Hi Everyone, I want to start by thanking you all for the support on project 19-1392: safe access for Women’s Healthcare. As of June 28th, we’ve successfully raised $630 for Glenwood’s Planned Parenthood, and we hope to continue supporting reproductive clinics in the Rocky Mountains!!! In light of recent events, we’ve decided to do round-two of printing for additional orders!!

Since June 24th, I have been mourning the death of women’s autonomy, the death of women’s access to protected healthcare, and the death of America’s promise to liberty and the right to privacy. The SCOTUS decision to gut the protections set forth by Roe not only enable 26 states to restrict abortion access, but also 25 states to completely ban abortion proceedures. Yet public interests contest our legislation reality– “about six-in-ten Americans say abortion should be legal in some or all cases” (Pew Research Center).

Today, as a young woman in America, I am angered, saddened, and disappointed in our legislation system. Yet though it can feel like our hands are tied, we must remind ourselves that our legislators are meant to serve us and laws are supposed to represent our interests! Upon interviewing Rebecca Binion (Glenwood Planned Parenthood director), she pointed out a few ways for us to continuing the safeguard of aboriton access in CO: listen to people’s stories, use your voice to talk about health equity, support the organizations that are advocating for reproductive rights and justice, and most importantly, VOTE! (I encourage you all to go to read the rest of my interview with rebecca!)

Heavyweight Sweatshirt

• 50% US Cotton / 50% Polyester
  
• 100% of our fabric cutting scraps are recycled into fiber and used in new products
• 33% of the energy used to manufacture our products comes from renewable resources
• 8.0 ounce
  

Read about the sustainability

$40

Eco/organic T-shirt

This tee is carbon neutral!

• 50% polyester from recycled plastic bottles.
• 25% organic cotton.
• 25% Tencel™ Modal.
• 4.2 ounce

Read about their impact

Eco/organic Totebag

8 oz. Organic Cotton Twill Everyday Tote

Limited Edition Print 11” x 15”

Original print on paper made from recycled t-shirts.

More About the Design

Medusa:
In Greek Mythology, Medusa is painted as a monster that turns men into stone. Yet deeply misunderstood is the sexual assault written in her origin story and protection her snakes offer. In the design, I chose the allusion to Medusa’s story as a metaphor for the villanization and criminalization of a woman’s decision to get an abortion. Societal values and expectations force women to carry the enormous weight of guilt. But I’m a firm believer that we should remove this stigma of shaming women for making a decision relative to their lives. Everyone deserves kindness, love, and respect, even if their decisions don’t align with another’s beliefs.


Lady Justice:
The crown and scale of Lady Justice are sympathetic to the injustices imposed upon a woman’s autonomy over her physical and mental health due to the lack of safe medical resources. The paradox of the issue lies within the personal freedom protection offered by the 14th Amendment and the lack of “right to privacy” for women when it comes to reproductive health care. Additionally, extreme policies regarding abortion access does not accurately represent voters interests in red or blue states. And beyond our flawed legislative system, the symbols of Lady Justice also unveils the gray area between the planes of justice and morality.

19-1392:
19-1392 is the doc number assigned to the underlying case: Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, whcih was filed 3/19/2018 regarding the constitutionality of a Mississippi law that banned abortions after 15 weeks of preganacy. 

Inspo:
Passionate about the sociological crossroads of policy and society, I am always eager to learn about the relations between historical relevance and current events. And as a young women in America today, abortion legislations directly impacts my body, my mental health, and the trajectary of my life. Growing up in a conservative family, I am always forced to wrestle with the morality behind the weight of such decisions. Therefore, the purpose of this art piece is not only a method of advocating for my rights, but also a bridge between the gaps of my parents’ and I’s worldviews.

Artist Statement

As a young women in America today, abortion legislations directly impacts my body, my mental health, and the trajectary of my life. And growing up in a conservative family, I am always forced to wrestle with the morality behind the weight of such decisions. Therefore, the purpose of this art piece not only advocates for my rights, but also bridges the gap between my parents’ and my worldviews.

