Whether it was a flower-filled field, a scenic landscape or a woman’s wrinkled face, the Women’s History Month Art Show featured various paintings and sketches to celebrate Women’s History Month in the Union.

“Women’s History Month is celebrating those who came before you and also remembering them and commemorating them, but also celebrating the ones that are here with you now,” said Brittanie Johnson, co-chairwoman of the event. “We have so many talented females on campus.”

The event was hosted in partnership with the MSU Women’s Resource Center and the Women’s Initiative for Leadership Development.

This is the first year this type of event had been planned, said Johnson, an international relations and supply chain management senior.

Johnson said her group decided to incorporate an art gallery to add a new feel to the day and build on previous years’ celebrations.

“(It’s) a time to reflect and think about the joys that we have and what there is to come,” she said.

The event also included a colorful craft-filled area for participants to paint a flower pot or decorate greeting cards. Johnson said she hoped students would gain inspiration from the artwork.

“We had talked about how women used to do crafts in the past to get together and talk and meet with each other … hear about (each other’s) lives,” she said.

Participants such as Lauren Jones, a hospitality business and communication junior, attended the event to celebrate progress women have made in the past 100 years. Jones said she also really enjoys crafts, one of the added bonuses of attending.

“All of these paintings show a different aspect of what it means to be a female,” said Jones, whose favorite pieces were one of the etchings and a three-part painting abstractly showing the stages of a woman’s life.

Other participants such as Saba Khan, a genomics and molecular genetics senior, attended to support her friend’s art pieces and help generate awareness.

“It’s just a matter of our own history … the way (women) advanced throughout the years and how much passion and strength they have for everything they’ve been through,” said Khan, who also works at the Women’s Resource Center.

“I think it’s important to celebrate that in March and realize how far we have to go in advancing women, … taking that time to recognize how far we have to go to reach equality.”