Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2007 The Women's Studio Workshop: Inside an All-Woman Art Space Kara Kelley Hallmark Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF VISUAL ARTS, THEATRE AND DANCE THE WOMEN’S STUDIO WORKSHOP: INSIDE AN ALL-WOMAN ART SPACE By KARA KELLEY HALLMARK A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Art Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2007 Copyright ©2007 Kara Kelley Hallmark All Rights Reserved The members of this Committee approve the dissertation of Kara Kelley Hallmark, defended on October 3, 2007. Tom Anderson Professor Directing Dissertation Jeffrey Milligan Outside Committee Member Penny Orr Committee Member Pat Villeneuve Committee Member Approved: Marcia Rosal, Chair Department of Art Education Sally E. McRorie, Dean College of Visual Arts, Theatre and Dance The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named Committee members. ii I dedicate this story of the Women’s Studio Workshop to ANN, Tana, Nita, and Babs for creating and maintaining a safe space for women to find support, inspiration, and the tools that they need and desire to be artists. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS After an extended leave of absence from my doctoral coursework at The Florida State University, I was disheartened to learn that Dr. Sally McRorie was no longer with the Art Education Department but was delighted to discover that she had become Dean of the School! I pursued the FSU Art Education program to have the opportunity to work with Dr. McRorie. However, my uncertainty about whether or not I should stay at Florida State was quickly put to rest. I was relieved and even encouraged when I approached Dr. Tom Anderson about my interest in weaving together art education, women’s studies, qualitative research, and storytelling. He graciously accepted all of my ideas without hesitation and agreed to supervise my research. Dr. Anderson was instrumental in the initial shaping of my research design and approach to the process. For this and so much more, a special thank you to Dr. Tom Anderson, my supervising professor and friend. As well, thank you to all of my committee members for their time and suggestions. Thank you to Dr. Penny Orr for reminding me to think about how my research affects the art education classroom. Thank you to Dr. Pat Villeneuve for her diligence with APA and unyielding positive support. Thank you to Dr. Tomeiko Ashford for her instruction with writing mechanics and organizing the process. When Dr. Ashford took a position at the University of North Carolina, mid-project, Dr. Jeffrey Milligan stepped in to take her place; thank you Dr. Milligan for coming on board and making that a smooth transition. My experience in the doctoral program at Florida State University was shaped, in part, by the other students who shared dialog, ideas, and criticism in and out of the classroom. I want to extend a special thank you to Hilary Pendleton and Eunice Lee for their friendship and insights. I would be remiss if I did not mention the professors from my master’s program at the University of Central Florida. Dr. Thomas M. Brewer who mentored my application process into the doctoral program at Florida State University and Dr. Kristin G. Congdon who guided my interest and research in feminist studies and who continues to inspire my interest in telling artist’s stories. A very special thank you to everyone at the Women’s Studio Workshop. First and foremost, thank you to Ann Kalmbach, Executive Director, for being so open to my presence at the workshop, making room for me during my trips, and giving me her time, even when she did iv not have it to give. Thank you to Tatana Kellner for sharing her story and for always cooking for me! Thank you to Anita Wetzel for coffee and toast and chats that became so much more than informal daily chatter, and for her open and honest approach to everything in life. Thank you to Barbara Leoff Burge for inspiring me to live my life without caution or regret. Thank you to all of the staff, interns, and visiting artists of the workshop and to all of the other people who I encountered on each of my trips, who gave me their time and offered insight. My family was excited about my pursuit of graduate studies and showed interest time and again in whatever project or research I might be working on. My partner, prince, and champion, John Hallmark was tremendous support throughout all of my graduate work, which I initiated two years after we married (we are celebrating our twelfth wedding anniversary this year!). He understood my craziness and seemingly endless stress by cheering me through each phase and contributed by picking up extra housework, cooking meals, washing stacks of dirty dishes, and even did a load of laundry or two. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………..ix Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………….1 Research Statement ………………………………………………………………..1 Research Questions………………………………………………………………...2 Purpose of the Study……………………………………………………………….3 Implications for Art Education...………………………………………....3 Implications for Women’s Studies……………………………………….4 Research Design……………………………………………………………………7 Key Terms………………………………………………………………………….8 Summary…………………………………………………………………………...13 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………………………….14 Theoretical Framework...………………………………………………………….14 Construction of Gender …………………………………………………………...17 Language…….……………..………………………………………….20 Knowledge Acquisition………………………………………………..23 The Art World……………………………………………………………………..25 Exclusion from Art World Institutions……………………………………………27 Feminist Response to Sex Discrimination in Art Education………………………29 Women’s Artist Organizations…………………………………………………….34 Woman-centered Environments…………………………………………………...39 vi CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY.……………………………………………………….44 Research Questions……………………………………………………………….44 Theoretical Framework…………………………………………………………...45 Ethnography with a Feminist Perspective………………………………45 The Self as Primary Instrument………………………………………...47 Field Site………………………………………………………………………….47 Research Design…………………………………………………………………..47 Going into the Field………..…………………………………………...47 Observation.................………………………………………………….48 Participation…………………………………………………………….49 Interviews………………………………………………………………50 Phases and Time Frame………………………………………………...51 Data Collection and Instruments ………………………………………………...53 Field Notes and Photography…………………………………………..53 Digital Recorder and Interview Questions……………………………..54 Data Analysis ……………………………………………………………………55 Thematic Codes………………………………………………………55 Coding Process……………………………………………………….56 Interpretations and Thematic Connections……………………………………….56 Little Narratives...…………………………………………………….57 Assumptions and Limitations in the Study……………………………………….58 Credibility…………………………………………………………………………59 Summary……………..…………………………………..………………………..60 CHAPTER 4: GOING INTO THE FIELD………………………………………………..62 The Pilot Study…..……….………………………………………………………..62 Four Women and a Grant……..……………………………………………………79 A Room of Her Own……………………………………………………………....93 You Can Always Count on the Daily Potluck…………………………………….103 vii Quiet Feminism…………..……………………………………………………….106 Working the Auction…….………………………………………………………..114 CHAPTER 5: INTERPRETATIONS AND SUMMARY…………………………………120 Analysis of Question 1……..………………………………………………………120 Analysis of Question 2……..………………………………………………………121 Analysis of Question 3……..………………………………………………………123 Analysis of Question 4……..………………………………………………………124 Analysis of Question 5……..………………………………………………………126 Analysis of Question 6……..………………………………………………………128 Summary……………………………………………………………………………129 Future Research…………………………………………………………………….131 APPENDIX A: IRB Letters ……………………………………………………………….133 APPENDIX B: Interview Transcripts……………………………………………………...137 APPENDIX C: Field Notes………………………………………………………………...215 APPENDIX D: Thematic Code Count……………………………………………………..245 APPENDIX E: Women’s Studio Workshop Select Publications and Brochures…………..246 REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………………..253 BIOGRPHICAL SKETCH…………...……………………………………………………260 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Sign for the Women’s Studio Workshop……………………………………………...62 Figure 2. The Women’s Studio Workshop………………………………………………………63 Figure 3. The Intern House……………………………………………………………………...63 Figure 4. My Bedroom in Intern House ………………………………………………………...64 Figure 5. Intern House Kitchen…………………………………………………………………64 Figure 6. Intern House Common Area………………………………………………………….64 Figure 7. Ramona……………………………………………………………………………….65 Figure 8. Papermaking Studio…………………………………………………………………..66 Figure 9. Materials Harvested from the Art Farm………………………………………………67 Figure 10. Ceramic Studio………………………………………………………………………68 Figure 11. Printmaking Studio………………………………………………………………….68 Figure 12. Original Rosendale Post Office……………………………………………………..69 Figure 13. Silkscreen Studio…………………………………………………………………….70 Figure 14. Front Office………………………………………………………………………….70 Figure 15. Main Kitchen in Women’s Studio Workshop………………………………………..71 Figure 16. Ann and Tana’s and Tana’s Studio…………………………………………………..71 Figure 17. Intern House Dining Area……………………………………………………………73 Figure 18. Antonina, Photographer, Website Design Volunteer………………………………..74 Figure 19. Landscape near the Women’s Studio Workshop…………………………………….75 Figure 20. Kara and Ann in upstairs Gallery at