Guest Post by Kate Jakubowski “I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life—and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.” [1] From the time she was ten years old, Georgia O’Keeffe knew exactly what she wanted to do—become an artist. [2] Born in 1887 in the small town of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, Georgia O’Keeffe became one of the most successful female artists of all time: she currently holds the record for most expensive painting sold by a woman at $44.4 million. [3] Whereas we consider Renaissance artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as geniuses who transcended their time, we often overlook American artists, and more importantly, female artists, as geniuses too. Georgia O’Keeffe was one of the most brilliant artists of the century—a multifaceted, independent individual who pioneered American modernism and influenced generations to come. The second oldest of seven siblings, and the oldest of five girls, O’Keeffe felt a sense of powe
Guest Post by Kate Jakubowski There is no doubt that Hildegard of Bingen was a genius. A mystic, writer, and creator of the language lingua ignota , [1] Hildegard was one of the earliest polymaths—a person who is skilled in multiple areas—and is probably most well known for her compositions. [2] The most published composer of sacred monophony (a type of composition that consists of a singular melodic line), she has since been overshadowed by her more famous male counterparts such as Mozart and Beethoven. Unfortunately, this is true for many female prodigies and musicians—and it is time they be recognized for their incredible accomplishments and contributions to music. Take the stories of Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn. While we’ve all probably heard of Robert Schumann and Felix Mendelssohn, who are two of the most famous Romantic-era composers, most probably haven’t heard of Clara and Fanny, who are most often singled out in music history textbooks as “Robert’s wife” and “Felix