Lorena Elke: Crazy Cat Lady Collective
Canadian activist Lorena Elke received a CAF grant for the creation of a 2013 calendar, with photos by Jo-Anne McArthur, for the Crazy Cat Lady Collective, an artistic and provocative advocacy project created to help educate people about the plight of homeless and feral cats. The Collective writes:
Women in society who help cats are typically labeled “crazy” and are often ridiculed and condemned for their love, commitment, and special connection to cats. CCLC plans to interrupt this dominant discourse by reclaiming the age-old “crazy cat lady” stereotype and infusing it with a sassy, political, and compassionate message.
Although the calendar is now, obviously, out of date, Lorena Elke continues her work—partly as a researcher for CAF grantee Liz Marshall’s film The Ghosts In Our Machine, and by teaching patient-centered communication skills to healthcare professionals and students.