Questions
How many of us go through life without questioning why there is a history that focuses only on the achievements of men?
How can we continue to perpetuate narratives that only serve one part of the population?
Is there room for people to openly discuss how women have been relegated for too long, and how can we change that for the better?
How can museums be more inclusive?
What kind of measures are being taken to actively understand the way forward for museums and the art world as a whole for women?
How many women achievements have been taken for granted, not only in the art world, but in society as a whole?
Reading through the book History of women, history of art by Patricia Mayo questions about several attempts by art historians and artists, to actively work to change the art world, I feel hope. Yet, there is also a long way forward, so many women working through the centuries for changing how the world perceives them. I want to share about some of some these women, carving a path and inspiring us along the way.
Angelika Kauffmann & Mary Moser 18th century, two of the founders of the Royal Academy of Art in London, yet they were not allowed to be included in live painting classes. It took nearly 100 years until a woman was admitted as a member, and it was only after she made a submission only including her initials. Too few people know and remember that it was not until the late 1800s that women were accepted in art institutions.
Linda Nochlin and Ann Sutherland Harris put together an unprecedented exhibition in the Los Angeles County Museum, in 1976. The exhibition was called Women Artists: 1550-1950. The scope of this exhibition was beyond anything that had been put together until then.
Whitney Chadwick has written several books on art history, and on her book: “Women artists and the politics of representation”, she refers to how many painting by women owned by art institutions are relegated to their storage rooms. Thus making studying these artworks and evaluations, difficult. I hope this changes as more people demand accountability from them, writers and artists included as well as the public as whole.
Guerrilla Girls, the group of activists demanding accountability from institutions in major cities around the world since the 1980s.
Judy Chicago, with her self-driven research and her Dinner Party, where she was bringing visibility to famous women from the past, including many artists. This installation is part of the permanent collection of the Brooklyn Museum.
Most recently, the exhibition Masters put together at the Thyseen-Bornemisza Museum, this past February, was again one of these attempts. The joy I felt as I walked through those rooms, how I connected with my own art through the art of the women before me. It made me feel more emboldened and do what I can to contribute to the visibility of women artists and to continue to work for my own art dreams in the process, while taking my space.
I want to end by reminding you that we must read, we must ask, we must inquire, we must question, and beyond everything we must continue to value women for their inmense contribution to the past, present and future.
