Amanda Dunbar

I had the privilege of finally seeing the last night. I was blown away by many of the subtle (and some not-so-subtle) battle cries for self-empowerment, self-confidence, self-discovery and acceptance, of equality and consideration of the Other, while also underscoring some of the complex issues that face being a woman in this day and age. This movie was able to dazzle with the visuals that define the brand, while also managing to explore some very poignant philosophical issues. As an artist, art historian, and philosopher, I was pleasantly surprised at the care the writers took to nod to such thinkers as Proust and Nietzsche.

This, for me, was a movie that in many ways reinvigorated the excitement I felt when approach by many years ago to be part of their project which sought to introduce younger children to the world of creating art with the goal of empowerment through creativity. I was asked to “loan” my art to Barbie in that movie, as well as to be a featured part of a documentary produced along with the main movie. (If you missed it, you can still find it on YouTube these days!) As a young artist myself at the time, I was absolutely honored and humbled to be chosen as a voice to guide the burgeoning artist in those children. I never imagined it would take on the life it did. To this day I receive messages of thanks from people all over the world who were inspired by those projects. In honor of Barbie and the message conveyed through this new movie, and as both a former and participant, head on over to my website and grab a copy of my book “Guided by Angels,” that features many of the paintings seen in the documentary!

If you are local, come check out the show I have curated for the UTD with selections of contemporary photos from the Comer Collection.