Women in the Arts Winter/Spring 2016 by Women in the Arts

WINTER/SPRING 2016

FOUNDER’S LETTER

Dear Members and Friends, It is a pleasure that in the twenty-eighth year of the existence of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, it is flourishing. Membership is strong, and our recent exhibitions have been well received by the public and the press. This April, we will open the exhibition She Who Tells a Story: Women Photographers from Iran and the Arab World. We are proud to show the work of these women artists, who have roots in a region that increasingly has been in conflict. With persistence and talent, they illuminate this part of the world and tell their stories. The museum is continuing to raise its profile. The rental of our facility has brought in revenue that benefits our programs and operations, but in addition, it has also introduced NMWA to scores of new people. Please know how much your kindness and generosity is appreciated. Warmest best wishes,

The National Museum of Women in the Arts brings recognition to the achievements of women artists of all periods and nationalities by exhibiting, preserving, acquiring, and researching art by women and by teaching the public about their accomplishments. MUSEUM INFORMATION Location: 1250 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20005 Public transportation: Take metrorail to Metro Center station, 13th Street exit; walk two blocks north to corner of New York Avenue and 13th Street Website: http://nmwa.org Blog: broadstrokes.org Main: 202-783-5000 Toll free: 800-222-7270 Member Services: 866-875-4627 Shop: 877-226-5294 Tours: 202-783-7996 Mezzanine Café: 202-628-1068 Library and Research Center: 202-783-7365 Magazine subscriptions: 866-875-4627 Hours: Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, noon–5 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day Admission: NMWA Members free, Adults $10, Visitors over 65 $8, Students $8, Youth under 18 free. Free Community Day is the first Sunday of every month.

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay Chair of the Board

Women in the Arts Winter/Spring 2016 (Volume 34, no. 1) Women in the Arts is a publication of the NATIONAL MUSEUM of WOMEN in the ARTS® Director | Susan Fisher Sterling Editor | Elizabeth Lynch Digital Editorial Assistant | Emily Haight Editorial Intern | Sarah Mathieson Design | Studio A, Alexandria, Virginia For advertising rates and information, call 202-266-2814 or email elynch@nmwa.org. Women in the Arts is published three times a year as a benefit for museum members by the National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20005-3970. Copyright © 2016 National Museum of Women in the Arts. National Museum of Women in the Arts®, The Women’s Museum®, and Women in the Arts® are registered trademarks. On the cover: Shadi Ghadirian, Untitled, from the series “Qajar,” 1998, Gelatin silver print, 15 ¾ x 11 7⁄8 in.; MFA Boston; Museum purchase with the Horace W. Goldsmith Fund for Photography and Abbott Lawrence Fund, 2013.571; © Shadi Ghadirian; Photo © 2015 MFA Boston FOUNDER’S PHOTOGRAPH: © MICHELLE MATTEI

Cover Story

Features

Departments

2 Arts News

She Who Tells a Story: Women Photographers from Iran and the Arab World

Women in Film: Alice GuyBlaché and “Be Natural”

4 Culture Watch

In Arabic, the word rawiya means “she who tells a story.” The idea of a woman storyteller is a fitting premise for these photographs made by twelve pioneering women with roots in Iran and the Arab world. This exhibition invites viewers to explore changing cultural landscapes and confront their own preconceptions. Kristen Gresh

Pamela Green, the director of a new film on Alice Guy-Blaché, the first woman filmmaker, discusses Guy-Blaché’s story and significance. Elizabeth Lynch

6 Fall Report

16 Calendar

Salon Style: French Portraits from the Collection

28 Member and Museum News

Women artists of eighteenth-century France struggled past barriers of training, public opinion, and political turmoil to attain professional success. Virginia Treanor

7 Dedicated Donor: In Remembrance of Lorraine Grace

32 Supporting Roles 33 Museum Shop

24 Womanimal: Zine Art by Caroline Paquita This exhibition showcases Paquita’s punk art zine-making over the past 18 years, featuring her distinctive aesthetic and whimsy. Heather Slania

WINTER/SPRING 2016 | WOMEN IN THE ARTS

JOHN D. & CATHERINE T. MACARTHUR FOUNDATION

ARTS NEWS

Arts News

LaToya Ruby Frazier (left) and Nicole Eisenman (right), recipients of the MacArthur Fellowship

Genius Artists Two prominent U.S. artists, Nicole Eisenman and LaToya Ruby Frazier, were among the nine women who received “genius grants” from the MacArthur Fellows Program. In September, twenty-four fellows each received stipends of $625,000 for funding over five years. The unrestricted grants encourage talented individuals to take risks and push boundaries in their creative endeavors. Brooklyn-based artist Eisenman, age fifty, explores the desires and anxieties of contemporary culture through the human form. While focusing on themes of sexuality and lesbian identity, her figurative works also reference iconic art historical works and approaches through a range of mediums including painting, printmaking, and sculpture. Eisenman’s work was recently the subject of Dear Nemesis, a mid-career retrospective organized by the Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis.

Frazier, a thirty-three-year-old assistant professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, uses film and photography to confront social justice issues. Frazier’s best-known work, The Notion of Family, documents the collapse of the steel industry in her hometown of Braddock, Pennsylvania. Framing the town’s history through photographs of her own family, Frazier reveals the roles, stories, and legacy of African American families in industry in Braddock. Her oeuvre explores and exposes social inequities, environmental pollution, and heath care crises.

interviews. Alexievich, a Belarusian writer, strives to chronicle personal perspectives to shed light on momentous times. Her meticulous writing and interview process results in intense, vivid monologues. In Voices from Chernobyl, raw and often horrific accounts give power and immediacy to the events of the Chernobyl disaster.

In Voices from Chernobyl, author Svetlana Alexievich relays the personal experiences and lives of people affected by the 1986 disaster

Witnessing History Svetlana Alexievich won the 2015 Nobel Prize for Literature for her book Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster. Originally published in Russian in 1997 and in English in 2005, the book is the first winner of the literature prize to be based entirely on

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Top to Bottom: A photograph from Zofia Rydet’s exhaustive project documenting Polish homes Robin Coste Lewis, winner of the 2015 National Book Award for poetry

A Picture of Poland

KATE FLINT; COURTESY KNOPF DOUBLEDAY

In 1978, when artist Zofia Rydet was sixtyseven years old, she resolved to photograph the interior of every home in Poland. She had become fascinated by people’s possessions and the décor they used to individualize spaces. By the time she died, in 1997, at age eighty-six, her Sociological Record project contained 20,000 images that showed people from several regions of the country. Her photographs show portraits of people in their homes, using a stark flash technique to show details of the objects surrounding them. Her subjects are most often shown sitting inside, facing the camera somberly, with their hands on their laps. A large selection from her project was recently on view at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, and through the efforts of the Foundation for Visual Arts, the Zofia Rydet Foundation, and other participating institutions, a vast number of her photographs can be viewed online at www. zofiarydet.com. This collaboration, which aims to preserve Rydet’s work, includes freely available images as well as a selection of Rydet’s archival materials that shine a light on her unique and rigorous project.

