Throughout this series, we’ve explored the lives of women as artists and trailblazers from an outside perspective, so for this last episode we are bringing you an inside look, hearing from two women who made the most recent contributions: Deborah Copenhaver Fellows, sculptor of the Barry Goldwater Statue added to the National Statuary Hall Collection in 2015, and Artis Lane, sculptor of the Sojourner Truth Bust unveiled in the Capitol Visitor Center in 2009. Similar to the women in the past, both artists share insights into finding inspiration, learning their craft, and overcoming obstacles they faced because of their gender and, in Artis Lane’s case, her race.

We are honored to include their stories, told in their own words.