Rebecca (Bexx) Ferri - Strong back; Soft front: A portrait series
to
Three Sisters Gallery 700 Railway Avenue (2nd level Elevation Place), Canmore, Alberta T1W 1R4

Rebecca Ferri, "Strong back; Soft front: A Portrait Series," 2019
With her combined passion for art and climbing, Rebecca (Bexx) Ferri approached thirty-one local women ages nine to seventy, all of whom are part of the climbing community, to participate in this portrait series. The aim of this series is to unveil some of our inspiring local women. Through these black and white portraits and their biographies, we discover why climbing is an integral part of their life.
The name for this project was influenced by Brené Brown's book, Braving the Wilderness. In her book, Brown writes about doing what you love, pushing forward, being vulnerable and having the courage to live the life you want. In their everyday actions, in their words, and in their climbing, the women in this portrait series have inspired Ferri to be strong, confident, courageous, vulnerable and dedicated. We all show our strength by putting ourselves out there, day-to-day, in all of our activities with confidence, bravery and determination, yet we are open to being vulnerable, empathetic and compassionately soft with ourselves and others.