Kimberly Sas was dissatisfied with the locker room.
Sas, the goalkeeper of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, and her teammates find themselves trying to get dressed in a locker room that has spilled into the toilet area. They rolled their eyes and joked about it, but frustration was growing.
“No one knows about this,” Sass recalled why she took action. “I was sitting in the locker room and thinking of a more productive way to raise awareness about these things, because if no one knows about these struggles, no one can really help us. Because. “
After that, the idea for the advocacy art show “Behind the Front” was born.
Sas, a full-time architectural designer of trade at HLW NYC, used her artistic background to create a series of paintings and installations depicting women’s professional hockey inequality.
“I think it’s very important to publish both positive and negative experiences in order to move forward,” Sas said.
The painting highlights various events in Sas’s professional career. One painting named “Profund me Mask” features her profile with a blue and gray goalkeeper mask, the old team color, and the new team color red goalkeeper mask. Sas writes on her website This piece represents the length she had to go to replace the old goalkeeper mask after signing a new team. Her calm color evokes the shame she felt she had to help her fans get her new equipment on behalf of the league.
The painting titled “Champion Ring” is Sas’s favorite and she started the whole show. It was inspired by the championship she won at the Metropolitan Riveters in 2018. The ring is drawn on a red background and Sus likes the way it pops and the positive memories it represents.
“Last summer was when I started approaching the venue and I thought it was great to use the NHL platform,” Sas said about finding the right place to showcase her work. “Open the eyes of each NHL market or club to reality.”
The exhibition took place on January 30th at the Madison Square Garden Hulu Theater as part of the New York Rangers’ Girls Hockey Day. In February, the exhibits moved to the Novad Gallery in Jersey City, NJ and the CEPA Gallery in Buffalo, NY.
Seattle Kraken is currently hosting a show at the Kraken Community Iceplex from March 18th to 21st.
The installation work was the most responsive in the show. The “Ice Trough” installation features a livestock tank paired with hay. This represents a tank that her team had to buy to use as an ice bath.
“After reading the explanation, I just approach me and see the public reaction when I say,’Is this really a reality?'” Sas said. “I was really stunned because they didn’t know, and some people don’t even know that female professional hockey exists.”
Sass hopes Showcase will raise awareness of these experiences and gain personal and corporate support for women’s professional spots. 10% of all artwork sales from printed matter and digital auctions will go to the Women’s Sports Foundation, founded by Billie Jean King, until April 1.
Seattle is not the final destination for the “Behind the Front” art show tour. Upcoming dates and locations will be announced shortly..
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