Cafe de Flore by Mindy Carpenter
Mindy Carpenter is the artist and founder of Carpe Diem Papers, a greeting card and lifestyle company that is based on her original paintings. “Nostalgic art meets vintage style” best describes her unique style, celebrating everyday charm and beauty.
As the cycle of the seasons continues to turn, we continue to be grateful for their guidance in our daily lives. Our bodies and souls are ready to reap the enrichment we have tended to all year in preparation for a feast of creative feats. Now is the time to celebrate your diligence! As we step back and inhale the fresh scent of a garden that’s ripe for picking, may we be reminded that our flourishing greens are enriched by our very existence as creative women. May we too be reminded that even if we pour until our cup is empty, the earth and her seasons will gladly replenish our nourishment. And may we, as creative women, always come together to celebrate our accomplishments and enjoy the sweet fruits (and savory veggies) of our labor as a community. We see you and everything you bring to the table. You have done beautiful work this year, ladies!
Our work in tending to our gardens is over for the year. Instead, it’s time to reap the rewards of everything we have grown. We find a new confidence in the changing of our wardrobes just as the earth, in her timeless wisdom, sheds her layers in preparation for what’s to come.
The energy of this season is that of the harvest: bountiful. Unlike the playful days of Summer though, this bountiful energy comes from within and beckons us to find it in the people around us – the communities that have welcomed, loved, and lifted us throughout the year.
We have invested our time and efforts into our soil before seeds were even a thought. We diligently planted and watered, nursing new growth and strong roots at a steady pace. We welcomed the splendor of sunshine and fresh air, ourselves growing with our literal and metaphorical gardens.
Now is the time to bring what we have grown from the garden to the table.
Embracing a seasonal perspective as a guidance for our daily lives has truly been a blessing, and opened our eyes to lessons we may have otherwise missed. Click here to read more about our Autumnal seasonal perspective, and leave a comment about what living with the seasons means for you! We would love to hear from you.
Registration is still open for the Maestra Masterclass and those seats are filling up! Our guest speaker Georgene Rice is ready to guide us through the Art of Conversation and share her wisdom with us regarding how to better navigate our conversations to be fulfilling and fruitful, much like the harvest this Fall.
Our collaborative partners at Poppy on Main have offered their beautiful barn venue for this gathering. Seasonal faire by Keegan Mueller of A Leap of Taste will be served (with vegetarian options), complemented by a bespoke blend of tea by Nana’s Tea Room and delicious dessert collaboration by Bonnie Nork and CocoGlow. Everyone who registers will also receive a gift bag as our way of showing gratitude, and as a friendly reminder that you always deserve a little something extra.
The Maestra Masterclass has become a safe circle of women who come together to become our best selves, no matter where we are on our journeys. We would love to see you there!
The Virtuosa Society Podcast has kicked off Season 2 with the incredible story of the Miss America that almost never was… our founder Katie Harman herself.
In the wake of a national tragedy, 51 contestants came together for a raw and authentic conversation about whether to continue the pageant post-9/11. It came down to a vote that quickly evolved into an important message: guidance and leadership was needed during this time, and the contestants were ready to move forward as a beacon of hope for the American people, no matter who would take the crown.
Click here to hear Season 2 Episode 1 of the Virtuosa Society Podcast: One Vote, One Voice
Katie also took a trip down memory lane to revisit some of her favorite moments in each of Season 1’s seven episodes. She reveals the common thread of collaboration within each story and the “moments of convergence” that are the apex of each story – when one talented woman meets another talented woman and spontaneous combustion happens in the form of something impactful, innovative, imaginative or awe-inspiring.
Click here to hear the Virtuosa Society Podcast Season 1 Recap
In the latest episode of Virtuosa Society Podcast’s companion “Between the Bio” series, Katie sits down with acclaimed author Dr. Anna Beer, whose book Sounds and Sweet Airs: The Forgotten Women of Classical Music first inspired the inception of Virtuosa Society! Together, they talk about what first inspired her quest to uncover forgotten women, how loss prompted her to travel the world, the question that most drives her, what she grapples with as an author, and so much more.
