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Can you make hair for me? A Virtual Exhibit

A collaborative exhibit with artist and Lesley MFA student Eileen Powers and Expressive Arts Therapy graduate students.

The Power of Art to Help Others

After finding out she had cancer, artist and MFA in Visual Arts student Eileen Powers looked to her artwork as a way of helping others. She decided to create "Can you make hair for me?", a collaborative photographic art project designed to bring joy and levity to those undergoing chemotherapy and other cancer treatments.

"I invited artists, friends, and supporters to find ways to make hair for me that I could then photograph and share. The goal is to show that loss is real, but our ingenuity in dealing with loss is what makes us stronger, more compassionate humans," she says.

Photo of Eileen Powers wearing a brushed bronze cap with a garland of fake Lavender, Eucalyptus, Yellow and Purple Flowers, as well as other green across the front of the cap and hanging down each side of Eileen's face. Eileen clutches the garlands against her chest and looks at the viewer.
Parsley Sage, 2020; Hair: Kaeleigh De Silva, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers

In this collaborative virtual exhibit, Eileen Powers staged and photographed hair and headpieces that students in our Expressive Arts Therapy master's degree program created in a course with professor Ara Parker.

Eileen Powers Welcomes You to the Exhibit

We encourage you to explore and engage with the artwork through the virtual galleries, and Eileen's video welcoming viewers and discussing her work.

-Dr. Ara Parker, Core Faculty; Eileen Powers, Artist, MFA Visual Arts Student; and Isabelle Olsson, Curator

In this first gallery, view photographs of hair and headpieces that were created by Lesley graduate students in our Expressive Arts Therapy program.

 

