Art, Women & Resistance : Santa Barbara Literary Festival

When the world attempts to silence women, art becomes both refuge and rebellion. In this compelling conversation, Lisa Barr, Erika Robuck, Piper Huguley, and Madeline Martin explore how women have used creativity—as artists, collectors, curators, and unsung heroes—to defy oppression and preserve culture.

Drawing from their acclaimed historical novels, these authors illuminate the real women who safeguarded masterpieces during wartime, challenged systems of exclusion, and carved space for themselves in worlds that sought to erase them. From hidden galleries to underground movements, their stories reveal how art can be an act of courage—and resistance.

Blending meticulous research with unforgettable storytelling, this panel examines the enduring power of creativity to protect truth, shape history, and inspire change. A stirring conversation about beauty, bravery, and the women who refused to disappear.

Lisa Barr is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of THE GODDESS OF WARSAW, WOMAN ON FIRE, THE UNBREAKABLES and the award-winning FUGITIVE COLORS. Lisa served as an editor for The Jerusalem Post, managing editor of Today's Chicago Woman, managing editor of Moment magazine, and as an editor/reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. Among the highlights of her career, Lisa covered the famous “handshake” between the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, the late PLO leader Yasser Arafat, and President Bill Clinton at the White House. Lisa has been featured on Good Morning America and Today for her work as an author and journalist. Woman On Fire and The Goddess of Warsaw have been optioned for film adaptation.

Erika Robuck is the national bestselling author of historical fiction including THE LAST TWELVE MILES, THE INVISIBLE WOMAN, and HEMINGWAY’S GIRL. Her articles have appeared in Writer Unboxed, Crime Reads, and Writer's Digest, and she has been named a Maryland Writer’s Association Notable Writer of 2024 and has won the Anne Arundel County Arts Council Literary Award for 2024.

Named in 2015 as a top ten historical romance novelist in Publisher's Weekly, Piper Huguley is the author of the Reconstruction era "Home to Milford College" series. She is a 2013 & 2014 Golden Heart finalist for two novels in the "Migrations of the Heart" series about the Bledsoe sisters and set in the early twentieth century.

Madeline Martin is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance with books translated into over twenty-five languages. She lives in sunny Florida with her husband (known as Mr. Awesome), two amazing daughters, and two very spoiled cats.

The Santa Barbara Literary Festival brings together readers and writers of every genre for a two day celebration of storytelling and inspiration. Engaging panels, enlightening workshops, pop-up events, and welcoming social gatherings, bring together established authors, emerging writers, and passionate readers in a uniquely intimate setting that fosters community centered around a shared love of the literary arts.

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