WHYY-TV Program Features Extraordinary Women from the Philadelphia Area book.

In 2013 Lesley Mitchell was invited by Melissa Tevere, the art editor of Philadelphia Stories, to make a piece inspired by Marian Anderson the opera singer. The result was her painting Marian Anderson of Philadelphia, which was included in the book Extraordinary Gifts: Remarkable Women of the Delaware Valley, published by Philadelphia Stories the following year.

Mitchell says "In researching Marian Anderson's life in preparation for my painting I was struck all over again by her talent and artistry, but more than that by her sheer dogged refusal to let the negativity around her shake her confidence or spoil her dream. I found her story extremely inspriring and completed a companion piece to the one in the book, called Marian Anderson in Concert"

All of the original artwork was exhibited last fall at the Cheltenham Art Center

The book includes writings about and artwork inspired by a range of famous and lesser known women, ground breakers all, with a connection to our region, including Louisa May Alcott, Mary Cassat, Margaret Mead, and many more. Several dozen visual artists and writers contributed work to this book.

The WHYY segment airs Friday, March 6 at 8:30 pm and again on Sunday, March 8 at 11:30 am

Philadelphia Stories conceived of, edited, and published the book.