Launch Gallery
Gallery: Eileen Powers & Lesley Students : Eileen Powers stages and directs photographs using the wigs and headpieces that were created by Lesley’s Expressive Therapies graduates students.
Photo of Eileen powers looking right aimed at the viewer, she is wearing a top made from yellow and white dish towels. She is also wearing yellow rubber dish gloves and scrubbing a plate with a blue soapy dish brush. Her wig is made from cascading yellow rubber dish gloves in some areas, with chunks of green and yellow sponges towards the back, and silver scrubbing pads along the front.
Slide 1 of 11
Shower cap, steel wool, rubber glove and sponge hair: Wendy Chambers Brown, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Ms. Dishy/Ms. Clean, 2020
A photo of Eileen Powers dressed in a red long sleeve shirt with a red and white polka dot camisole. She is facing the camera with her head tilted, putting a sour rope strand into her mouth with her right hand. Her wig is made from red sour rope candies with a few strands of green, yellow, and orange sour rope candies. The wig has bangs with a headband made out of rainbow swirled lollipops.
Slide 2 of 11
Candy confection hair: Wendy Chambers Brown, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Janie Campbell/Suzy McSourlace, 2020
Photo of Eileen Powers wearing a white tank top, twisting and extending her arms towards the viewer holding a rainbow swirled lollipop. She is smiling and wearing a bob-length wig made of layered paint swatches in a rainbow of colors.
Slide 3 of 11
Hair: Sophie McLaughlin, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Dutch Girl/Rockin’ Rainbow, 2020
Photo of Eileen Powers facing towards and looking left wearing a bright green plastic bag as a top. She has a short headpiece on made of moss with a line of purple petals across with a line of light green leafs hanging down a bit. In each of Eileen's ear is a small straw carrot.
Slide 4 of 11
Hair: Miranda Sass, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Primavera, 2020
Photo of Eileen Powers facing to the left but looking to the right, holding a tilted headpiece on her head. The headpiece is an oval white shape, with white fabric and lace coming out on top and to the the left side. There are white daisies, yellow petals, and orange petals affixed to the top as well. Long irridescent white strands of easter grass plastic hang down on each side as hair. Eileen wears a patterned long sleeved black and white dress.
Slide 5 of 11
Fabric, lace and tulip hair: Kayla Frazer, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Auntie M./Preserved Sunrise, 2020
Photo of Eileen Powers wearing a brushed bronze cap with a garland of fake Lavender, Eucalyptus, Yellow and Purple Flowers, as well as other green across the front of the cap and hanging down each side of Eileen's face. Eileen clutches the garlands against her chest and looks at the viewer.
Slide 6 of 11
Hair: Kaeleigh De Silva, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Parsley Sage, 2020
Photo of Eileen Powers holding a wrench in her left hand raised, hunched forward and looking to the right. Wearing a beanie, a navy sweatshirt with the hood pulled up, and a red, white, and blue flannel shirt. Eileen is wearing a voluminous beard and mustache made out of yellow gold tissue strands.
Slide 7 of 11
Hair: Kaeleigh De Silva, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Mr. MacKenna, 2020
Image of Eileen Powers looking and facing to the right holding a bag and sunglasses with both hands. She is dressed in a navy blue jacket with a popped collar. She has a short wig sticking straight up made of golden yellow tissue strings.
Slide 8 of 11
Hair: Kaeleigh De Silva, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Taxi Girl, 2020
A photo of Eileen Powers faced to the left but looking to the viewer. She is wearing a long and layered headpiece with white lace on the top, cascading into light purple mesh with a purple ribbon trim over her face, and clear plastic coming down to each side of her chest.
Slide 9 of 11
Hair: Ara Parker, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Ms. Frida, 2020
Photograph of Eileen Powers facing forward at the viewer from the waist up. She is wearing a headpiece made from large brown leaves and moss. She has on dark eye makeup and lipstick, she is clothed in a Target paper bag as a strapless dress.
Slide 10 of 11
Hair: Ara Parker, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Hunting Season, 2020
Photograph of Eileen Powers wearing a wig of black straw material to look like hair with lime green roots. She is looking down to the left and zipping up a grey sweatshirt.
Slide 11 of 11
