING SERIES OF PROGRAMMING TO CELEBRATE WOMEN AND AMPLIFY THEIR VOICES THIS MARCH

Women’s History Month Events Include:

  • March 4 @ 7:30 pm – HERS Music Ensemble
  • March 10 @ 11:30 am – Monday Lunch with Dr. Krishauna Hines-Gaither, VP for Equity, Diversity and Justice at Mount St. Mary’s University, Los Angeles 
  • March 11-26 – World Premiere of We Can Do It! (free school performances)
  • March 18  @ 7:30 pm – Women in the Muse
  • March 20 @ 6:30 pm –  “A Woman’s Place: Visual Voices” Juried Art Show Opening Reception  (exhibit runs through April 24)
  • March 23 @ 4:00 pm – Banned! a concert by Vox Femina Los Angeles
  • March 27 @ 9:00 am – The Ebell Institute Annual Symposium on Women’s History in L.A.
  • March 29 @ 10:00 am – LA Voices: We Can Do It! Public Performance
  • March 29 @ 10:00 am – Walking Tour: Women Who Shaped Los Angeles (Downtown LA)

LOS ANGELES, March 4, 2025 – The Ebell of Los Angeles, a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring women and building community through arts, culture and education will host a series of remarkable programs throughout March that celebrate the achievements, struggles and triumphs of women throughout history and today. The events include captivating musical performances, bold conversations, dynamic displays of art and more.

“A historic institution founded by women, for women, The Ebell has long been a center of culture, conversation, and artistic expression,” said Dr. Stacy Brightman, executive director of The Ebell of Los Angeles. “Our Women’s History Month programming promises to be as inspiring as it is enlightening. With a deep connection to Los Angeles’ history of courageous women, The Ebell invites the community to explore its rich archives, experience live performances, and participate in events that bring together a diverse group of women and allies committed to shaping the future. Whether you’re a lifelong member or a first-time visitor, there’s no better place to celebrate the strength, resilience, and creativity of women than here at The Ebell of Los Angeles.”

World Premiere of We Can Do It!

In addition to captivating musical and spoken word performances, The Ebell has commissioned a new musical from librettist Velina Hasu Houston and composer Brooke deRosa created especially for school-aged students. The story about empowerment and the shifting roles of women in society follows three “Rosie the Riveters” who reminisce about how their lives were changed during World War II when men were drafted and the vacancies in factories needed to be filled to support the war effort.

The Ebell will host more than 4,000 students over six performances in the Wilshire Ebell Theatre from March 11 through March 26. On Saturday, March 29, the organization invites friends and families from all over Los Angeles to enjoy a free, public performance at 10:00 a.m. In addition, The Ebell will host free performances of We Can Do It! on Saturday, March 15 at the Playa Vista Branch Library and on Saturday, March 22 at the Culver City Julian Dixon Library.

“Writing about women who worked in defense industries during World War II is important especially in conjunction with the desegregation of those industries by President Roosevelt via Executive Order. Because the factories were at a loss when men went to fight in the war, jobs opened up and women met the need. The issue of desegregation enriched this empowerment of women because it brought together women of different races in important roles in support of the war effort,” said librettist Velina Hasu Houston. “These women had a huge impact on the journey of gender in U.S. society, a journey that is long from over. In my work, I am interested in telling the stories of women who break boundaries thrust in their pathways and transform their lives with the same kind of power by which art transforms society. Creating this piece in partnership with The Ebell is especially meaningful because we’re sharing these important lessons with young minds at such an important time in their lives.”

The 2025 world premiere of We Can Do It! marks the third year of the “Living Herstory” project of The Ebell Institute, which offers free, historical matinees that spotlight often-overlooked histories and achievements of women in Los Angeles for local elementary schools. To date, the series has served more than 6,000 students. In 2023 The Ebell hosted the world premiere of The Everywhere of Her, an imaginative and musical celebration of three remarkable women (Charlotta Bass, owner and publisher of the California Eagle, Katherine Sui Fun Cheung, first Chinese licensed female pilot, and Dolores del Rio, Mexican star of American/Mexican cinema) who each shaped Los Angeles.

“A Woman’s Place: Visual Voices” – Juried Art Exhibit

After an open call for submissions earlier this year, The Ebell received nearly 500 visual works from 193 artists who submitted their visual interpretations of the theme, “A Woman’s Place: Visual Voices.” The esteemed panel of jurors from the Southern California art scene, including Andi Campognone, owner/director of AC Projects and museum manager and curator for the Museum of Art and History (MOAH) in Lancaster; Lilly Dawson, independent curator and principal of Gray Dawson Art Advisory; and Jennifer S. Li, art advisor, writer and educator who works with global clients, will select an array of pieces to exhibit at The Ebell of Los Angeles that interpret the power of women’s stories, perspectives, experiences and dreams. One first prize-winning artist will be selected to receive $300 and a one-year membership to The Ebell of Los Angeles. Second place will receive $200 and two tickets to an Angel City Football Club game, and third place will receive $100 and a gift basket with two bottles of wine.

Members of the public are invited to view the works on display at the free opening reception on Thursday, March 20 at 6:00 p.m. or by appointment, or during other public Ebell events through Tuesday, April 24, 2025.

The Ebell Institute – Annual Women’s History in LA Symposium

The second annual Ebell Institute for the Study of Women’s History in LA (TEI) will continue to build and share knowledge of remarkable women of Los Angeles whose contributions have been omitted from history books and ignored in public spheres. This year’s symposium will showcase the hidden stories of Los Angeles’ remarkable women—visionaries, pioneers, and changemakers whose contributions have often been overlooked in historical narratives. Along with one esteemed keynote opening session, distinguished and graduate scholars will provide three enlightening presentations on various aspects of women’s history in Los Angeles. The Ebell received more than 25 submissions from local scholars in response to a call for papers for the symposium.

The day-long, FREE symposium is filled with community, conversation and comradery in celebration of the contributions of women throughout the region. A detailed agenda will be released at a later date.