Bio

Growing up in the metropolis of Shanghai, China and making the odyssey to Cleveland, and then again to the Rocky Mountains, Mandy’s entire life is governed by movement and the excitement that accompanies exploration of the new. Taking art lessons since the age of 7, her art mainly revolved around traditional styles and mediums of acrylics and pencil. Driven by her personal identity as an Asian American and her involvement within the outdoor community, Mandy’s artistic style has evolved to integrate issues of racial and enviornmental justice. She is also experimenting with new mediums and styles such as: textiles, pointillism, ink, and now print-making at the Project Shop. Recently graduated from Colorado Rocky Mountain School, Mandy is taking a Gap Year to travel, before attending Pitzer College, where she is excited to participate in Claremont’s local art clubs and to explore Pitzer’s muralistic art scene.

About the Process

Holding myself accountable to give the project an informed foundation, I dedicated time to researching abortion rights and interviewed Rebecca Binion, director of the Planned Parenthood in Glenwood Springs. I distilled the web of information into one precise message: access to abortion is about providing safe health care for women, which should be an issue between a woman and her doctor.

Finally, I went back to the drawing board, drifting into my imaginative space and away from the logos and overthinking. Through the act of losing myself in creativity, I was able to weave meaningful elements into the design (which you can read more about at TheProjectShop.org). And, most importantly, I was able to see my designs come to life on sweatshirts, totes, tees and posters. The experience of carefully printing each piece of cloth, and knowing that 100% of my dedication to the project will be donated to Planned Parenthood, is truly rewarding.

Do you think reproductive health care is widely accessible to most women in the valley?

The Glenwood Spring Health Center is the only Planned Parenthood west of the Denver area in mid-Utah. We serve a wide geographic region, not only the Roaring Fork Valley. We are proud to offer comprehensive reproductive health care and that includes abortion care.

Health disparities that impact too many people, and the Roaring Fork Valley is not immune to that. Many patients that we serve lack any form of insurance, indicating that patients can’t afford, or don’t qualify for coverage.

Do you notice any disparities between abortion/reproductive health care access for women in the valley? (whether that is in terms of class, race, etc.)

• Only some many providers accept Medicaid
• Over 30% of the patients we serve speak only Spanish.
• We care for all patients, and every patient is offered financial support if needed.

What is the most common demographic make-up for women seeking abortion access in the valley?

1 in 3 people will have an abortion in their lifetime, of all backgrounds. Abortion is a very common part of health care.

What is one of the most difficult discussions you have had on the topic of abortion rights?

I have had the honor of working with PPRM for 20 years. Supporting patient access and advocating for my team is of the utmost importance to me. Nothing compares to what is happening right now in Texas, Oklahoma, and at the U.S. Supreme Court. This is the most difficult. I cannot imagine what it must feel like to be a person in Texas needing and abortion, and what it will soon be for so many more people across our country. 

How are you feeling regarding the recent leaked SCOTUS opinion regarding the overturn of Roe?

I am outraged and saddened that instead of progress, we are going back. I am proud to be an abortion provider and I will continue to do whatever we need to help our patients get the care they need.   I worry about the folx that won’t get the care they need.

If Roe is overturned, how do you foresee the consequences will impact the valley/our local community?

• Colorado is a safe haven state. We expect a surge in patient volume, we have already seen this since SB8 in Texas.
• We already see patients from other states because of restricting laws
• We are expanding Telehealth care and examining our processes to accommodate a higher patient volume.

How do you foresee the decision impacting Colorado as a whole? It seems that our legislators will move to safeguard abortion access, but could the upcoming mid-term election potentially alter that outcome? And how do you forsee the restrictive access to abortion in neighboring states, such as New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona, will impact the avaliablilites of clinics in CO?

Our health center is already seeing patients from our neighboring states. The unfortunate reality is that people are being forced out of their communities, must wait longer times, and travel further and further distances to access abortion care.

What do you forsee the direction of the abortions rights movement moving towards in the future? Is there hope?