Hair: Ara Parker, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Stylish Billie Eilish, 2020
Photo of Eileen powers looking right aimed at the viewer, she is wearing a top made from yellow and white dish towels. She is also wearing yellow rubber dish gloves and scrubbing a plate with a blue soapy dish brush. Her wig is made from cascading yellow rubber dish gloves in some areas, with chunks of green and yellow sponges towards the back, and silver scrubbing pads along the front.
Slide 1 of 11
Shower cap, steel wool, rubber glove and sponge hair: Wendy Chambers Brown, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Ms. Dishy/Ms. Clean, 2020
A photo of Eileen Powers dressed in a red long sleeve shirt with a red and white polka dot camisole. She is facing the camera with her head tilted, putting a sour rope strand into her mouth with her right hand. Her wig is made from red sour rope candies with a few strands of green, yellow, and orange sour rope candies. The wig has bangs with a headband made out of rainbow swirled lollipops.
Slide 2 of 11
Candy confection hair: Wendy Chambers Brown, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Janie Campbell/Suzy McSourlace, 2020
Photo of Eileen Powers wearing a white tank top, twisting and extending her arms towards the viewer holding a rainbow swirled lollipop. She is smiling and wearing a bob-length wig made of layered paint swatches in a rainbow of colors.
Slide 3 of 11
Hair: Sophie McLaughlin, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Dutch Girl/Rockin’ Rainbow, 2020
Photo of Eileen Powers facing towards and looking left wearing a bright green plastic bag as a top. She has a short headpiece on made of moss with a line of purple petals across with a line of light green leafs hanging down a bit. In each of Eileen's ear is a small straw carrot.
Slide 4 of 11
Hair: Miranda Sass, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Primavera, 2020
Photo of Eileen Powers facing to the left but looking to the right, holding a tilted headpiece on her head. The headpiece is an oval white shape, with white fabric and lace coming out on top and to the the left side. There are white daisies, yellow petals, and orange petals affixed to the top as well. Long irridescent white strands of easter grass plastic hang down on each side as hair. Eileen wears a patterned long sleeved black and white dress.
Slide 5 of 11
Fabric, lace and tulip hair: Kayla Frazer, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Auntie M./Preserved Sunrise, 2020
Photo of Eileen Powers wearing a brushed bronze cap with a garland of fake Lavender, Eucalyptus, Yellow and Purple Flowers, as well as other green across the front of the cap and hanging down each side of Eileen's face. Eileen clutches the garlands against her chest and looks at the viewer.
Slide 6 of 11
Hair: Kaeleigh De Silva, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Parsley Sage, 2020
Photo of Eileen Powers holding a wrench in her left hand raised, hunched forward and looking to the right. Wearing a beanie, a navy sweatshirt with the hood pulled up, and a red, white, and blue flannel shirt. Eileen is wearing a voluminous beard and mustache made out of yellow gold tissue strands.
Slide 7 of 11
Hair: Kaeleigh De Silva, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Mr. MacKenna, 2020
Image of Eileen Powers looking and facing to the right holding a bag and sunglasses with both hands. She is dressed in a navy blue jacket with a popped collar. She has a short wig sticking straight up made of golden yellow tissue strings.
Slide 8 of 11
Hair: Kaeleigh De Silva, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Taxi Girl, 2020
A photo of Eileen Powers faced to the left but looking to the viewer. She is wearing a long and layered headpiece with white lace on the top, cascading into light purple mesh with a purple ribbon trim over her face, and clear plastic coming down to each side of her chest.
Slide 9 of 11
Hair: Ara Parker, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Ms. Frida, 2020
Photograph of Eileen Powers facing forward at the viewer from the waist up. She is wearing a headpiece made from large brown leaves and moss. She has on dark eye makeup and lipstick, she is clothed in a Target paper bag as a strapless dress.
Slide 10 of 11
Hair: Ara Parker, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Hunting Season, 2020
Photograph of Eileen Powers wearing a wig of black straw material to look like hair with lime green roots. She is looking down to the left and zipping up a grey sweatshirt.
Slide 11 of 11
Hair: Ara Parker, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Stylish Billie Eilish, 2020