Artful Poetry Robin Coste Lewis won the 2015 National Book Award for poetry for her first book, Voyage of the Sable Venus. The book’s central poem, after which the book is titled, addresses black female identity and objectification through the lens of visual art. Over more than seventy pages, the poem compiles titles of art objects, from antiquity to the present, that depict or feature the bodies of black women. This catalogue forms a poignant and painful cultural critique, topical now as many cultural institutions are re-examining the language they use to interpret objects. The stark terminology and juxtapositions in her poem point to the power of words to describe—and illuminate, delimit, or confine—their subjects.

United States Artist Fellowships The thirty-seven artists who won 2015 U.S. Artist Fellowships include noteworthy women in the fields of visual arts, crafts, traditional arts, dance, media, music, and theater and performance. The awards are accompanied by $50,000 unrestricted grants. One winner, eighty-five-year-old storyteller Mary Louise Defender Wilson, has spent her life telling stories, releasing spoken-word albums, and giving performances that communicate the lives and traditions of the Dakotah people. Another, New York-based visual artist Mickalene Thomas, is best known for her

rhinestone-accented works that combine pop-culture and classical painting references, exploring ideas of beauty and identity.

Adele Says “Hello” British singer Adele belted her way back to the spotlight—and the top of the charts—with her first song in three years, “Hello.” In one day, the ballad’s video exceeded twenty-five million views. In November, the full album, 25, sold 3.38 million copies—nearly one million more than the previous record holder for the most albums sold in one week. 25 is the biggest-selling album since her last album, 21, was released in 2011.

WINTER/SPRING 2016 | WOMEN IN THE ARTS

Washington, D.C.

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art Betye Saar: Still Tickin’ January 30–May 1, 2016

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution Perspectives: Lara Baladi August 29, 2015–June 5, 2016

Acclaimed for her mixed-media assemblages from the last six decades, Saar reflects on African-American identity, sexism, and oppression. The retrospective showcases sculptures, works on paper, and specially reconstructed installations organized under themes of nostalgia, mysticism, and the construction of political and racial images.

The Egyptian-Lebanese artist combines archival photographs with her own images to investigate photography’s role in constructing perceptions of the Middle East. Part of the museum’s “Perspectives” series, Baladi’s 10-by29 foot collage tapestry illustrates a genesis story that upends stereotypical views of Egypt.

Peabody Essex Museum, Salem Alchemy of the Soul: Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons January 9–April 3, 2016

COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

Walker Art Center Andrea Büttner November 21, 2015–April 10, 2016

Andrea Büttner, Piano Destructions, 2014; On view at the Walker Art Center

Massachusetts

Lara Baladi, Oum el Dounia (detail), 2000–07; On view at the Sackler Gallery

Minnesota

Mary Magdalena Campos-Pons, featured at the Peabody Essex Museum

COURTESY OF THE PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM

Betye Saar, Sunnyland (On the Dark Side), 1998; On view at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art

and composer Neil Leonard, for an immersive, multi sensory exhibition. Incorporating the smell of rum together with paintings, photographs, soundscapes, and large blownglass sculptures, Campos-Pons alludes to the Cuban sugar industry’s turbulent history.

HEINISCHES BILDARCHIV KÖLN, MUSEUM LUDWIG, COLOGNE, 2014; COURTESY HOLLYBUSH GARDENS, LONDON AND DAVID KORDANSKY GALLERY, LOS ANGELES; © ANDREA BÜTTNER / VG BILD-KUNST, BONN 2014

Arizona ROBERT WEDEMEYER; COURTESY THE ARTIST AND ROBERTS & TILTON, CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA

C U LT U R E WAT C H

Culture Watch | Exhibitions

Cuban-born artist Maria Magdalena CamposPons collaborates with her husband, musician

Büttner explores art history and social issues while challenging the belief systems underlying ethical dilemmas. The first U.S. solo exhibition of the German artist’s work juxtaposes diverse mediums—woodcut, weaving, reverse glass painting, and moss cultivation are presented alongside video, performance, and a new installation.

Books The title of The Sympathetic Imagination (DelMonico Books and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2015), a retrospective exhibition and catalogue of the work of Diana Thater, references a quote by author J. M. Coetzee: “There is no limit to the extent to which we can think ourselves into the being of another. There are no bounds to the sympathetic imagination.” That connection with fiction and subjectivity resonates throughout Thater’s work. A multimedia installation artist, Thater (b. 1962) creates works that envelop viewers in color, light, and film projections that explore phenomena from the natural world. In the catalogue, uncanny quotes and stories from writers who also explore nature, science, and imagination—Ursula K. Le Guin, Rainer Maria Rilke, Vladimir Nabokov, Gilles Deleuze, Angela Carter, and others—are interspersed with essays, an interview with the artist, and imagery of her color-saturated, fantastical, and thought-provoking work. Thater’s retrospective will be on view at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art through February 21, 2016, and then at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, October 22, 2016–January 15, 2017. —Elizabeth Lynch

WOMEN IN THE ARTS | WINTER/SPRING 2016

Gloria Steinem’s memoir, My Life on the Road (Random House, 2015), unfolds with an unexpected encounter with a biker who shows Steinem her purple Harley and reveals that she and her husband are ardent Ms. magazine readers. Steinem describes how life on the road has led her to find appearances misleading: “I’ve come to believe that inside, each of us has a purple motorcycle. We have only to discover it—and ride.” In her first book in over twenty years, Steinem shares the conversations that shaped her life—from meetings with Cherokee chiefs to kismet travels with taxi drivers. Providing an intimate archive of five decades of adventures, Steinem reflects on the wonders and struggles of her nomadic lifestyle while inspiring readers through her wit, humor, and optimism. Delving into her unconventional childhood, she creates a poignant portrait of her father, from whom she inherits her sense of wanderlust. Fulfilling a promise explained in the book’s dedication, she declares, “I’ve done the best I could with my life.” Steinem empowers readers to do the same. —Emily Haight

