Power to Empower: Celebrating a New Milestone with Artist Tronja Alejandro
On January 20th, 2021, Kamala Harris was sworn into office as the first woman to hold the United States Vice Presidency. Her victory marked a milestone for women’s empowerment and progress in public life and was celebrated across the globe. Vital Voices commissioned a portrait of Vice President Harris by artist Tronja Alejandro in honor of this momentous achievement. In January, 2021 Alejandro joined the Vital Voices Podcast with host, Alyse Nelson, to discuss the power of visual storytelling.
During this enlightening conversation, Alejandro takes us on her entrepreneurship journey to become a professional artist and explains to host Alyse why she is passionate about using art as a tool to enhance social awareness. She explains that art can be used to “transform behavior and culture.” Through her mixed media approach, she adds unique dimensions to her pieces which enables her to speak to broader audiences and leave viewers with a more informed understanding of her subjects. Alejandro also explores the impact that the Covid-19 Pandemic has had on artists and small businesses. While many aspects of the past year have posed new challenges, they have also brought new opportunities for growth and increased exposure via social media.
Alejandro provides us with an artist’s statement of her portrait of Vice President Harris through her sensitive and articulate words. She explains the significance and importance of the piece and offers encouraging messages to those who also use their power to empower others through art.
This podcast series is inspired by the Vital Voices: 100 Women Using their Power to Empower – edited by Alyse Nelson with artwork by Gayle Kabaker and published by Assouline.
Listen to the episode: