Omen S Caucus
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
W omenʼs f caucus Wo C r Artlines A P.O. Box 1498,ART Canal Street Station, New York, NY 10013 Tel 212.634.0007 [email protected] Triannual Newsletter Winter 2006-07 Greetings from the President National Board Executive Committee Jennifer Colby, PhD, President Jennifer Colby, President The year is 1972, Richard Nixon is re-elected president, we are at war in Kathy Halamka, Second VP Vietnam, the ERA passes the U.S. Senate, Ms. Magazine begins Margaret Lutze, Secretary-Treasurer publication. Thirty-five years ago in the midst of feminist activism, the Barbara Wolanin, VP Chapter Relations Women’s Caucus for Art was founded. Mary Garrard in her essay on Marilyn Hayes, President-Elect networks and organizations in The Power of Feminist Art describes the Officers founding of the WCA as part of consolidating activism and bringing feminism to a permanent status in the professions. Dena Muller, Past President Kira Carillo Corser, VP for Development Patricia Rodriguez --- VP for Org. Outreach “The WCA was created on January 28, 1972, at the San Francisco convention of the College Art Association (CAA). The women from CalArts - Judy Chicago, Regional VPs Miriam Shapiro, and art historian Paula Harper - helped to wrest a meeting space Laura Morrison, Northeast Region VP from a bemused College Art Association. Thanks to ground-work laid by art Judith Segall, Southeast Region VP historian Ann Sutherland Harris, the meeting drew an overflow crowd. Women artists met art historians and Janice Nesser-Chu, Midwest Region VP museum women; the traditional sub-disciplinary boundaries between these groups dissolved in the heat of Position Open, Southwest Region VP their new common energy. Now at a national forum, women who had experienced professional Rebecca Kramer, Northwest Region VP discrimination in the arts told their stories, and found that they were not alone.” 1. Ruth Waters, Pacific Region VP Committee Chairs Ann Suterhland Harris emerged as chair of the Women’s Caucus of the College Art Association. Mary Garrard became the second president and the organization incorporated as the Women’s Karmien Bowman, Conference Chair 2008 Caucus for Art. Garrard describes the early history. Yuriko Takata, Nominations Chair Dena Muller, Recognition Awards Chair “The political activism and membership expansion of the first two WCA presidencies accelerated under its Chapters’ Council Directors third (and first artist) president Judith K. Brodsky. Two regional chapters were organized during my term (in Kansas City and San Francisco); there were seventeen by the end of Brodsky's. … The WCA instituted what Helen Poole Newman, ‘04 has become for many its central event - the Honor Awards Ceremony honoring the lifetime achievements of Allison Constantino, ‘04 senior women artists (and historians). In 1979, on the occasion of the CAA-WCA conference in Washington, Ulla Barr, ‘04 the first awards were given to Louise Nevelson, Alice Neel, Selma Burke, Isabel Bishop, and (in absentia) Liz Dodson, ‘04 to Georgia O'Keefe, in a ceremony in the Oval office. Contrary to what one might expect, the awards were Dale Osterle, ‘04 not bestowed by President Carter. They were awards given by women to women, by strong and self- Alison Altergott, ‘05 confident women to their living artistic foremothers, in whose footsteps they now proudly walked.” 2. Ann Rowles, ‘05 Marilyn Hayes, ‘05 The year is 2007. George W. Bush is president, we are at war in Iraq. The ERA has never been Eleanor Dickinson, ‘05 ratified, but there is a plethora of feminist zines. The College Art Association Committee on Jillian Hernandez, ‘05 Women in the Arts and the WCA will join forces to celebrate their common concerns and honor the achievements of eight exceptional women after a day of feminist panels on February 17th. The Priscilla Otani, ‘06 panels at the CAA Conference are sponsored by The FeministArtProject, of which WCA is a Karen Frostig, ‘06 founding partner organization. The next day, February 18th, WCA celebrates 35 years with a day Sandra Mueller, ‘06 of meetings, video screenings and exhibits. Debra Claffey, ‘06 Judith Roth, ‘06 March 23rd marks the opening of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Board Appointed Director Museum, featuring the permanent installation of Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party”, and opening with “Global Feminisms,” an international exhibition of contemporary feminist art, Laurie Hall, International Chair curated by Linda Nochlin and Maura Reilly. Maria Elena Buszek, CAA Liaison Nancy Azara, Advisor “WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution,” curated by Connie Butler, opens at the Museum of Caucus Chairs Contemporary Art in LA, and traveling to the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington and P.S. 1 in New York. Rona Lesser, JWAN Liz Dodson, New Media These events in this anniversary year show us that the WCA continues in good company with Staff other arts organizations to be not only a key contributor to the history of the feminist movement Karin Luner, Nat’l Admin but also a crucial part of our feminist futures. & Artlines Design Dena Muller, Artlines Editor 1. Garrard, Mary D. Feminist Politics: Networks and Organizations. The Power of Feminist Art: The American Movement of the 1970's. History and Impact. Norma Broude and Mary D. Garrard eds. .Abrams: New York, Visit us on the web at: 2. 