In this second gallery, view photographs of artwork that was created by other project collaborators.

 

Launch Gallery
Gallery: Eileen Powers & Collaborators : Photographs of Eileen Powers wearing hair pieces from various collaborators.
In this photo Eileen Powers in the right side of the image leaning forward looking left with her lips pursed chewing a piece of lettuce salad she is bringing towards her mouth with a fork. In the other hand she holds a red plate full of lettuce. She is wearing a red and white gingham collared shirt with a bright green cardigan over. She has her eyebrows raised and red lipstick on. Her wig is a bob made from large pieces of green lettuce with bangs and a hot pink hair clip pinned on each side.
Slide 1 of 17
Hair: Patty Dobbins, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Monovore, 2019
In this knee up portrait of Eileen Powers she is positioned to the left of the frame looking down holding her left arm up with an open hand. She is wearing shiny black cargo style pants with a matching belt and black tank top. She has on a multicolored thin beaded necklace, with three turquoise beaded bracelets on her raised hands. Her headpiece is a bright orange pillbox style cap fit snug with long orange plastic strings jutting out from every angle, some forming loops and swooping in front of her face.
Slide 2 of 17
Hair: Steve Hall, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Orangina, 2019
In the side profile photo of Eileen Powers her body is facing the viewer with her head entirely turned to the right. She is covered in a metallic copper body paint. Her wig is made from larger copper parts at the front transitioning into long skinny copper wires that form a slicked back pony tail secured at the base of EIleen's neck.
Slide 3 of 17
Copper hair: Stanley Atwood, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Metal Head, 2019
A photo of Eileen Powers moving towards the right holding a film camera up pressing the shutter, the camera is on a black lanyard around her neck.. She is smiling widely wearing pink lipstick and white sunglasses. She has on a 60s style light pink dress with a printed belt at the midsection. She has a flippy styles should length wig made from brown film strips with bangs. She is wearing a deep pink, blue, and cream color printed beret.
Slide 4 of 17
Hair: Maggie Yonce, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Shutterbug, 2019
A photo of Eileen Powers facing the viewer looking towards the right. She is wearing a multicolored floral print long sleeve dress, she also has on hot pink leopard print glasses with hot pink lipstick to match. She has on a long wig made of bike tubes complete with inflation nozzles. She has a thin blue and purple headband with the hair. She is looking stumped biting her lips.
Slide 5 of 17
Bike tube hair: Stephanie Soares, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Ms. Unphotogenic, 2020
In this photo of Eileen Powers she facing and looking right at the viewer with her hands at her side towards her back. She is covered in frosting on her chest, neck, and face. On her chest candles in rainbow colors spell out "happy birthday". She is wearing a short but puffy wig made of iridescent white holiday tinsel.
Slide 6 of 17
Tinsel hair: Shelly Phillips, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Birthday Girl, 2020
Photo of Eileen Powers facing and looking directly at the viewer, wearing a judges robe with a short white crocheted scarf with an American flag pin. She is wearing short black grey hair made from yarn slicked back. She also has on glasses and green flower shaped earrings with pink lipstick.
Slide 7 of 17
Yarn hair: Eileen Powers, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Notorious RBG, 2020
A photo of Eileen Powers towards the left of the frame leaning in with her head tilted as she stares into the distance in a moody way. She is wearing a navy and red striped sweater with a medium length fringey wig with long bangs made from different color rubber bands.
Slide 8 of 17
Rubber band and hair coloring cap hair: Rosie Austin, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Come as you are, 2020
In this photo of Eileen Powers she is facing left waving happily smiling and clutching a bouquet in the style of a newly crowned beauty queen. She is wearing a white dress with a white and gold sash that read "miss lymphoma". Her hair is quite long comprised of rainbow hair extensions at the tops with many small flags from different countries at the bottom. She has a silver crown on top.
Slide 9 of 17
Hair: Kim Kenyon, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Ms. Lymphoma, 2020
In this photo of Eileen Powers with arms crossed looking to the right scowling. She is wearing a black and neutral colored argyle sweater vest. She has on large vintage style glasses and is holding car keys in her hand. She has a short wig made of a a variety of plastic raw meats. She has a long plastic raw bacon earring in each ear. Her neutral pink lipstick matches the colors of the meats.
Slide 10 of 17
Plastic meat hair: James Hannaham, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Ms. MacGillicuddy, 2020
In this photo of Eileen Powers her body and face is painted a metallic silver, while she wears a blue tube top. Her body is angled left while she turning her head looking straight at the viewer. She has a long voluminous wig made from instrument strings that are silver and bronze. The hairs come out of a silver mesh base.
Slide 11 of 17
Guitar, banjo, and bass string hair: Gretchen Bush & Mark Rosenthal, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Glam Rocker Git Low, 2019
