LOCKPORT — Ninety years ago, women finally earned the right to vote in our country. In honor of the occasion, the Market Street Art Center will spend the next month celebrating with a series of events.

Celebrating Women kicks off at the Locust Street center Monday with Square by Square, an artistic workshop for young women ages 12 to 16. The celebration will continue with art and lectures through August.

Celebrating Women is an idea dreamed up by curator Jennifer Kursten. The center rarely gets so in-depth on a single issue, but the idea was inspirational and the timing was right, according to Market Street Art Center Assistant Executive Director Sally Bisher.

“90 years (since women started voting) isn’t such a long time,” Bisher said. “I was taken aback by the fact that when my mom was born, she did not have the right to vote. It just kind of puts some things in perspective.”

Of the seven events featured during Celebrating Women, the Celebrating Women exhibition would likely be considered the main draw. The exhibition will feature seven female artists from Western New York — Carol Carreno, Patti Harris, Holly Johnson, Lynda Juel, Meg Knowles, Coni Minneci, Sandra Wilde — who will focus on a variety of women’s issues through multiple forms of media. Two galleries at the center will be dedicated to the exhibition, which opens Friday.

“The artists are absolutely phenomenal,” Bisher said. “They’re all working in women’s themes and issues.”

Other events include: A lecture about women and politics by Nancy McGlen, Tea and Nancy McClew at Murphy Orchards, a day trip to Seneca Falls, a portrait session dedicated to women and their mentors, and an artist’s talk about the Celebrating Women exhibition. The entire celebration is being done in conjunction with the YWCA, Bisher said.

“I think one of the points of this exhibition is to let people see how far we’ve come, and also to make people aware that women weren’t always allowed to be artists or express themselves artistically,” she said. “It’s a matter of community awareness. There’s a lot going on.”

Though this coming month will have a feminist slant, Bisher makes a point of noting that everyone is invited.

“Men will certainly enjoy the exhibition as well,” she said. “This is not so female-oriented that we’re excluding men. Equality means everybody’s equal.”

Calendar of events

A list of the events during the Market Street Art Center’s month of Celebrating Women.

• Square By Square: An artistic workshop for Young Women ages 12 to 16 by Amanda Alvarez; 1-3 p.m., July 19-21. Location: Market Street Art Center, 247 Market St., Lockport. Cost: $35

• Celebrating Women exhibition. Seven Western New York female artists, focusing on women’s issues in a variety of media on themes of economic, political, social and personal relevance to women; July 24 — Aug. 28. Location: Market Street Art Center. Cost: Free.

• Women and Politics: 90 Years of Progress. Lecture by Nancy E. McGlen, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences Niagara University; 7-9 p.m., Aug. 4. Location: Market Street Art Center. Cost: $10

• Tea and Nancy McClew: The McClew family is best known for its involvement in the Underground Railroad Network, but youngest sister Nancy McClew also has an exciting connection with the Women’s Rights Movement; 2-3:30 p.m., Aug. 7. Location: Murphy Orchards. Cost: $11

• Artist Talk: The seven artists participating in the Celebrating Women Exhibition will discuss their artwork; 7-9 p.m. Aug. 19. Location: Market Street Art Center. Cost: $3

• Me and my Mentor: Portraits by Debra Sammarco. These photo sessions bring together an individual with their female role model to celebrating the value of a positive female role model in one’s life; 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 25. Location: Market Street Art Center. Cost: $15

• Day trip to Seneca Falls: Sponsored by the Dale Association. A one-day excursion to explore one of the epicenters of the early women’s rights movement. The bus will leave from the YWCA (32 Cottage Street in Lockport) at 9 a.m. and return at 6 p.m. on Aug. 14. Cost: $60 (includes coach, lunch and admission to attractions).

The Seneca Falls trip and some events require registration.  For more information on the day trip to Seneca Falls contact the Dale Association at 433-1886.  For more information on Tea and Nancy McClew call Murphy’s Orchards at 778 - 7926. For all other events visit www.marketstreetartcenter.org or call (716) 478-0239.