1994. Ibid p. 93; 3) Ibid p. 98 www.nationalwca.org coastal show. Depending on the success of “Journeys” we might take it to other states as well. “Journeys” opening reception is at Regional News COMMA Gallery, Orlando Florida on January 9, 2007 with a closing gallery talk on February 11, 2007 at noon. Califonia artists will stay with Florida members and travel to the WCA New Hampshire – WCA NH Chapter was thrilled to have forty three of its ninety members participate in its sixth 6”X6” signature National Conference together. The exhibit then travels to the exhibit at Alexander Lake Design Gallery in Dover, NH in Claudia Chapman Gallery near San Francisco beginning in May. November, 2006. Many pieces sold during the opening. The It is with great pride that WCA members, including our Vice exhibit runs through January 4th, 2007. The Business of Artwork President Judith Kaplan, are documented in Feminists Who group will begin its second year in January, 2007. This self- Changed America 1963-1975, edited by Barbara Love and just directed work group, hosted by Laura Morrison, faces issues head published by the University of Illinois Press. Nancy F. Cott, on and meets on a monthly basis to talk about personal goals. Professor of American History at Harvard University and Director Artist Gatherings are going well at Borders in Concord twice a of the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of month along with the Lakes Region and North Country that Women in America, wrote the inspiring and informative foreword. meet once a month. Artist Trading Cards (ATC’s) are still going Other WCA members, including Nancy Azara, Judy Chicago, strong and President, Fran Blazon reported that the last trade was Dorothy Gillespie, and Linda Stein, are well represented for their the largest ever – 29 participants, ten of which came from the contributions to changing women’s lives and improving society Advanced Printmaking Class at Colby Sawyer College, three from through their art. the Minnesota Chapter, and the rest from Massachusetts and NH. The next theme, “Visions/Dreams”, is due in early February. Indiana – We are looking forward to our exhibit in January. The “Food” will be April’s theme. Any artist interested in participating theme is “Sustance and Aubstance”. We will be exhibiting at The in the upcoming trade is encouraged to contact Fran Blazon at: Arts Studio 815, a newly opened venue. [email protected]. Our fall meeting was well In November, we attended a lecture by Speranza Gama from attended in September at NHAA facility in Boscawen. Members Mexico about the Day of the Dead at the Snite Museum on Notre shared artwork and Fran Blazon demonstrated how to create Dame Campus and at Goshen College. Roger Shimomura, who is photo gel prints. Five scholarship applications were received from an American of Japanese descent and who spent time as a small area colleges. Carla Voelcker-Blakely, a ceramics major at child in an internment camp, spoke about his experience. Both of Plymouth State College, was selected and will receive a these events were accompanied by exhibits of the speaker’s art scholarship award of $500, a membership in WCA-NH, and work. Some of our members were fortunate to attend a workshop exhibition opportunities. by Chicago fiber artist Laurie Wohl, who is also a longtime WCA and JWAN member. Connecticut – Fibonacci, the Golden Mean, the “Curve of Life” was the theme of the WCA-CT members’ exhibition at the Arts Colorado – We have had three large shows with very distinct Council in New Haven in late summer. The theme sparked themes and one show scheduled for early 2007. We enjoyed raku original and interesting interpretations of the Fibonacci theory. workshops, organizing educational components for kids that The newly established Women’s Studies Program at Norwalk related to our shows, speakers on various art topics as well as artist Community College has agreed to accept our archives, which talking about their work. We are having meetings every other comprise all of the records of our sixteen-year old WCA month, alternating between Denver and Boulder. The show Connecticut Chapter. This record has grown since its inception “Contemporary Icons: Symbols and Signs of the Times” was held and includes books, magazines, articles, tapes and other at The Business of Art Center, Manitou Springs, Colorado. The information that documents the works of our chapter members exhibit explored mass culture and the manifestations of the alongside the works of prominent women in the field of art.