A photo of Eileen Powers wearing a grey short sleeve tshirt and lobster printed blue shorts.  She is hunched forward with her arms hanging down, she is squinting at the camera. She has short black stylized hair made from shiny black electrical tape. She also has a mustache, soul patch, and long sideburns that connect into a beard.
Slide 12 of 17
Electrical tape hair: Eileen Powers, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Mr. Lobster Shorts, 2020
A Photo of Eileen Powers wearing a blue batik long sleeve button up, with jeans and round blue 60s style sunglasses. She is sitting facing the left holding and playing an acoustic guitar while singing. She has medium length blonde wig made from straw packing material with an accompanying mustache and beard.
Slide 13 of 17
Packing material hair: Tom Yonce, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Sturgell Montgomery Taylor Crosby, 2019
Photo of Eileen Powers looking to the right with her eyes raise and eyebrow raised. She is holding her left hand up with red nail polish on her fingers while filing them with the other hand. She has on a blue and white striped tube top, her bright red lipstick matches her nails. Her wig is a short wig made from cotton balls in the style of a powdered wig. At the top of the wig little white beaded strings are bursting out straight up.
Slide 14 of 17
Cotton ball hair: Eileen Powers, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
What does Dolley Madison do on the Fourth of July?, 2020
A photo of Eileen Powers looking up and to the left hunched forward. She is taking notes with a marker on a lined notepad. She has on a colorful black, white, and red circle print dress with a layered beaded necklace. She has on glasses with her lips pursed. Her hair is a short white wig made of ticker tape that repetitively spells hair over and over again in different fonts.
Slide 15 of 17
Ticker tape hair: Elizabeth Yonce, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Sassy Secretary, 2019
Photo of Eileen powers looking right with her left hand on her hip. In her right hand is a red pair of sunglasses. She is in a black dress with a black scarf around her neck with brightly colored large polka dots. Her hair is a flippy black wig with bangs that is shoulder length and made of black car mats. The wig features a thin pink headband.
Slide 16 of 17
Car mat hair: Eileen Powers, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Ms. Thing, 2019
Photo of Eileen Powers staring at the camera with her hat tilted to the left. She is covering her chest with large ferns leafs that also cover the bottom half of her face and nose. Her eyes are fixed on the viewer with a tilted eyebrow. Her hair piece is a short but voluminous piece made from light colored mosses, yellow thistles, dried brown leaves, and pinecones.
Slide 17 of 17
Botanical hair: Alison Girard, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Flora Birch, 2019
In this photo Eileen Powers in the right side of the image leaning forward looking left with her lips pursed chewing a piece of lettuce salad she is bringing towards her mouth with a fork. In the other hand she holds a red plate full of lettuce. She is wearing a red and white gingham collared shirt with a bright green cardigan over. She has her eyebrows raised and red lipstick on. Her wig is a bob made from large pieces of green lettuce with bangs and a hot pink hair clip pinned on each side.
Slide 1 of 17
Hair: Patty Dobbins, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Monovore, 2019
In this knee up portrait of Eileen Powers she is positioned to the left of the frame looking down holding her left arm up with an open hand. She is wearing shiny black cargo style pants with a matching belt and black tank top. She has on a multicolored thin beaded necklace, with three turquoise beaded bracelets on her raised hands. Her headpiece is a bright orange pillbox style cap fit snug with long orange plastic strings jutting out from every angle, some forming loops and swooping in front of her face.
Slide 2 of 17
Hair: Steve Hall, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Orangina, 2019
In the side profile photo of Eileen Powers her body is facing the viewer with her head entirely turned to the right. She is covered in a metallic copper body paint. Her wig is made from larger copper parts at the front transitioning into long skinny copper wires that form a slicked back pony tail secured at the base of EIleen's neck.
Slide 3 of 17
Copper hair: Stanley Atwood, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Metal Head, 2019
A photo of Eileen Powers moving towards the right holding a film camera up pressing the shutter, the camera is on a black lanyard around her neck.. She is smiling widely wearing pink lipstick and white sunglasses. She has on a 60s style light pink dress with a printed belt at the midsection. She has a flippy styles should length wig made from brown film strips with bangs. She is wearing a deep pink, blue, and cream color printed beret.
Slide 4 of 17
Hair: Maggie Yonce, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Shutterbug, 2019
A photo of Eileen Powers facing the viewer looking towards the right. She is wearing a multicolored floral print long sleeve dress, she also has on hot pink leopard print glasses with hot pink lipstick to match. She has on a long wig made of bike tubes complete with inflation nozzles. She has a thin blue and purple headband with the hair. She is looking stumped biting her lips.
Slide 5 of 17
Bike tube hair: Stephanie Soares, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Ms. Unphotogenic, 2020
