Do Women Artists Need Women's Orgs?

So I am on this panel on February 11, 2010 in Chicago.

We will be discussing the continuing need for women-only institutions for women artists. I am hoping there is interest in this topic. So far I have only heard from the panel members. Perhaps women artists are working so hard that they don't have time to voice their opinions. I certainly understand that!

I know it's not because women have nothing to say, we all know that. It could be that women are tired talking about and hearing about the same old story, wondering when change is coming! When there won't be a need to have women's institutions. I always remind people that there is no Men's Museum. Does this one count :The Museum of the Mountain Man. We know there is one for women only and Native Americans (who, and  I'm not telling you anything you don't know, got a shorter shrift than almost any segment of our society), and of course African American museums abound nationally... 

And when you look at mainstream art institutions and other cultural institutions, businesses, etc.  you are less likely to see people of color, and more likely to see white Americans, both male and female. (I look for people of color in commercials on TV, in print ads, represented in spreads on the next hottest thing, etc...and they are often missing).

Something else occurred to me, though, that women are dominating some aspects of the art world. Yeah, the top dogs on the art auction market are the males, for sure, but there seems to be more museum directors, curators, artists in MFA programs, art professors, art historians and artists who are female! Not art critics, as far as I can tell. But some art departments are top heavy in females. Does that mean anything?

Time to search for the stats. 

Anyway, if you are in Chicago, or will be here in February, please plan to attend the panel discussion. If you think it is based on a false premise we should know that!

Keep reading to meet some more panel members...

Women's Caucus for Art

Investigating the Need for Women's Art Galleries, Exhibitions, and Organizations: From Our Center

Thursday, February 11, 5:30 PM–7:00 PM

Regency B, Gold Level, West Tower, Hyatt Regency Chicago

Chair: Janice Nesser-Chu, Women's Caucus for Art and Florissant Valley College

Melissa H. Potter, Columbia College Chicago

Amy Galpin, San Diego Museum of Art and Woman Made Gallery

Joanna Gardner-Huggett, DePaul University

Beate Minkovski, Woman Made Gallery

Dena Muller, ArtTable

Joyce Owens, Chicago State University and Sapphire and Crystals Artist Collective

Melissa Potter, panelist:

Melissa Potter is an Assistant Professor in the Interdisciplinary Arts Department at Columbia College Chicago.  She is a multi-media artist whose work investigates women's rites of passage, from marriage, to motherhood.  She exhibited at venues including the Bronx Museum of the Arts, and White Columns, where she was featured in the exhibition “Regarding Gloria”, one of the first survey precursors to the 2007 “year of feminism”.  She is founder of the NY-based feminist art collective, Art364B.  Ms. Potter is a two-time Fulbright recipient. In her first award, she founded a hand papermaking program at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Belgrade, Serbia.  

Website:  www.melissapotter.com

Janice Nesser, panelist:

Janice Nesser is a mixed media artist who is active in the arts community.

She currently serves as the President-elect for the national Women's Caucus for Art and on the Board of the local chapter of the Women's Caucus for Art. She recently served on the Forums committee for Art St. Louis and on the Board of the Northern Arts Council. She is a member of the Society for Photographic Education and College Art Association. Nesser is an Assistant Professor of Art at STLCC-Florissant Valley, the Photography Program coordinator and the Director of the Florissant Valley Art Galleries. She is the campus coordinator World AIDS Day/Quilt Display activities, Portfolio Day and Women's History month. Nesser has a Masters in Art from Webster University and a BA from St. Mary of the Woods College in Journalism with a minor in Political Science. She has exhibited both locally and nationally for the last 15 years.  Her work is included in many permanent collections; and has been featured and reviewed in various publications, most recently in River Styx magazine, West End Word and the Riverfront Times. Her current series "From the blood of my grandmother" melds quilting and embroidery with dress patterns, altered books, photographs and found objects in an investigation of familial relationships, cultural taboos and their place in the formation of identity.

Nesser lives on 3 acres in unincorporated north county (St. Louis, Mo.) with her husband, Ben and their two dogs, Bonnie and Clyde.

"Blues for the Good Earth" with painted frame, below, without, above

by Joyce Owens.