From 1917-1953 Laura Pope Forester created an outsider artist environment that potentially is the oldest known in the nation. That accomplishment is significant, as is her motivation for most of her art. Her passion was to recognize strong women and to bring awareness of the value women bring to America. Before her death she had 200 statues and dozens of murals. Statues of women such as Cleopatra, England's Queen Mother, Red Cross nurses of World War I, and dozens of others showcase character traits such as leadership , servanthood, and self-sacrifice historically demonstrated by these women. Even the balcony, made out of sewing machines, was Forester's statement that a woman has more value than the limited opportunities that textile mills offered women in Georgia in the early 20th Century. Her artwork and her statements gathered the attention of the Smithsonian Magazine, the Library of Congress and the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Using her gifts Forester opened pathways for all.