The Harwood Museum of Art, Taos Mabel Dodge Luhan & Company: American Moderns and the West May 22–September 11, 2016

HARVARD ART MUSEUMS/FOGG MUSEUM, MARGARET FISHER FUND, 2008.143; © COURTESY OF THE CORITA ART CENTER, IMMACULATE HEART COMMUNITY, LOS ANGELES; IMAGE © PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE

Establishing an avant-garde arts landscape in Taos, early twentieth-century patron Mabel Dodge Luhan encouraged prominent visual, literary, and performance artists to move to the Southwest. Works of art and ephemera from the “Paris West” modernists illuminate the region’s social and cultural aesthetics. Corita Kent (Sister Mary Corita), For Eleanor, 1964; On view at the San Antonio Museum of Art

Nun, artist, and activist Corita Kent created distinctive pop art during the 1960s and ’70s, transforming mainstream advertisements into messages of acceptance and hope. Framed against the era’s broader artistic and social movements, Kent’s films, installations, screenprints, and a mural are displayed alongside her contemporaries’ works.

Denmark Arken Museum of Modern Art, Ishøj Gerda Wegener November 7, 2015–May 16, 2016 Featuring her transgender spouse, Lili Elbe, as her favorite subject, the Danish artist traversed traditional boundaries of gender identity. Two hundred works—the largest display ever of Wegener’s art—showcase the Art Deco illustrations and portraits that won her acclaim in Paris.

International Colombia Museo Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá Fanny Sanín: En abstracto. Exposición con motivo de la donación de Fanny Sanín July 2, 2015–June 30, 2016 The Bogotá-born abstract artist is best known—on a national and international scale—for her expressive, geometric compositions. Featuring twenty works, the exhibition explores Sanín’s trajectory from the 1960s through the 2000s, including her investigations into shape and color and her search for pure abstraction.

Seventy years after the atomic bomb devastated Hiroshima, Ishiuchi Miyako: Postwar Shadows (Getty Publications, 2015) explores the lingering effects of World War II on the renowned photographer and Japan. Ishiuchi Miyako (b. 1947) was a significant figure in breaking down gender barriers in photography and confronting the legacy of war. The catalogue contains 102 images that span her career, telling stories about her singular perspective, war, and the passage of time. During the first phase of her work documented here, Ishiuchi created grainy, off-kilter, and deeply personal images focused on the port city of Yokosuka, where she spent her childhood. Her second body of work features close, searching images of hands, feet, and scars. Ito- Hiromi, a celebrated Japanese poet who was photographed by Ishiuchi, describes that experience in an account that makes readers uncomfortably aware of their own bodies’ vitality and mortality. The third phase of Ishiuchi’s career includes intimate pictures of objects that survived the atomic blast, bearing witness to Hiroshima through the clothing and belongings of its inhabitants. She says, “I am not

COLLECTION OF THE MUSEO NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA, REGISTRY NO. 7916; IMAGE COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

Fanny Sanín, Acrylic No. 3, 2006; On view at the Museo Nacional de Colombia

San Antonio Museum of Art Corita Kent and the Language of Pop February 13–May 8, 2016

Gerda Wegener, Queen of Hearts (Lili), 1928; On view at the Arken Museum of Modern Art

photographing the past. I am taking the present moment, the time of the now, when these remnants are here, together with me.” Essays by Getty curator Amanda Maddox and scholar of Japanese literature and media Miryam Sas describe Ishiuchi’s biography and ponder her legacy. The book reveals Ishiuchi grappling with the aftermath of World War II, the Americanization of the country, and the hibakusha (survivors of the atomic blast) and their children—together revealing “the past, revisited in the present.”—Sarah Mathieson Ishiuchi Miyako, Yokosuka Story #61, 1976–77; On view at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles through February 21, 2016

New Mexico

Texas

MORTEN PORS

COURTESY OF AMERICAN MUSEUM FOR WESTERN ART—THE ANSCHUTZ COLLECTION, DENVER, COLORADO; PHOTO BY WILLIAM J. O’CONNOR

Nicolai Fechin, Portrait of Mabel Dodge Luhan, 1927; On view at the Harwood Museum of Art

WINTER/SPRING 2016 | WOMEN IN THE ARTS

FA L L R E P O R T

Fall Report Learning through Discussion

• What’s Going On? Our “Thinking Routine Thursdays” for AFES feature tours inspired by Harvard Project Zero Thinking Routines and are led by NMWA educators. Pre-visit lessons introduce students to the “See Think Wonder” routine. Using that routine and others during their visit to NMWA, students explore three to four collection works through close looking, participate in open-ended discussions, pose questions, and make connections between art and their world. These tours give participants and facilitators a chance to learn from the objects on view as well as from one another, and they introduce students to NMWA and the contributions of women artists. • What Do We See That Makes Us Say That? One student said, “I was surprised by how many different types of art we saw by women.” Through the AFES program, NMWA has the opportunity to serve more than 100 schools in D.C. Between October and December over 130 students visited, and we’re looking forward to welcoming more in the spring!

Learning by Making In the nearly two years since the resounding success of hands-on workshops held during the special exhibition “Workt by Hand”: Hidden Labor and Historical Quilts, NMWA educators have made a concerted effort to evoke and encourage creativity through art-making experiences. To date, offerings have included makerspaces, workshops, and crafty happy hours. Through these programs, NMWA functions as a true locus of creativity. 6

WOMEN IN THE ARTS | WINTER/SPRING 2016

PHOTOS, TOP LEFT AND RIGHT: ASHLEY HARRIS, NMWA; BOTTOM LEFT: ELIZABETH LYNCH, NMWA; BOTTOM RIGHT: ADRIENNE GAYOSO, NMWA

• Let’s Talk About Art! In August, NMWA renewed its partnership with the D.C. Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative’s Arts for Every Student (AFES) initiative to present culturally enriching field trips for kindergarten through 12th-grade students in District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). Through AFES, the D.C. Collaborative works with member institutions to ensure that DCPS students benefit from the region’s rich array of arts opportunities. The D.C. Collaborative and host sites handle most visit logistics and costs so that students and teachers can focus on the visit itself.

