Beginning November 3, 2010, The Women's Museum: An Institute for the Future will present Changing the Face of Power: Women in the U.S. Senate, an exhibition by the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin, presented in partnership with Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Changing the Face of Power: Women in the U.S. Senate is an exhibition of photographs by Melina Mara, whom began photographing the thirteen women in the U.S. Senate in 2001, continuing as their number grew to fourteen in 2003. At a time when access to national politicians is increasingly controlled, Mara persuaded a majority of the senators to allow her to document the unprecedented role of women in the Senate, both behind the scenes and before microphones.

This exhibition, which opened at the Smithsonian Institution in 2003, includes informative text provided by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. Veteran White House journalist Helen Thomas conducted interviews with ten of the senators, which have been distilled into two audio presentations. A photography-based video presentation portrays exhibition images with narration by Melina Mara.

The exhibition will be available to the public from November 3, 2010 to December 19, 2010. For more information about viewing hours or to arrange group visits, contact Emily Embry at 214-915-0862 or .

Photo: Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, 2002 copyright Melina Mara. The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

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