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The Medusa Project is an initiative to reclaim Medusa - the mythical Greek woman whose gaze could turn anyone to stone - as a symbol of female empowerment.
The Medusa Project is an initiative to reclaim Medusa as a symbol of female strength and to stop misogynistic appropriations of the medusa myth and image.
Medusa is the mythical Greek woman who survived being sexually assaulted and cursed only to be murdered in her sleep. However, because men have been the primary retellers of the Medusa story over centuries, patriarchal interpretations featuring their biases about women and power have become the norm.
Founded in 2021, The Medusa Project has three goals:
To reclaim Medusa as a symbol of female strength
To stop misogynistic appropriations of the Medusa myth and image
To support the advancement of women
THE MEDUSA PROJECT IS MAKING AN IMPACT.
To date, we have worked with the CEOs of Redbubble and Zazzle to remove from sale on their platforms all 100+ products featuring the misogynistic image of Donald Trump as Perseus holding the severed head of Hillary Clinton as Medusa. We have also worked with major museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, to amend biased descriptions of Medusa art. Said one museum director, “Much good will come of this.” Please email us at hello@themedusaproject.com to get involved or to let us know if you have seen a misogynistic reference to Medusa so we can take action.
“Thank you for the change you have already made through The Medusa Project.” – Hillary Rodham Clinton
below is a selection of resources relevant to The Medusa Project that you may wish to explore.
What Depictions of Medusa Say about the Way Society Views Powerful Women
by Abigail Cain
The Face of Our Own Rage
by Gabby Tuzzeo
Medusa: How We Made a Rape Victim Into a Monster
by TillyC
Snake Eyes: The Power to Turn the Patriarchy into Stone
by McKenzie Schwark
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Devin McDonald
Founder, The Medusa Project
Devin McDonald is a rising sophomore, majoring in Classics, at the University of Chicago. She spent her high school years at St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire, where she was a member of the Classical Honors Program, the recipient of the school’s Dickey Prize for Excellence in Greek, president of the St. Paul’s Classics Society, and a member of the Cum Laude Society. Passionate about the Classics and gender equity, Devin has devoted much of her time outside the classroom researching the connections between the way women are portrayed in classical myths and modern-day gender issues and advocating for vital changes. While in high school, Devin conducted research for a number of college professors, including Amy Richlin, Distinguished Professor of Classics, UCLA, and Helen Morales, Argyropoulos Professor of Hellenic Studies, UCSB. According to Devin, “Symbols matter in society, and I plan to do all I can to reclaim and advance the image of Medusa as a powerful, unifying, and inspiring symbol of female strength.”
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