Top left: At the December 12 workshop, participants experimented with clay slab-building; Top right: Teaching artist Elizabeth Vorlicek introduced clay techniques; Above left: Workshop participants’ in-process forms took inspiration from art on view in Pathmakers; Above right: At NMWA’s pop-up makerspaces, attendees of all ages played and created with a variety of materials

Research shows that making art improves problem-solving and decision-making skills; enhances appreciation for a variety of art objects, materials, and viewpoints; and fosters non-verbal communication. Leveraging these benefits, NMWA educators developed two types of art-making experiences in conjunction with the special exhibition Pathmakers: Women in Art, Craft, and Design, Midcentury and Today. Makerspaces, offered on alternate Free Community Days during the run of the exhibition, were self-directed and family-friendly opportunities to make, experiment, and tinker with a range of tools, materials, and techniques. Artist-led workshops for multigenerational audiences, bearing the new moniker “Firsthand Experiences,” introduced participants to wire weaving and clay slab-building techniques

through hands-on projects. One participant in a clay workshop said of her experience, “I most enjoyed the meaningful connections to the exhibition” and “learned that you could use what you see to inform your own art.” Another shared, “The technique was completely new to me, and I feel extremely accomplished.” Given the continued enthusiasm and requests for such experiences, NMWA educators are planning four “Firsthand Experiences” for the special exhibition She Who Tells a Story: Women Photographers from Iran and the Arab World. Inspired by the exhibition’s celebration of storytelling and documentation, these workshops will teach various expressive techniques—including writing, drawing, and photography—and provide the tools and time for participants to document and share their own stories.

D E D I C AT E D D O N O R

Dedicated Donor | In Remembrance of Lorraine Grace

COURTESY OF THE GRACE FAMILY

Lorraine Grace was a remarkable woman, a talented and passionate artist, and a cherished friend.

Lorraine Grace

orraine Grace, an artist, art patron, and longtime generous friend of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, died August 6 at age ninety-six. Grace began painting at thirty-one, when she and her husband, Oliver R. Grace, a philanthropist and businessman, moved to New York. They settled in an apartment near the National Academy Museum and School, where she attended classes in watercolor, oils, and pastels, and made drawings in charcoal and sepia. She was a prolific artist and could be found at her easel almost daily. She transformed three rooms of her apartment into her artist’s studio. Her desk, tables, and shelves were piled with books, clay pots, plaster busts, and dried flowers—the inspiration and subjects for her art. Amid her art-making, her husband and family were her priority. Grace had two daughters, two sons, and three stepdaughters, and later had more than twenty-two grandchildren. Her daughter Gwendolyn Grace said that her mother’s family commitments “did not leave much time for painting. She never complained but she never gave up. She knew the importance and the challenges of being a painter. The painting was of utmost importance to her until the very end of her life.” Grace studied at the Academy with realist painter Mary Beth McKenzie, who remembered her fondly: “The entire class loved her, and I still cannot imagine returning to class without her. Painting was her joy, and at ninety-six she experimented every day with new techniques and supplies. She was a remarkable woman, a talented and passionate artist, and a cherished friend.” Grace was primarily a portrait painter. She executed numerous portraits of family members, friends, and models. She focused on the study of eyes, believing that eyes convey the essence of each person she portrayed. She excelled at painting nudes. One of Grace’s pastels of a nude model is in NMWA’s collection—it depicts a young woman

with dark hair, whose profile is rendered in great detail. The museum exhibited Nude in 2013 and 2014, as well as a still life, Three Apples, in the 2002 exhibition Temptations. Grace admired the vision, intelligence, and generosity of Wilhelmina and Wallace Holladay, the founders of NMWA. She joined the museum as a founding member even before it opened to the public and served on the Board of Trustees from 1987 to 1995. She was a member of the NMWA Advisory Board (NAB) from 2001 until her death, and she joined the Library Fellows program in 1994. She contributed to the museum’s Legacy of Women in the Arts Endowment, supported exhibitions, and bought many books for the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center. Her unique contribution to NMWA was a gift of a collection of silver by British and Irish women silversmiths working between the late seventeenth and mid-nineteenth centuries assembled by Nancy Valentine, her New York friend and fellow NAB member. Grace and her husband purchased the collection and supported an exhibition and catalogue—the first scholarly book on women silversmiths—which was published by NMWA in 1992. Wilhelmina Cole Holladay said, “Lorraine Grace was a dear and cherished friend. Her gracious, thoughtful, quiet selflessness was impressive. I am truly grateful for the long closeness we enjoyed.” Grace had a calming presence, an understanding and curious nature, and considerable intellectual power. She encouraged many fellow artists, including her daughter Gwendolyn, who because of her mother became an artist and poet. She is remembered by the museum, friends, and family for embracing life and, as Gwendolyn described, her “love and acceptance.” —Krystyna Wasserman, NMWA Curator of Book Arts

WINTER/ SPRING 2016 | WOMEN IN THE ARTS

WOMEN IN THE ARTS | WINTER/SPRING 2016

She WhoTells a Story Women Photographers from Iran and the Arab World APRIL 8 – JULY 31, 2016 KRISTEN GRESH

uring this critical time for the Middle East, as national and personal identities are being dismantled and rebuilt, contemporary photography reflects the complexities of unprecedented change. One of the most significant trends to emerge recently is the work of women photographers. She Who Tells a Story brings together the vital pioneering work of twelve leading artists and invites viewers inside and outside the Middle East to explore new cultural landscapes and to confront their own preconceptions. “She who tells a story” is a translation of the Arabic term rawiya, which is also the name of a small collective of female photographers based in the Middle East, founded in 2009. The idea of a woman storyteller is a fitting premise for these photographs, themselves a collection of poignant stories about contemporary life in Iran and the Arab world. She Who Tells a Story introduces and celebrates work from a region that cannot be defined in a singular territorial, religious,

or ethnic way. This array of work, ranging in genre from portraiture to documentary, is almost entirely from 2000 or later, with the exception of a few key pieces from the 1990s that provide a historical backdrop. The artists and their work are presented within categories that show photographers deconstructing the stereotypes of Orientalism, constructing subjects’ nuanced identities, and creating new forms of documentary. Series of visual narratives reveal the richness of each artist’s work while allowing for extended glimpses into both the social and political landscapes of Iran and the Arab world.