In this photo of Eileen Powers she facing and looking right at the viewer with her hands at her side towards her back. She is covered in frosting on her chest, neck, and face. On her chest candles in rainbow colors spell out "happy birthday". She is wearing a short but puffy wig made of iridescent white holiday tinsel.
Slide 6 of 17
Tinsel hair: Shelly Phillips, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Birthday Girl, 2020
Photo of Eileen Powers facing and looking directly at the viewer, wearing a judges robe with a short white crocheted scarf with an American flag pin. She is wearing short black grey hair made from yarn slicked back. She also has on glasses and green flower shaped earrings with pink lipstick.
Slide 7 of 17
Yarn hair: Eileen Powers, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Notorious RBG, 2020
A photo of Eileen Powers towards the left of the frame leaning in with her head tilted as she stares into the distance in a moody way. She is wearing a navy and red striped sweater with a medium length fringey wig with long bangs made from different color rubber bands.
Slide 8 of 17
Rubber band and hair coloring cap hair: Rosie Austin, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Come as you are, 2020
In this photo of Eileen Powers she is facing left waving happily smiling and clutching a bouquet in the style of a newly crowned beauty queen. She is wearing a white dress with a white and gold sash that read "miss lymphoma". Her hair is quite long comprised of rainbow hair extensions at the tops with many small flags from different countries at the bottom. She has a silver crown on top.
Slide 9 of 17
Hair: Kim Kenyon, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Ms. Lymphoma, 2020
In this photo of Eileen Powers with arms crossed looking to the right scowling. She is wearing a black and neutral colored argyle sweater vest. She has on large vintage style glasses and is holding car keys in her hand. She has a short wig made of a a variety of plastic raw meats. She has a long plastic raw bacon earring in each ear. Her neutral pink lipstick matches the colors of the meats.
Slide 10 of 17
Plastic meat hair: James Hannaham, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Ms. MacGillicuddy, 2020
In this photo of Eileen Powers her body and face is painted a metallic silver, while she wears a blue tube top. Her body is angled left while she turning her head looking straight at the viewer. She has a long voluminous wig made from instrument strings that are silver and bronze. The hairs come out of a silver mesh base.
Slide 11 of 17
Guitar, banjo, and bass string hair: Gretchen Bush & Mark Rosenthal, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Glam Rocker Git Low, 2019
A photo of Eileen Powers wearing a grey short sleeve tshirt and lobster printed blue shorts.  She is hunched forward with her arms hanging down, she is squinting at the camera. She has short black stylized hair made from shiny black electrical tape. She also has a mustache, soul patch, and long sideburns that connect into a beard.
Slide 12 of 17
Electrical tape hair: Eileen Powers, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Mr. Lobster Shorts, 2020
A Photo of Eileen Powers wearing a blue batik long sleeve button up, with jeans and round blue 60s style sunglasses. She is sitting facing the left holding and playing an acoustic guitar while singing. She has medium length blonde wig made from straw packing material with an accompanying mustache and beard.
Slide 13 of 17
Packing material hair: Tom Yonce, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Sturgell Montgomery Taylor Crosby, 2019
Photo of Eileen Powers looking to the right with her eyes raise and eyebrow raised. She is holding her left hand up with red nail polish on her fingers while filing them with the other hand. She has on a blue and white striped tube top, her bright red lipstick matches her nails. Her wig is a short wig made from cotton balls in the style of a powdered wig. At the top of the wig little white beaded strings are bursting out straight up.
Slide 14 of 17
Cotton ball hair: Eileen Powers, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
What does Dolley Madison do on the Fourth of July?, 2020
A photo of Eileen Powers looking up and to the left hunched forward. She is taking notes with a marker on a lined notepad. She has on a colorful black, white, and red circle print dress with a layered beaded necklace. She has on glasses with her lips pursed. Her hair is a short white wig made of ticker tape that repetitively spells hair over and over again in different fonts.
Slide 15 of 17
Ticker tape hair: Elizabeth Yonce, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Sassy Secretary, 2019
Photo of Eileen powers looking right with her left hand on her hip. In her right hand is a red pair of sunglasses. She is in a black dress with a black scarf around her neck with brightly colored large polka dots. Her hair is a flippy black wig with bangs that is shoulder length and made of black car mats. The wig features a thin pink headband.
Slide 16 of 17
Car mat hair: Eileen Powers, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Ms. Thing, 2019
Photo of Eileen Powers staring at the camera with her hat tilted to the left. She is covering her chest with large ferns leafs that also cover the bottom half of her face and nose. Her eyes are fixed on the viewer with a tilted eyebrow. Her hair piece is a short but voluminous piece made from light colored mosses, yellow thistles, dried brown leaves, and pinecones.
Slide 17 of 17
Botanical hair: Alison Girard, Photography: Tom Yonce, Styling and art direction: Eileen Powers
Flora Birch, 2019

