To celebrate the beauty of aging, local photographer Jana Marcus invites the public to the Radius Gallery at the Tannery Arts Center on Aug. 16 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. to view her 50 Women Over 40 project.
The one-day exhibition celebrates six seasons of Marcus’s portrait series, which aims to empower women over 40 to rediscover their visibility, voice and beauty through evocative portraiture. The exhibit features portraits of 50 women photographed from 2024 to this year. There will also be a raffle for complimentary photo sessions, wine and hors d’oeuvres.
Launched in 2020, the 50 Women Over 40 Project started out as a personal mission for Marcus — a way for her to challenge outdated notions of beauty and aging, and to celebrate women in this phase of their lives.
“Too often, women over 40 feel erased by our youth-obsessed culture,” Marcus said in a media release. “I wanted to change that narrative. I wanted women to see themselves as vibrant, powerful and beautiful.”
Participants spent a day in Marcus’s studio, each getting their hair and makeup professionally done before stepping into their photo session designed to reflect how they wanted to be seen, from fierce to glamorous, aiming to capture a moment of self-love and personal power.
In the last five years, Marcus photographed more than 250 women ranging from ages 40 to 90, from filmmakers and laborers, to nurses and authors. Alongside each portrait comes a reflection from the subject and the woman’s advice to younger generations in an annual magazine Marcus produces in hopes of creating a tapestry of insight and sisterhood.
These women are “stepping into the frame, owning their space, and leaving a legacy of courage and confidence for the women coming behind them,” said Marcus.