Constructing Identities The images in She Who Tells a Story are not only made by women with roots in Iran and the Arab world, but are also about the people, landscapes, and cultures of the region. Many of the photographers here explore questions of identity through an evolving and shifting set of narratives that must be understood as a

Boushra Almutawakel, “Mother, Daughter, Doll” series, 2010; Pigment prints, nine photographs, each 24 x 16 in.; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Museum purchase with funds donated by Richard and Lucille Spagnuolo, 2013.556-564; Photograph © 2015 MFA Boston

WINTER/SPRING 2016 | WOMEN IN THE ARTS

response to Orientalism. Historically, “Orientalism” has referred to artistic or literary depictions by European or American artists and writers of the East, including Middle Eastern, North African, and Eastern cultures. Despite their current geographic distance from their native countries, Iranian-born Shirin Neshat and Moroccanborn Lalla Essaydi both produce work that is inspired, directly and indirectly, by the Middle East. Considering and reconsidering Orientalist iconography seems particularly compelling for these women, who embody an exilic, expatriate, or bicultural identity. Neshat’s series “Women of Allah” (1993–97) was the outcome of a visit the photographer made to her native Iran fifteen years after the Iranian Revolution and evokes the role that women played in the upheaval. These portraits of female warriors bearing arms, with the words of contemporary Iranian female writers inscribed across their faces and hands, address the

LEFT TO RIGHT:

Shirin Neshat, Sara Khaki (Patriots), from the series “The Book of Kings,” 2012; Ink on laser-exposed silver gelatin print, 60 x 45 in.; Courtesy of the artist and Gladstone Gallery, New York and Brussels; © Shirin Neshat Tanya Habjouqa, Untitled, from the series “Women of Gaza,” 2009, Pigment print, 20 x 30 in.; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Museum purchase with general funds and the Horace W.Goldsmith Fund for Photography, 2013.566; Photograph © 2015 MFA Boston

WOMEN IN THE ARTS | WINTER/SPRING 2016

paradoxes of “female Islamic militancy” and the precariousness of women’s place in Iranian society. Combining the elements of the veil, the gun, the text, and the gaze, Neshat’s poetic portraits gained her immediate attention on the contemporary art scene. Frequently deploying the authority of unwavering eye contact, the carefully crafted images break down Orientalist tropes of female submission by showing women’s empowerment in the face of opposition. Lalla Essaydi, like Neshat, associates Islamic calligraphy—a sacred and generally male art form—with women’s bodies to suggest the complexity of gender roles within Islamic culture. While Neshat writes text on the printed surface of her photographs, Essaydi applies henna calligraphy directly onto her models, their drapery, and their surroundings before photographing the scene. For Essaydi, the presence of text is related to the dominance of the word in Islam: “The word is powerful in our culture because we don’t [visually] portray God; our religion

OPPOSITE: Lalla Essaydi, Bullets Revisited #3, 2012; Triptych, chromogenic prints on

aluminum, 150 x 66 in.; Courtesy of the artist, Miller Yezerski Gallery, Boston, and Edwynn Houk Gallery, NYC

is based on the book, and, so, everything is based on the word. That is why a lot of [Muslim] artists work with writing.” The iconic series “Qajar” (1998) (cover image) by the Iranian artist Shadi Ghadirian was also a point of departure for many contemporary photographers. These humorous pastiches set up a cross-cultural and cross-temporal encounter between a nineteenth-century Persian photographer’s European-influenced backdrop and Ghadirian’s contemporary studio props. Ghadirian juxtaposes young women in traditional Iranian dress with what she describes as “modern” objects, such as boom boxes, musical instruments, and makeup. The incongruity between the subjects and their attributes suggests a tension between tradition and modernity and between restriction and freedom within the public and private realms. Ghadirian’s staged portraits of the 1990s laid a conceptual and aesthetic foundation for investigations by later photographers into issues of identity and the realities of being a female Iranian, or Arab, artist. The Yemeni artist Boushra Almutawakel’s series “Mother, Daughter, Doll” (2010) challenges the rise of religious extremism, increasingly pervasive in Yemen and neighboring countries, which calls for the public concealment of women’s, and even young girls’, bodies. These staged portraits do not denounce the hijab, but visually protest the covering of young females and the trend toward black clothing and covering, particularly the more extensive niqab. Almutawakel uses the veil as a visual device to challenge current social trends and explore the complexities of public appearance, creating a profound statement about the erasure of the individual through dress. In the intimate portraits that constitute Lebanese-born Rania Matar’s series “A Girl and Her Room” (2009–10), young women

pose comfortably in their bedrooms—their personal havens. Personal and poetic, this documentary exploration of female identity and belongings discloses both regional and more universal human characteristics. Other photographers react to more public social and political situations inside or outside their country of origin. The series “Listen” (2010) by Newsha Tavakolian comprises portraits of professional singers who, as women, are forbidden by Islamic tenets to perform in public or to record CDs in their native country of Iran. Tavakolian’s singers do not appear with microphones, although each is clearly caught mid-song. The accompanying video shows the women emotionally mouthing unheard words, suggesting the idea of an imposed silence.

New Documentary Other work on view brings artistic imagination to the documentation of real-life experiences. Themes of war, occupation, protest, and revolt and concerns about photography as a medium all find a place in this new genre. Contemporary Iranian society and the coexistence of daily life and war is a pervasive subject in the work of Shadi Ghadirian and Gohar Dashti, another photographer of post-revolutionary Iran. The artists grew up during the Iran-Iraq war (1980–88), and both depict staged narratives recounting unknown stories of war. Like Ghadirian’s early “Qajar” series, the colorful still-life images in “Nil, Nil” (2008) present startling juxtapositions, here of distinctly masculine and feminine objects—a soldier’s helmet hanging next to a headscarf, worn combat boots and a pair of red high heels—in intimate settings. BELOW LEFT TO RIGHT: Newsha Tavakolian, Maral Afsharian from the series “Listen,”

2010; Pigment print photograph, 235⁄8 x 31 ½ in.; Courtesy of the artist and East Wing Contemporary Gallery Rania Matar, Alia, Beirut, Lebanon, from the series “A Girl and Her Room,” 2010; Pigment print, 36 x 50 in.; Courtesy of the artist and Carroll and Sons, Boston; © Rania Matar

