Arkansas Times | Blog | Leslie Newell Peacock | 8/21/19

Her Flag, nine stripes in…

In celebration of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which guaranteed women the right to vote, artist and activist Marilyn Artus of Oklahoma City is traveling to the 36 states that ratified the amendment to create the 36-stripe Her Flag. Her 14-month journey will bring her to the 12th state to ratify — Arkansas — on Wednesday, Aug. 28, to add the 12th stripe, designed by Virmarie DePoyster, to Her Flag.

The event, at which Artus will sew the stripe onto the flag, starts at 2 p.m. in the Old Supreme Court Room on the second floor of the State Capitol. As Artus sews, vocalists Stephanie Smittle, Barbara Raney and Mercedes Anderson and guitarist/vocalist Nick Devlin of The Salty Dogs will perform.

DePoyster, a native of Puerto Rico who moved to Arkansas at 15, is known statewide for her award-winning artwork; her drawing of a ballerina was chosen by the city for a flag in the downtown Little Rock arts corridor. She is an artist in residency with the Arkansas Arts Council Arts in Education Program and is an arts therapist.