The Unforgiving Yardstick

 
 

On display now- March 2026

Presented by the Rye Historical Society, ArtsWestchester, and Ambassador John L. Loeb Jr.

THE UNFORGIVING YARDSTICK: A Look at Women’s Roles and Struggles in Westchester County

Featuring Artwork by Fleur Spolidor

March 21, 2025 – March 27, 2026

Curated by Fleur Spolidor

Discover the stories of ten trailblazing Westchester women through portraiture, mixed media, and sculptural garments that reflect the restrictions they faced. This two-floor exhibition at the Square House Museum uncovers their struggles, triumphs, and lasting impact.

For centuries, women have been measured—both literally and figuratively—against societal standards that dictated their roles, freedoms, and even their attire. Led by artist Fleur Spolidor, this exhibition presents 23 original works, including portraits of remarkable Westchester women and sculptural pieces crafted from measuring tapes. From corsets to cycling bloomers, these works challenge us to reconsider the ways in which women’s lives have been shaped—and constrained—through history.

About Fleur Spolidor - Curator and artist

Fleur Spolidor, MFA, is an eco-conscious visual artist whose work addresses critical issues such as women’s rights and climate change. Recently, Spolidor received two grants from the New York State Council on the Arts and administered by Arts Westchester: the first in 2023 for “The Swimsuits Series: A Pictorial Reflection on Women’s Rights,”, and the second in 2024 for her project, “The Unforgiving Yardstick: A Look at Women’s Roles and Struggles in Westchester County”. "The Swimsuits series" was on display at the Jay Heritage Center in Rye, NY, Oct-Nov 2023 and a destination during New York State’s Path Through History Weekend 2023. It was scheduled to be on display at the United Nations Headquarters for CSW 69 in March 2025, but the exhibition was canceled two weekends before installation. 

“The Unforgiving Yardstick,  A Look at Women’s Roles and Struggles in Westchester County” exhibition will be on display from March 2025 to March 2026 at the Square House Museum in Rye, NY, with support from the archives and collection of the Rye Historical Society.

Spolidor actively volunteers her artistic skills for schools and nonprofits and has been selected for an Maker in Residence in 2025 at the Harrison Public Library, with an emphasis on upcycling in art . She was also awarded a grant for curatorial projects during the pandemic by the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds in the Netherlands and was selected as a mentee in the 2021 NCWCA Mentorship Program in San Francisco. Spolidor recently received an artist certification by the City of New Rochelle, NY.

Spolidor is a signature member of the National Association of Women Artists in New York and a member of the Northern California Women’s Caucus for Art in San Francisco. She is a scholarship recipient who earned her Master’s degree in Contemporary Art History from the University of Paris-Nanterre. Her works are included in both private and public collections across Europe and the United States. Notably, as an engraver, she was selected to design the commemorative plate placed beneath the gold-leafed Pyramidion of the Concorde Obelisk in Paris. Born and raised in Paris, France, Spolidor currently lives and works in Westchester County, NY.

More info: www.artefleur.com

Explore the Two Floors of the Exhibit
🔹 First Floor – Council Room: Contemporary Women
• Orial Redd – Civil rights leader and Westchester trailblazer for fair housing and justice.
• Anne Fausto-Sterling – Biologist, and scholar transforming perspectives on gender and science
• Jennifer Johnson – Olympic para-athlete, and champion for accessibility and inclusion, for disabled athletes in the U.S. and Jamaica.
• Jeanhee Chung – Community activist who mobilized regional volunteers to sew masks for frontline workers during the pandemic.
• Delores Johnson – First female police captain in Westchester, advocate for women of color in law enforcement.
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🔹 Second Floor – Ballroom: Historic Women
• Ethel Barrymore – Acclaimed actress and early advocate for performers’ rights, helping shape protections for stage and film actors.
• Ruth Nichols – Record-breaking aviator who paved the way for women in aviation, holding multiple speed and altitude records.
• Caroline O’Day – The first woman elected to Congress from New York as a Democrat, championing labor rights, social justice, and anti-discrimination policies.
• Peg Lyon – Enslaved woman emancipated in 1800; her descendants became landowners, skilled tradesmen, and Underground Railroad activists.
• Elsie Clews Parsons – Anthropologist and feminist scholar whose groundbreaking work challenged societal norms and gender roles.
Sculptural Symbolism: Three sculptural garments—a corset, swimsuit, and cycling bloomers, crafted from measuring tapes—symbolize the restrictive expectations historically placed on women.

Peg Lyon

Who Was Peg Lyon?
Born in 1770, Peg was enslaved by the powerful Lyon and Merritt families in Greenwich and Rye. As revolutionaries fought for independence, she remained in bondage, hearing stories of liberty while being denied her own. Unlike many who were enslaved for life, Peg’s story took a different path—she was emancipated in 1800, at the age of 30. Her legacy continued through her descendants, who went on to become landowners, skilled tradesmen, church founders, and Underground Railroad activists, ensuring that her struggle and perseverance were not forgotten.

From Enslavement to Freedom: A Look into the Historical Archives

On display are two extraordinary original documents that reveal the personal history of Peg Lyon (1770–before 1830), one of the ten women featured in this exhibition.

📜 Bill of Sale (1785) – This rare document records the sale of 20-year-old Peg from Daniel Lyon to Nathaniel Merritt for fifty pounds of New York currency—equivalent to about $15,000 today. Unlike many similar records, which often omit names, this bill of sale identifies her as Margaret (Peg) Lyon, acknowledging her individuality and significance.

📜 Manumission Papers (1800) – Dated April 12, 1800, this document marks the moment Peg was legally freed from slavery. Upon gaining her freedom, she married Anthony Green and chose to be known as Margaret Green, reclaiming her identity.

These documents capture defining moments in a life shaped by oppression and resilience. Peg’s story—one of survival, strength, and legacy—helped shape the first Free Black settlement in Greenwich, the A.M.E. Church, and the abolitionist movement. Visit the exhibition to view these rare historical documents and learn more about Peg Lyon’s remarkable journey..

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Painted by Fleur Spolidor
Photographed by Jim Frank
Peg Lyon’s portrait is based on a compilation of several photographs of her descendants, including her 4x great-granddaughter and Rye Historical Society board member, Teresa Vega. Peg was tri-racial, with Munsee Lenape and mixed East and West African ancestry on her maternal side and British ancestry on her paternal side.

Ethel Barrymore

Ethel Barrymore: A Life of Spotlights and Shadows
Painted by Fleur Spolidor
Photographed by Jim Frank

Ethel Barrymore (1879–1959), "The First Lady of the American Theater," was celebrated for her intelligence, elegance, and commanding stage presence. She won a Tony Award for The Corn Is Green (1947) and an Academy Award for None but the Lonely Heart (1944). A lover of music, painting, and boxing, she once declined a proposal from Winston Churchill. A champion of actors' rights, she played a key role in the 1919 Actors' Equity Strike. Her legacy lives on through her performances and the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. "That's all there is—there isn't any more."