The Matriarch Project is a celebration of Canadian women over 50 by the award-winning photographer Shelagh Howard. Shelagh continues to capture portraits of women all across the country, while honouring and documenting their stories, insights and thoughts about aging, mentorship and community.

Cultures are shaped by stories. Many intellectual traditions have excluded women and their stories, or have devalued traditionally feminine knowledge. Too often, the wisdom of our foremothers and even of our contemporaries is lost, hidden, or simply ignored.

At the heart of The Matriarch Project lies the belief that we can all benefit from learning about the diverse, lived experience of women. From taking a seat at their fires, to witnessing their struggles and their triumphs, while really listening to and honouring their stories.

It does take a village: a village of compassionate, brave, sage women, and a belief in the power of the feminine collective. Society’s matriarchs are the unacknowledged keepers of important knowledge.

Women are as beautiful and diverse as the fabric of the country itself. It is a priority that this project includes diverse backgrounds, ancestries and nationalities, socioeconomic and educational backgrounds and experiences.

Through The Matriarch project, Shelagh invites women over 50 to have their portrait taken and to share their thoughts, insights, and lessons on living, aging, and how community with other women has shaped their lives and experiences.

While the portraits and stories are collected, The Matriarch Project will exist online. The project will culminate in a book and live exhibition, with a release date to be determined.

If you are interested in being part of The Matriarch Project, please contact Shelagh at info@shelaghhoward.com.

To see the rest of Shelagh’s work, visit www.shelaghhoward.com.