A HEAvy Burden to Wear

The coat is a tribute to and a companion piece to the painting Pioneer Women: Between a Rock and Hard Place.

Our lives are determined by the choices that we make. Many times in history, women have not had the luxury of making choices in their own lives due to societal expectations and financial limitations. The lives of pioneer women were fraught with hardship and loneliness. Their lives were weighted with responsibilities as heavy as stones. It is possible to endure such a burden if one looks at it from a different angle. The coat depicted here is a weighty one, but it also offers protection and warmth. We have built a country on the strength and perseverance of those pioneer women.