WINTER/SPRING 2016 | WOMEN IN THE ARTS

he theatrical photographs of a couple pursuing ordinary activities in a fictional battlefield in Dashti’s “Today’s Life and War” (2008) tell an equally unknown story of daily life amid military paraphernalia. The pictures describe private celebrations and daily domestic routines interrupted by a symbol of war, whether barbed wire, a missile head, or a wall of sandbags. Boundaries and barriers, real and metaphorical, recur throughout her surreal scenarios and evoke her own story of growing up near the Iran-Iraq border. Alternatives to these staged documentaries can be found in the works of the Egyptian Rana El Nemr and the Jordanian Tanya Habjouqa, both of whom directly capture urban stories in photographs that address questions of space, identity, and the sense of belonging. El Nemr’s depictions of her fellow Egyptians in the series “The Metro” (2003) convey the anonymity of contemporary life in the megalopolis of Cairo. The riders, depicted through lines, patterns, colors, and forms, are very much alone despite living in a crowded city. In the subway car designated for women, El Nemr inconspicuously observes her subjects as they sit or stand, deep in thought, poetically capturing both the displacement and belonging that inform the subtle interactions between people and public space.

WOMEN IN THE ARTS | WINTER/SPRING 2016

Habjouqa’s “Women of Gaza” (2009) records the experience of females in Gaza who, like all residents of the occupied territory, live with limited freedom. The photographs celebrate modest pleasures such as a picnic on the beach, an aerobics class, or a boat ride on the Mediterranean. Connecting intimately with her subjects, Habjouqa gently portrays the bright side of their not-always-so-bright lives. Another area of exploration for Middle Eastern photographers is the medium itself. Jananne Al-Ani, Nermine Hammam, and Rula Halawani, with roots in Iraq, Egypt, and Palestine respectively, exploit the recording capability of the photographic medium while pushing its boundaries in new ways, including reframing and resisting. Simultaneously, they challenge the mass media. In her “Negative Incursions” (2002), Halawani enlarges and prints negatives without reversing their values, producing the effect of night-vision camera images used for military or scientific purposes. Obscuring the specifics of time and place, the reversed rendering of the Israeli incursion of 2002 increases the dramatic intensity of the compositions. The thick black border around the images imitates the shape of a television screen, conveying Halawani’s criticism of the inadequacy of media coverage of Palestinian suffering. Bringing a strong graphic sense to her politically charged situation as a Palestinian living in East

Jerusalem, Halawani powerfully addresses the experience of destruction and displacement, as well as the nature of photographic media. Hammam’s series “Cairo Year One” (2011–12) also muses on the uses of photography. In the first part of the series, “Upekkha,” Hammam embeds photographs of soldiers she took in Tahrir Square during the eighteen-day uprising in January 2011 within the paradisiacal scenery of candy-colored postcards from her personal collection. Hammam’s incongruous composites question the media’s rendition of a historic event while commenting on the anticlimactic arrival of the army in the square and the surprising fragility of military power. As part of a work incorporating both still and moving images called “The Aesthetics of Disappearance: A Land without People,” Al-Ani shot images of the Jordanian landscape from an airplane, referring to contemporary war reportage and military surveillance. Images from the single-screen video Shadow Sites II (2011) (back cover) reveal traces of natural and man-made activity in the land below. Her work abstracts the landscape, flattening the buildings and making the inhabitants invisible. She Who Tells a Story offers a prism through which we can better understand the complex cultural, political, and religious mosaic that makes up the rich and multiple identities of this region in flux. It is intended to break down ideas of a nostalgic, Orientalist, traditional, or exotic world through showing contemporary visual media. These images force Western viewers to examine the way they look at the Middle East, and all viewers to rearticulate our ideas about the stories we thought we knew. Adapted from Kristen Gresh, “Stories We Thought We Knew,” in She Who Tells a Story: Women Photographers from Iran and the Arab World (Boston: MFA Publications, 2013). Copyright © 2013 by Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She Who Tells a Story was organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Presentation of the exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts is made possible through the generous support of an anonymous donor.

OPPOSITE: Gohar Dashti, Untitled #5, from the series “Today’s Life and War,” 2008,

Chromogenic print, 27 5⁄8 x 41 3⁄8 in.; Courtesy of the artist, Azita Bina, and Robert Klein Gallery; © Gohar Dashti RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM: Nermine Hammam, The Break, from the series “Cairo Year

One: Upekkha,” 2011; Chromogenic print, 23 5⁄8 x 23 5⁄8 in.; Courtesy of Taymour Grahne Rula Halawani, Untitled VI, from the series “Negative Incursions,” 2002; Chromogenic print, 35 ½ x 48 7⁄8 in.; © Courtesy of the artist and the Ayyam Gallery Rana El Nemr, Metro (#7), from the series “The Metro,” 2003; Pigment print, 39 3⁄8 x 39 3⁄8 in.; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Museum purchase with general funds and the Abbott Lawrence Fund, 2013.569; Photograph © 2015 MFA Boston

WINTER/SPRING 2016 | WOMEN IN THE ARTS

Women in Film Alice Guy-Blaché and “Be Natural”

Elizabeth Lynch

‘I

want the world to know about Alice,” says Pamela Green, director of the upcoming film Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché. The documentary charts a quest by Green and her partners to discover the visionary legacy of the first woman filmmaker, Alice Guy-Blaché (1873– 1968). Guy-Blaché played Alice Guy-Blaché a starring role in early cinema: while working as a secretary in a Paris photography studio in 1895, she watched the Lumière brothers debut their cinematograph. She then asked the permission of her boss, Léon Gaumont, to experiment with a camera to film a story. She created her first narrative film in 1896, and was made head of film production at Gaumont studios in 1897. Guy-Blaché later moved to the United States, where she started her own film production company, Solax, in 1910. With these studios, she is estimated to have written, directed, or produced a thousand movies, most of which have disappeared over time. NMWA will present the D.C. premiere of the film after its release in the coming year. With Editor Elizabeth Lynch, Green discussed Guy-Blaché’s pioneering work and the search for her legacy. 14

WOMEN IN THE ARTS | WINTER/SPRING 2016

EL: How did your research on Alice Guy-Blaché begin? PG: When I first learned about her, I was stunned. Alice is somewhat known in the academic world, but she wasn’t known to the film industry. Being in this industry, I knew a lot of the names in cinema, but I’d never heard of this woman. There was information about her online, but not much, and it created more questions. Not only was she the first woman director, but she had her own studio, and she produced films. I realized no one around me knew about her, so it became my mission to do something about this. EL: How did it grow into the documentary? PG: I told my production partner, Jarik van Sluijs, and he had never

heard of her. Then I told Gala Minasova, who became my detective partner in the film and co-producer. This movie would never have happened without our team working together. I started asking more people in Hollywood. I had worked with Robert Redford once before. He loves history, and he was amazed to learn about Alice as well. He decided to come on board [as executive producer], and that’s how it evolved. We contacted Jodie Foster, and our dream came true—she joined in as a narrator. Catherine Hardwicke and Julie Taymor agreed to be interviewed, and our list of participants grew beyond our wildest imagination. EL: How did she build her career, and what ended it? PG: Alice was there at the first screening of the Lumière brothers, and she experienced the birth of motion pictures. She was the daughter of a bookseller, and read a lot as a girl. So she thought, what if we could tell stories?

