Open a Window: Women of the National Park Service is a short film that presents the experiences, memories, and knowledge of women employees of the National Park Service. I combine oral histories told by women in recorded video interviews with artfully composed film footage that showcase the unique landscapes and other natural features of national parks. The importance of oral histories, including my film project, is that they can tell the stories that might otherwise be left out of written records. They provide diverse viewpoints and alternatives to generalizations. Oral histories fill in the gaps found in written histories and provide a fuller picture of a time, place, or event. The National Park Service remains a male-dominated institution. In going through the National Park Service websites, I found a variety of short written articles on women’s involvement. My objective is to add to the existing literature and media about women's contributions, but in a way that intentionally includes visual art. Films and stories have the power to create complex, absorbing views of the world we all inhabit. The women interviewed in my film tell their own stories in their own words. They go beyond objective lists of dry facts to sharing how they think and feel about their experiences. I champion these subjectivities and use elements and principles of art to visually support and emphasize them. These women are equally responsible for the success of the National Parks Services as a long-standing public institution.

Authors:
Amanda Kline, Otterbein University, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Amanda Kline is an Associate Professor of Art at Otterbein University, in Ohio, USA. She specializes in photography and video art. Her research interests include women's studies, personal and collective identity, and humans’ relationship with nature.

Additional website of interest
https://www.amandalekline.com/

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