Press release / Ladies’ Liberty
LADY LIBERTY DOMINATES UNCLE SAM THIS 4TH OF JULY IN A PROVOCATIVE ART INITIATIVE RECLAIMING WOMEN’S INDEPENDENCE IN A POST-ROE v WADE ERA
This 4th of July, American artist Jessica Stahl spearheads a guerrilla campaign in which her community takes over the streets across the US. Supersized street arts portray Lady Liberty dominating a submissive Uncle Sam to challenge misogyny in a reality where even Roe v Wade can be overturned.

As America gets ready to celebrate its independence, one cartoonist and her community are championing people to continue the fight to reassert the independence of women during an assault on reproductive rights. Life-size cutouts of Lady Liberty dominating a submissive Uncle Sam, while he shouts ‘Freedom and Liberty for Women’s Bodies!’, will be on display in the streets of Brooklyn, Manhattan and Washington DC shortly after the official ruling on Roe v. Wade.
“In mere days, America will be celebrating its freedom. But what about the independence of Americans with a uterus? It’s a sick irony, considering our reproductive liberties were just stripped away”, says Jessica Stahl, the American artist and sexual empowerment advocate behind the taboo-breaking webtoon @vanillacooldance. “I want to send a message that we will not stop fighting and that Lady Liberty will dominate Uncle Sam in the end.”
The art is being rolled out on the vanillacooldance Instagram and in street takeovers in New York and Washington DC. Additional posters and stickers will be strewn across 25 major U.S. cities, made possible by volunteer fans of Stahl’s message.
This is not the first time Stahl has used this medium to make a provocative social commentary. “When you bring your art directly to the people you spark curiosity in a unique and approachable way. I have had fascinating conversations as a result. It’s really powerful”, says Stahl. Earlier this year she launched a project in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, around an artwork depicting the Dutch King and Queen in a compromising position to highlight inequalities in the bedroom between men and women, a subject few openly discuss. “I was blown away by the response and how it spread throughout the city, with people of all genders lining up to take photos with the street art, wearing the stickers on their clothing to use as conversation starters and even ripping the posters from the wall to bring home with them. All spreading the message to close the orgasm gap.”
For this project, Stahl calls on everyone to take action for ‘Ladies’ Liberty’, and in doing so, keep the fight alive. Each poster and sticker has a QR code leading to a website where visitors can learn more about the intention of the artwork, and take concrete action: by printing the protest poster, donating to the National Network of Abortion Funds or purchasing the art with 40% of proceeds going to Planned Parenthood.
“We all feel overwhelmed at the moment, and people are searching for ways to take action. It was important for me to co-create this project together with my community and to give them an outlet to add to the demonstrations currently happening across the country, with an artwork that empowers us and sends a strong message”, says Stahl.

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This initiative is supported by Long Island based Sea Change Holistic Wellness Center. Founded by Heather Simonson, voted Best of Long Island Sex Therapist. The Center is on a mission is to provide open, honest and sex-positive health education and therapy that addresses the unique needs of the whole person, family, and community.
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About the artist:
Jessica Stahl is an American cartoonist, creative director and sexual empowerment advocate living in The Netherlands. With her alter ego webtoon @vanillacooldance, she creates a world where insecurities about sex, romantic relationships and the human body don’t exist, because we can openly talk about them - with lots of laughs while doing so.
Vanillacooldance represents the confident, shameless part in all of us. With over 1000 comics and counting, she draws inspiration from her creator’s life, and also from the hundreds of submissions she receives weekly from the growing global Cool Dancer community of 43k+ engaged followers.
Over the years Stahl has created many viral moments, including most recently a guerrilla campaign featuring the King and Queen of the Netherlands caught in a compromising position, to highlight the orgasm gap.
Download the media kit with more images: Media Kit
Contact for more information or an interview: jessica@vanillacooldance.com
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