Are you familiar with #5WomenArtists? The National Museum of Women in the Arts is on a mission to increase awareness of women artists. Using the hashtag #5WomenArtists, the campaign calls attention to the fact that women have not been treated equally in the art world, and today they remain dramatically “underrepresented and undervalued in museums, galleries, and auction houses”. Much of the art world is dominated by men, to the point where many people can’t name five women artists. If you’re an American, you might think of Georgia O’Keefe and Frida Kahlo. Maybe Anne Geddes if you were conscious in the 90s. It’s a decent start but we can do better! I often consider the Maya Angelou quote, “forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn’t know before you learned it.” You might not know many women artists simply because you haven’t been taught about them, and while that’s not your fault, we can do something about it now.
Ok, let’s dive in and look at five women artists. I’m going to include some facts about each artist so they are easier to remember:
1 | Amy Sherald
- Known for painting Michelle Obama’s official portrait
- Uses grayscale to paint skin tones to “challenge conventions about skin color and race”
- Portraits celebrate the lives of Black people in the United States
- Donated $1 million for student grants from the sale of a Breonna Taylor portrait
2 | Colette Fu
- Photographer making large scale pop-up books sculptures
- Inspired by Robert Sabuda’s Wizard of Oz pop-up book
- Books are made from Fu’s photography
- Inspired by Chinese culture and causes
3 | Lavinia Fontana
- Daughter of a painter, mother of eleven children
- Devout Catholic from Italy
- Preferred painter of wealthy female patrons
- Skilled in the Mannerist style
- Activist making socio-political commentary through abstract paintings and prints
- An environmentalist, wrote the Nomad Art Manifesto
- Avoids using toxic art supplies and unnecessary storage space
- Focus on tribal politics,
5 | Chakaia Booker
- Works with discarded construction materials and rubber tires
- Known for bold, whimsical, immersive sculptures
- Themes include: class, labor, gender, and aesthetic, political, cultural, and economic concerns
- Creates wearable sculptures of wrapped headdresses