Faculty and Artist Statements

Read statements by expressive therapies professor Ara Parker and artist Eileen Powers.

  • Faculty Statement: Ara Parker

    I first read about photographer/MFA student Eileen Powers and her art project, "Can you make hair for me?",  through Lesley University’s social media last fall. Some prints from Powers’ evolving portrait series had been exhibited at Mass General Hospital’s Cancer Center and her project was garnering some local television news media attention.

    The images were captivating. Her Facebook page explained:

    After finding out I had cancer and learning that I would need chemotherapy, I became stuck creatively…I didn’t recognize myself anymore. It took weeks before I could view my bald head in the mirror. But once I did, I began trying to think of positive ways I could help other people through my art. I decided to create "Can you make hair for me?" and invite artists, friends, and supporters to find ways to make hair for me that I could then photograph and share. The goal is to show that loss is real, but our ingenuity in dealing with loss is what makes us stronger, more compassionate humans.

    I would like to have 100 people participate in this project via real materials or digital art...I would like this to become a joyful, collaborative project that I can share with others who have cancer and give them a moment of happiness in what can be a very long, soul-testing treatment.

    I was immediately enchanted. Eileen Powers was transitioning from portrait photographer to subject/ portraitist through this project, creating a community-based arts and health project as she went.

    Photography has a unique ability and potential to transform perception for both the artist and the viewer. It plays with inner vision and outer representations. Its capacity to portray diverse realities takes form through the medium’s magical and transformative alchemical processes. Portrait photography is a tremendous vehicle for character study, observation, self-examination, relationship, and reflection. These are all aspects of our work as expressive arts therapists. I knew with my upcoming spring term Expressive Arts Therapy graduate studio course, that my students would find Eileen Power’s art and story inspiring.

    Eileen came to our class on February 16, 2020 to present her work and this project. She extended the invitation to my students to participate. What you see in this exhibit is the response of several students and the instructor to that invitation on display, alongside Powers’ series to date. We had intended to exhibit this work on campus, in our pre-Covid-19 planning when, at the time, collaboratives had created more than 60 pieces for "Can you make hair for me?"

    Isn’t it amazing what an invitation to make art can yield in terms of creativity, community engagement, and the generation of healing life forces? By the time we rescheduled and prepared for the exhibition to go virtual for October 2020, her goal of 100 hair and headpieces had just about been met!

    There is such tremendous potential for healing through the arts. There is strong intersectionality, both in theory and applied practice, between expressive arts therapy and artistic practice. This collaboration between these students in our Fine Arts and Expressive Therapies schools at Lesley University is evidence of that.

    - Dr. Ara Parker, Core Faculty, Expressive Arts Therapy, Graduate School of Arts & Social Sciences, Lesley University

    For more information: @canyoumakehairforme on Instagram and Facebook. 

  • Artist Statement: Eileen Powers

    In 2018, the Friday before Labor Day weekend I got a phone call. It was my doctor. He told me I had an aggressive form of cancer: lymphoma. During the next year and half I received a stem cell transplant, abdominal surgery, immunotherapy, and 11 rounds of chemotherapy. As a result, I lost my hair, and my identity. I had to learn to build a new version of myself. During treatment I created a collaborative art project called "Can you make hair for me?" to address both the physical loss of hair and the psychological loss of sense of self. I invited people to make hair for me which I styled and photographed into a series of colorful and humorous self portraits: alternate selves. I taught my partner Tom how to use the camera and invited hair makers to join in the photoshoots.

    The project mimics the cancer treatment process in which the patient gives over control of their wellbeing to a team of medical professionals. In "Can you make hair for me?" I give control of the hair-making process to collaborators and then regain that control through the interpretation and composition of final work.

    The project is intended to be a catalyst for the artistic expression and activity of others. Through collaboration and communication the project creates a community around making and problem solving; shifting the focus away from illness but still acknowledging it. My goal is to show that loss is real, but it’s our ingenuity in dealing with that loss that makes us stronger more compassionate human beings.

    The graphic style of the project is inspired by immediacy of stock art, fashion, and publicity photos in combination with print advertisements of the 60s and 70s. I use the serial concept of the ad campaign to counter cancer colloquialisms, militaristic metaphors and warrioristic language. The project uses forms of commercial art to create an alternative view of cancer by subverting the idea of hair loss into an opportunity for renewal.

