I am pleased to be part of a new Exhibit “Who’s Afraid of Feminism ” opening Sept. 10, 2015

WOMEN’S CAUCUS FOR ARTS, WITH A.I.R. GALLERY, PRESENTS:

 WHO’S AFRAID OF FEMINISM?

 VENUE: 155 Plymouth Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 | info@airgallery.org | | (212) 255 6651 | Wed – Sun 12-6pm

 DATES: September 10–October 11, 2015

 Please join us for the opening of “Who’s Afraid of Feminism?”       

ARTISTS’ RECEPTION: Thursday, September 10, 2015, 6–8 pm

JUROR: Catherine Morris, Curator at the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art since 2009

 EXHIBITION DIRECTOR: Karen Gutfreund

JUROR Catherine Morris states: The exhibition “Who’s Afraid of Feminism?” celebrates the resilience of feminism. Sometimes it seems that the death, or at least the irrelevancy, of feminism is trumpeted through some form of media on a weekly basis.  Even in the face of a profound shift in our understanding of gender identity, feminism endures as a vital social, political and economic necessity. In the art world, one tenacious model of feminism’s endurance is the group show devoted exclusively to women artists.  The strategy of the (self-identified) women only show hasn’t really changed in more than forty-five years – they are a direct response, a straightforward method of correction to the overwhelmingly male metrics of representation in the mainstream art world. The relevancy of the model is routinely questioned and yet, like feminism, they endure, understood by the artists who participate in them as offering personal opportunities to present work as well productive occasions for community building. “Who’s Afraid of Feminism?” acknowledges the complicated ways we position ourselves, while also simply acknowledging artists’ pragmatic desire to share their work with the world within the context of support systems such as the Women’s Caucus for Art and A.I.R. Gallery, which continue to provide significant and necessary opportunities for women artists.

 WCA and A.I.R. Gallery present art from cross-generational, self-identified women artists that addresses feminism with a contemporary spin. These works incite the viewer to question the current social and political landscape, and the continuing need for gender equality. The exhibiting artists, using a variety of media, elucidate where feminism has been and where it is going, and explore feminism’s political, personal and formal contexts. With a surge of interest about the place of women in the art market and art world, with a record number of discussions throughout social media channels, WHO’S AFRAID OF FEMINISM highlights what still needs to be done to influence cultural attitudes and transform stereotypes about women in the arts.

 Online Catalog: http://issuu.com/karengutfreund/docs/whos_afraid_of_feminism_for_issuu

Online Gallery: http://www.nationalwca.org/nationalshows/whoseafraid.php#gallery

 The artists in the exhibition at A.I.R. are: Shonagh Adelman, Tara Booth, Amy Cannestra, Katherine Cooksey, Julie Sinclair Eakin, Sally Edelstein, Christine Giancola, Lucy Julia Hale, Coco Hall, Maiza Hixson and Lauren Ruth (The Shaft), Kristina Lenzi, Sinan Leong Revell, J. J. L’Heureux, Sarah Maple, Sandra Matthews, Brittany Prater, Carly Ries, Trix Rosen, Cecilia Rossey, Lisa Seidenberg, Gwen Shockey, Meg Stein, Rhonda M. Thomas, Nikki Thompson, Marie Tomanova, Margi Weir, and Ellen Wetmore.

 WCA Exhibition Director Karen Gutfreund says, “Art can be a powerful, productive force instrumental in sparking change or critical thinking. The Women’s Caucus for Art is committed to supporting local, national, and global art activism to help us to understand what is happening in our society, who we are, where we come from and where we’re going. Women have been written out of art history and are clearly underrepresented. My goal is to change that, one show at a time, focusing on ‘female only’ shows until we see an equal playing field. The mission of the WCA is to create community through art, education, and social activism.”

   About Women’s Caucus for Art:  The Women’s Caucus for Art was founded in 1972 in connection with the College Art Association (CAA). WCA is a national member organization unique in its multidisciplinary, multicultural membership of artists, art historians, students, educators, and museum professionals. The mission of the Women’s Caucus for Art is to create community through art, education, and social activism. As a founding member of the Feminist Art Project, WCA is part of a collaborative national initiative celebrating the Feminist Art Movement and the aesthetic, intellectual and political impact of women on the visual arts, art history, and art practice, past and present. For more information about WCA, please visit:   www.nationalwca.org/

ABOUT THE GALLERY: A.I.R. Gallery (Artists in Residence, Inc.) was established in 1972 as the first not-for-profit, artist-directed and maintained gallery for women artists in the United States. A.I.R. Gallery’s goal is to provide a professional and permanent exhibition space for women artists to present work of quality and diversity. A.I.R. is an artist directed and maintained gallery, providing a sense of community for women and serving as a model for other alternative galleries and organizations. Through lectures, symposia and a Fellowship Program for emerging women artists, A.I.R. Gallery sustains a political awareness and voice, and brings new understanding to old attitudes about women in the arts.

 Purchasing a catalog: You may purchase the catalog from CreateSpace here:  https://www.createspace.com/5543909