American Values:
Religion and Society in the United States

I orginally encountered this Chinese proverb on a button and was so compelled by its simplicity and affirmation of the relationship of women to the nurturance of the world, it became the theme of a chapel talk at St. Olaf on February 22, 2005 in conjunction with V-Week, when "The Vagina Monologues" were performed and many events addressing women's issues were held. The images on this page depict the community artwork that was created during the chapel service and throughout the week celebrating individual women who have held up the sky for each of us.