     

  • Learn More About the Artist

    To learn more about Eileen Powers and her project "Can you make hair for me?" check out her work in the following locations:

    Can you make hair for me? on Facebook

    Can you make hair for me? on Instagram

    Can you make hair for me? on the web

    Eileen Powers Photography on the web

Photo of Eileen powers looking right aimed at the viewer, she is wearing a top made from yellow and white dish towels. She is also wearing yellow rubber dish gloves and scrubbing a plate with a blue soapy dish brush. Her wig is made from cascading yellow rubber dish gloves in some areas, with chunks of green and yellow sponges towards the back, and silver scrubbing pads along the front.
Ms. Dishy/Ms. Clean, 2020; Wig by Wendy Chambers Brown, Staging and Artistic Direction by Eileen Powers, Photography by Tom Yonce

Student Artist Statements

Read statements by expressive therapies students as they reflect on the headpieces they created for Eileen Powers. 

  • Wendy Chambers Brown

    Suzy McSourlace, 2020

    As seen in the photograph "Janie Campbell/Suzy McSourlace"

    Sour Licorice Laces, Haribo Sour Streamers, Lollipops, and Fleece Toque

    Eileen has a gift of communicating her journey and allowing people to contribute to the conversation in a healing way. I have had both family and friends affected by cancer and always felt so helpless. Eileen’s campaign was such a gift to others, allowing for creativity, fun, and personal processing.  I welcomed the opportunity to have fun while considering the weighty implications of a cancer diagnosis.  Eileen is an inspiration as a person and an artist.

    Ms. Clean, 2020

    As seen in the photograph "Ms. Dishy/Ms. Clean"

    Shower cap, rubber gloves, and Scotch sponges

    When sharing my “creative homework” with a friend, she quickly shared an inspiration she had seen on RuPaul’s Drag Race show; a dress made from kitchen sponges.  The beauty of this project is the sharing of ideas and creative conversations around how to make something bloom out of a scary diagnosis.  I believe it allowed myself and others to express the continuum of feelings that a diagnosis or crisis brings out in all humans.

  • Kaeleigh De Silva

    GeneSis, 2020

    As seen in the photographs "Taxi Girl", "Mr. MacKenna", and "Parsley Sage"

    Black knight helmet/casque, paper tassel garland, flower garland, hot glue/gun

    Holding onto Eileen’s presentation on deconstructing narratives around the “warrior battling cancer”, I played around with a dark knight helmet to illuminate a previous concept I have explored about re-imaging de-formation as re-formation. The piece takes on a new life and is fluid as both a beard and headpiece alongside a bowl of blossoming life that represents creation in the face of destruction.

     

     

  • Kayla Frazer

    Preserved Sunrise, 2020

    As seen in the photograph "Auntie M./Preserved Sunrise" 

    Hot glue, lace fabric, artificial tulips, round doilies, Silk material, wired styrofoam hoop

    I was inspired by the presentation of Eileen Powers and her work that she does with art and photography. When looking at the art materials provided, I was inspired by the warm colors that the artificial tulips had. I also am fascinated with the clear lace material and how it can preserve colors and elements.

  • Sophie McLaughlin 

    Rockin’ Rainbow, 2020

    As seen in the photograph "Dutch Girl/Rockin’ Rainbow"

    Paint chips, masking tape, shower cap

    I was so inspired by Powers’ playful approach to her work and decided to contribute a piece that matched that energy. My media choice, free paint chips from the hardware store, was inspired by Eileen’s love for bright colors. 

  • Miranda Sass

    Earth Goddess, 2020

    As seen in the photograph "Primavera"

    Reindeer moss, fake flowers, baseball cap, and assorted beads

    I was very moved by Eileen’s story behind 'Can You Make Hair For Me?' and felt very compelled to contribute to such a powerful and creative project. A big inspiration was my aunt, who is undergoing chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer. I wanted to make a headpiece in her honor that represents everything I wish for her in the future. Hope, beauty, and strength are represented by nature-influenced materials, transforming a baseball cap into the mossy hair and crown of an earth goddess.

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