The majority of people in our country support abortion access.

Lastly, how can we (especially the younger generation and as a community), help protect abortion rights and the access to safe health care for women?

1. Vote
2. Listen to people’s stories, tell yours, and keeping talking about health equity that includes abortion care
3. Support the organizations that are advocating for reproductive rights and justice

{19-1392} Mandy Lei service project

safeguarding women’s healthcare.

All proceeds donated to Planned Parenthood.

First run sold out. 

Read update

More About the Design

Medusa:
In Greek Mythology, Medusa is painted as a monster that turns men into stone. Yet deeply misunderstood is the sexual assault written in her origin story and protection her snakes offer. In the design, I chose the allusion to Medusa’s story as a metaphor for the villanization and criminalization of a woman’s decision to get an abortion. Societal values and expectations force women to carry the enormous weight of guilt. But I’m a firm believer that we should remove this stigma of shaming women for making a decision relative to their lives. Everyone deserves kindness, love, and respect, even if their decisions don’t align with another’s beliefs.


Lady Justice:
The crown and scale of Lady Justice are sympathetic to the injustices imposed upon a woman’s autonomy over her physical and mental health due to the lack of safe medical resources. The paradox of the issue lies within the personal freedom protection offered by the 14th Amendment and the lack of “right to privacy” for women when it comes to reproductive health care. Additionally, extreme policies regarding abortion access does not accurately represent voters interests in red or blue states. And beyond our flawed legislative system, the symbols of Lady Justice also unveils the gray area between the planes of justice and morality.

19-1392:
19-1392 is the doc number assigned to the underlying case: Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, whcih was filed 3/19/2018 regarding the constitutionality of a Mississippi law that banned abortions after 15 weeks of preganacy. 

Inspo:
Passionate about the sociological crossroads of policy and society, I am always eager to learn about the relations between historical relevance and current events. And as a young women in America today, abortion legislations directly impacts my body, my mental health, and the trajectary of my life. Growing up in a conservative family, I am always forced to wrestle with the morality behind the weight of such decisions. Therefore, the purpose of this art piece is not only a method of advocating for my rights, but also a bridge between the gaps of my parents’ and I’s worldviews.

Artist Statement

As a young women in America today, abortion legislations directly impacts my body, my mental health, and the trajectary of my life. And growing up in a conservative family, I am always forced to wrestle with the morality behind the weight of such decisions. Therefore, the purpose of this art piece not only advocates for my rights, but also bridges the gap between my parents’ and my worldviews.

Bio

Growing up in the metropolis of Shanghai, China and making the odyssey to Cleveland, and then again to the Rocky Mountains, Mandy’s entire life is governed by movement and the excitement that accompanies exploration of the new. Taking art lessons since the age of 7, her art mainly revolved around traditional styles and mediums of acrylics and pencil. Driven by her personal identity as an Asian American and her involvement within the outdoor community, Mandy’s artistic style has evolved to integrate issues of racial and enviornmental justice. She is also experimenting with new mediums and styles such as: textiles, pointillism, ink, and now print-making at the Project Shop. Recently graduated from Colorado Rocky Mountain School, Mandy is taking a Gap Year to travel, before attending Pitzer College, where she is excited to participate in Claremont’s local art clubs and to explore Pitzer’s muralistic art scene.

About the Process

Holding myself accountable to give the project an informed foundation, I dedicated time to researching abortion rights and interviewed Rebecca Binion, director of the Planned Parenthood in Glenwood Springs. I distilled the web of information into one precise message: access to abortion is about providing safe health care for women, which should be an issue between a woman and her doctor.

Finally, I went back to the drawing board, drifting into my imaginative space and away from the logos and overthinking. Through the act of losing myself in creativity, I was able to weave meaningful elements into the design (which you can read more about at TheProjectShop.org). And, most importantly, I was able to see my designs come to life on sweatshirts, totes, tees and posters. The experience of carefully printing each piece of cloth, and knowing that 100% of my dedication to the project will be donated to Planned Parenthood, is truly rewarding.