Search This Blog

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Where is Walda? (women in the arts)...

i tried to love her fiercely   oil/canvas   48 x 24 x 1.5

In my community Walda works alongside Waldo in an effort to create awareness of our work as artists as well as the benefits of art in our daily lives.  Local exhibitions demonstrate thoughtfulness, attention and awareness of the world around us.  These exhibits are well attended and, I think, enlightening.  Walda sits on many committees. Quite frankly, she gets a lot done.  So does Waldo.  Sexism would be too evident to tolerate.  The art world at large is another story.  I recently checked the rosters of the first two galleries with ads in a slick art magazine, both in New York.  Gallery A had 19 artists on their roster, all men.  Gallery B listed 26 artists, only 3 of whom where women. Somewhere between 6-7%.  Subject matter varied, but demonstrated, in some cases, the yearnings of an adolescent boy. (I can easily predict that work in this genre would be met with "pa-leeze" if shown locally) Granted, this is no scientific study, but recent statistics of the number of women in art schools cite percentages between 60 and 80.  Representation in museums and galleries is quite the opposite, even worse.  How can this be?  How can this be tolerated?  The guerilla girls from the 60's got tired.  Women's salaries in all fields lag behind men's.  What gives?


New York Magazine


New York Magazine

Artopia


Art is a subjective field.  No government regulations.  Maybe this will be a grass roots effort.  Awareness is a beginning.  Akron....you're OK.