From 1942- 1944, during World War II, over a 1,000 women left homes and jobs to become the first women to fly for the US military. They became the Women Airforce Service Pilots, the WASP, flying ferrying missions in the US. They were promised military status, but they were disbanded without benefits in 1944, and their records were sealed. The FLY GIRLS portraits celebrate the fearless women who defied gender stereotypes during WWII, and who then spent decades fighting to gain recognition and secure their place in history. Each portrait combines vintage photos, artifacts, and news headlines which tell the story of the WASP.
artist
Alison Fullerton, Nashville TN
I live in Nashville, Tennessee and I specialize in painting with encaustic wax (beeswax), an ancient Egyptian art. I've exhibited in the US and Europe, have work in galleries, museums and at Vanderbilt University. I enjoy painting portraits of strong warrior women. You can find my work at AlisonFullertonArt.com.
In 2016 I married into the military. That was the same year that the ban on women in combat was lifted. We were stationed in Germany and I spent most days on base. I learned that women are still constantly having to prove themselves, just as the WASP did 80 years ago, despite the military's efforts to change their culture. The WASP trained and served alongside men, promises were made to them, and then they were dropped without compensation, benefits, with their records sealed up in an attempt to erase their existence. Every American needs to hear and learn from the WASP stories, so this history stops being repeated. And, let's finally give the WASP the credit and recognition that they deserve!
I contacted Texas Women's University's WASP archives in 2022 and began my research. Special thanks to TWU archivists for their countless hours telling me stories about the WASP and helping to direct me in selecting images, artifacts, and memorabilia. It's been a privilege to work with them.
Each portrait integrates vintage photographs, artifacts, news clippings, digital art, and encaustic wax paint. The portraits are 30x40 and are designed to be viewed from a distance to draw the viewer up close to read the embedded text and learn their stories. Exhibits will have accompanying QR codes for viewers to learn more about the WASP.
I am also very grateful to Lisa Reed Preston for her photo retouching work which enabled me to enlarge the old b&w photos to 30x40 portraits. Lisa also absolutely saved me when my computer started crashing from the huge file sizes. We spent a week working on photoshop from her living room, projecting images to the large screen TV in her living room! It was a mad rush, but we did it!
This is the first art exhibit dedicated to the WASPS and will travel to several museums and venues across the US following the Nashville airport exhibition. For inquiries, please contact AlisonFullertonArt@gmail.com.