Click here to tune in to Dr. Anna Beer’s Between The Bio episode
In another recent episode, Katie sits down with Emmy Award winning multi-hyphenate Monica Hardin, whose grit, grace and gratitude shaped her dynamic ability to inspire, inform and encourage others. Together, they talk about entrepreneurship, overcoming adversity, their shared experience as Miss America contestants, motherhood, motivation and so much more.
Monica is also a breast cancer survivor who bravely announced her diagnosis on live television as a news anchor. Her viewers followed her journey nearly every single day she was on air, and thankfully her journey led her to recovery and continued success.
The grand unveiling is nearly here! Virtuosa Society has collaborated with Healthy Klamath to call upon artists to bring some very special portraits to life: those of the women who helped shape Klamath Falls into what it is today. These murals will be installed in downtown Klamath Falls and revealed in a special ceremony on Friday, October 25th.
We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the female artists whose gifts bring this project to life:
Natalia Loveness, whose mural portrays The Chieftess Toby “Winema” Riddle
Melanie Corradi, whose mural portrays The Photographer Maud Baldwin
Natalie Morris, whose mural portrays The Olympian Janice-Lee York Romary
Ka’ila Farrell-Smith, whose mural portrays The Activist Marie Norris
Ashley Spivey, whose mural portrays The President of Oregon Institute of Technology Martha Ann Dow
Kelly Armijo, whose mural portrays The Philanthropists Nancy Wendt, Jean Pinninger, and Joann Staunton
We can’t wait to see the lives of these incredible women immortalized in the art of fellow incredible women. Stay tuned for the official unveiling announcement! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter so you can be the first to know.
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we are holding space to celebrate three incredible women and their contributions to making healthcare more accessible and supportive for women.
First Lady Betty Ford was transparent when it came to her breast cancer diagnosis in late September of 1974. The disease was still thought to be contagious, and the words “breast” and “cancer” alone were often spoken in hushed tones before she bravely stepped forward and brought it to much-needed public attention.
Betty pushed her own feelings aside as she comforted her family, and they discussed whether to share the news publicly. In the aftermath of Watergate and Vice-President Spiro Agnew’s corruption scandal, President Ford promised the country complete transparency.
Betty was already known around Washington for her forthright approach. In her mind, there was no question. “She was adamant about going public with it,” White House photographer David Kennerly recalled. “And women didn’t do that—not in 1974. And not only that, but President Ford agreed, and he stood by her. It had nothing to do with politics, and it had everything to do with the love and support for his wife.”
Read more about Betty Ford’s journey and advocacy here.
Rose Kushner was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1974 and rejected the only treatment available at the time. Patients were put under for a biopsy and often underwent a radical mastectomy before they even woke up. Rose went through a total of 19 surgeons before finding one that would discuss other treatment options after performing a biopsy.
After confirmation that her tumor was cancerous, Kushner chose a modified radical mastectomy, which leaves the chest muscles and lymph nodes intact. As she recovered, Kushner became an advocate for women, pushing for laws that required doctors to disclose all treatment options and include patients in decision-making. Her advocacy forever changed how we care for breast cancer patients in the U.S.
Read more about Rose Kushner’s journey and advocacy here.
Mary-Claire King, Ph.D., discovered the first gene for hereditary breast cancer in 1990, thirteen years before scientists finished mapping the human genome in 2003.
The arduous hunt for a genetic link in breast cancer took 17 years to complete. It began in the early 1970s when NCI allowed Dr. King to add a question on family history to its epidemiological study on oral contraceptives and breast cancer risk. Accessing data on over 1,500 women with breast cancer and comparing it to 1,500 cancer-free women enabled her to develop a statistical model supporting the hypothesis that errors in one or more dominantly inherited genes in families accounted for their higher disease risk.
Read more about Dr. King’s research here.
We thank you for joining us for the start of another season this year. Be sure to register for the Maestra Masterclass, sign up for our newsletter, and follow us on Instagram for continued announcements, events, and inspiration for creative women just like you.
Happy Harvest!
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