COURTESY BE NATURAL

EL: Can you describe your approach to the film?

I think of this era as being like Silicon Valley, but in Paris 1895. People would line up to have their pictures taken, or to have an X-ray—the same enthusiasm for photo technology as we have for the newest iPhone. They were experimenting with a new medium—similar to YouTube or Vine—telling short stories that might not have a narrative. Alice made those as well, for practice, but one of the first things she made was a narrative. She was also one of the first people to experiment with sound. She came to the U.S. and built her own studio—she was very entrepreneurial—based on what she learned at Gaumont. People don’t realize that the history of Hollywood started with Fort Lee, New Jersey. At that time she was making a lot of movies and working with a lot of movie stars. 1922 is when her career ended. Fort Lee was suffering, and the industry was moving to California. Her husband—very cliché—he ran away with an actress to Hollywood. At that point, she went back to France. She tried to find work, but wasn’t able to. For the rest of her life, she searched for her films and couldn’t find most of them. She wanted to be recognized.

your goals? PG: Even five years ago, when we started this project, these issues were not in the news. As time went by and people were speaking up, Alice started to be mentioned in articles. Change takes a village, but because we’re telling this story, a lot of people are curious. They want it to have an impact on the industry. Because Alice’s work isn’t known, her perspective and the way she looks at the world—her storytelling—has been absent from cinema. I think the world needs to see more women’s points of view in storytelling.

EL: What did you find in your research?

Learn more about the film at www.benaturalthemovie.com.

PG: I wanted to tell a modern version of her story. We take the audience from a world of postcards, letters, and still images into motion and digital, Skype calls and text messages. I wanted to show that transition—we’re still communicating, but through different mediums. Alice loved technology, so it’s a way of celebrating her. EL: How does the film world’s well-documented gender bias relate to

PG: The research involved calling people all over the world, and

digging through garages and basements, to try to collect her existing films and papers. For the first time, the world will be able to see a large portion of her work that was not available to the public before. I can’t reveal too much, because it is a detective story, but it’s going to be fun for the audience—they get to come on a journey with us, layered with Alice’s story as well.

Elizabeth Lynch is the editor at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

WINTER/SPRING 2016 | WOMEN IN THE ARTS

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WED 12–12:30 P.M. GALLERY TALK SERIES. Lunchtime Gallery Talks. These bite-size lunchtime talks are offered most Wednesdays. Museum staff members facilitate interactive conversations, encouraging visitors to look closely and investigate the mediums, techniques, and overarching themes of special exhibitions and works from the museum’s collection. Free. No reservations required.

Salon Style: French Portraits from the Collection January 29–May 22, 2016 She Who Tells a Story: Women Photographers from Iran and the Arab World April 8–July 31, 2016 Womanimal: Zine Art by Caroline Paquita On view through May 13, 2016, in the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center; Open Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. and 1–5 p.m. Élisabeth Louise VigéeLeBrun, Portrait of Princess Belozersky, 1798; On view in Salon Style

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COURTESY OF TAYMOUR GRAHNE

Pathmakers: Women in Art, Craft, and Design, Midcentury and Today On view through February 28, 2016

Nermine Hammam, The Break from the series “Cairo Year One: Upekkha,” 2011; On view in She Who Tells a Story

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WED 7–9:30 P.M.

FRESH TALK. Natalie Jeremijenko—Can an artist use science and technology to heal the environment? Director of the Environmental Health Clinic at New York University Natalie Jeremijenko, an artist and engineer, presents creative solutions for environmental health. Jean Case, a philanthropist, investor, and interactive-technology pioneer, and Megan Smith, U.S. Chief Technology Officer in the Office of Science and Technology Policy, join Jeremijenko to discuss ideas for advancing women’s innovations in technology. $25 for general admission; $15 for members, seniors, and students. Includes admission to Catalyst—a cocktail hour with a topic and a twist. Reservations required; visit http://nmwa.org/events/fresh-talk-natalie-jeremijenko.

SUN 10 A.M.–2 P.M.

ART+FEMINISM. Wikipedia Edit-a-thon. Celebrate Women’s History Month by helping us improve Wikipedia. NMWA’s fourth annual edit-a-thon focuses on improving articles related to notable women artists and art-world figures. Training for new editors and refreshments will be provided. Attend in person (registration required) or participate remotely. Free. Attendees should bring a laptop, power cord, and photo ID. For a schedule and more information, visit http://nmwa.org/events/wikipedia-edit-thon-2016.

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COURTESY OF THE LAVIN AGENCY

EXHIBITIONS

Natalie Jeremijenko

SUN 1–2 P.M.

TOUR. Around the World. In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, attend a free tour celebrating women artists from around the globe. See and discuss artworks that highlight the international spirit of the museum’s collection. Free. No reservations required.

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SAT 10 A.M.–5 P.M.

LAURA HOFFMAN, NMWA

MUSEUM DAY LIVE! Celebrating Women’s History Month. NMWA opens its doors free of charge for the day as part of Smithsonian magazine’s Museum Day Live!, celebrating a nationwide campaign to reach women and girls of color in underserved communities. This event offers free admission to visitors presenting a ticket for Museum Day Live! Free. Reservations required. Tickets are available to download at Smithsonian magazine’s website.

Visit http://nmwa.org/visit/calendar for a complete calendar of events and programs.

WOMEN IN THE ARTS | WINTER/SPRING 2016

YASSINE EL MANSOURI

CALENDAR

Calendar

MON 7–8:30 P.M.

ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL. Women and Water. Who has the right to water when it is scarce? Drawing parallels between the cycles of life and the cycles of water, Women and Water is a poetic examination of Indian society through the prism of water. Directed by Nocem Collado. Winner of the 2015 Green Film Network Award. Free. Reserve online at http://womenandwater. bpt.me. For the full festival schedule, visit www. dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org.

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COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND EAST WING CONTEMPORARY GALLERY

On view in She Who Tells a Story

ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL. Written on Water. Against the immense High Plains landscape, innovators fight to keep their towns alive against the decline of the Ogallala Aquifer. A documentary by Merri Lisa Trigilio, Written on Water is a modern western in which farmers’ heritage of independence collides with the reality of groundwater decline. A reception and discussion with the filmmakers follow the screening. Free. Reserve online at http:// writtenonwater.bpt.me. For the full festival schedule, visit www. dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org.

ARTIST TALK. Caroline Paquita. Join us for an in-depth discussion with Caroline Paquita, whose work is on view in the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center exhibition Womanimal: Zine Art by Caroline Paquita. The artist will talk about zines, art, and life during her twenty-year-career. Free. Reservations not required. For more information, visit http://nmwa.org/events/artist-talk-caroline-paquita.

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SAT 12–2 P.M. SWAN DAY. Staged-Reading Marathon. NMWA and Guillotine Theater celebrate SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now) by hosting the ninth annual staged-reading marathon. The program features readings of fresh, thought-provoking plays by D.C. area women playwrights. Drop by and see one scene, or stay and see them all. Free. No reservations required. For a calendar of SWAN Day events, visit www.womenarts.org/swan.

THURS 11 A.M.–2 P.M.

MEMBER PREVIEW DAY. She Who Tells a Story. Be among the first to explore She Who Tells a Story. More than seventy photographs made within urban and rural landscapes and in public and private spaces explore ideas about personal identity and vital political issues. Free for members and one guest, who will enjoy special exhibition tours, double discounts in the Museum Shop, and 15% off in the Mezzanine Café. Register by April 6 at http:// nmwa.org/ member-dayNewsha Tavakolian, Maral Afsharian april-7. from the series “Listen,” 2010;

SUN 4–6 P.M.

FRI 12–1 P.M.

DARIAN GLOVER

COURTESY WOMEN AND WATER

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TOUR. Au Naturel. Celebrate the natural world at NMWA! Spring in for a free drop-in tour inspired by the 2016 National Cherry Blossom Festival. Take a Rachel Ruysch, Roses, special springtime Convolvulus, Poppies look at the and Other Flowers in an Urn on a Stone museum’s diverse Ledge, ca. late 1680s collection. Explore collection highlights—from seventeenthcentury still lifes to contemporary sculptures—and discuss how artists across time have depicted the natural world. Free. No reservations required.

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COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

George II sauce boats, 1750

SUN 1–2 P.M.

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THURS 7:30–9:30 P.M.

OPENING RECEPTION. She Who Tells a Story. Members and the public are welcome to celebrate the opening of She Who Tells a Story at a special evening opening reception. Attendees will enjoy special tours and light refreshments. $15 members, $25 nonmembers. Registration includes two drink tickets. Register by March 31 at http://nmwa. org/opening-reception-april-7.

DAKOTA FINE

TALK AND TEA. Silver Tea. The second annual Silver Tea supports the care and conservation of the museum’s extensive collection of silver created by women silversmiths. This year, the Women’s Committee presents the tea at the Residence of the Japanese Ambassador. Learn about the Japanese tea ceremony, NMWA’s silver collection, and enjoy a tea buffet. $100 members, $125 non-members, $1,000 table. For more information or reservations, contact Carolyn Higgins at 202-783-7983. Elizabeth Godfrey, pair of

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COURTESY WRITTEN ON WATER

WED 2–4 P.M.

LEE STALSWORTH

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Visit http://nmwa.org/visit/calendar for a complete calendar of events and programs.

WINTER/SPRING 2016 | WOMEN IN THE ARTS

DANIEL SCHWARTZ

GALLERY TALK. Slow Art Day. Break out of your typical “go, go, go” routine and join a movement! Slow Art Day is an international event encouraging people of all ages to visit museums and look at art slowly. Participants will look at five works of art for fifteen minutes each and then meet over lunch to talk about their experience. Simple by design, the goal is to focus on the art and the art of seeing. Museum staff will be present to provide artwork suggestions and questions to consider. Free with admission. Reservations recommended; for a full schedule and more information, visit http://nmwa.org/events/slow-art-day.

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OFF-SITE FAMILY WORKSHOP. Paper Trails. In celebration of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, explore the importance of paper across Asian art-making traditions. Join educators from the Freer|Sackler and NMWA to experiment with traditional Japanese papers and bookmaking tools and techniques to create your own artist’s book. This program is designed for ages 6–12 and adults to participate in together. Free. Registration required. Registration opens March 15, at 12 p.m.; visit http://nmwa.org/apr-10-family-day or http://nmwa.org/apr-16-family-day. This event takes place at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW, ImaginAsia classroom.

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MON 5–7:30 P.M.

COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND CARROLL AND SONS, BOSTON © RANIA MATAR

CULTURAL CAPITAL DISCUSSION. Women of The Ring. Join women from the Washington National Opera (WNO) at the National Museum of Women in the Arts for a discussion about the women of Wagner’s Ring cycle, which WNO will present in its entirety in May. The event features cast and members of WNO’s creative team. Musical excerpts from the operas enliven the discussion. Followed by a reception. Free. No reservations required. For additional information, visit http://nmwa.org/ wagner-ring

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MERRI CYR

SUN 4–6 P.M.

SUN 12–5 P.M.; MON–TUES 10 A.M.–5 P.M.

MUSEUM SHOP. Spring Artisans’ Craft Fair. Please join us for the first Spring Artisans’ Craft Fair in NMWA’s Great Hall. The event features a group of creative women artists and designers who sell a wide variety of hand-crafted merchandise, including unique jewelry, home accents, and personal accessories. Members receive 20% off in the shop and café during the fair. Free with admission. A portion of proceeds will benefit NMWA’s operations, exhibitions, and education programs.

TEACHER WORKSHOP. The Middle East through the Lens of Global Competence. Explore She Who Tells a Story with NMWA educators, scholars from George Washington University’s Institute for Middle East Studies, and peers who seek to develop their Rania Matar, Alia, Beirut, Lebanon, from the series “A Girl and Her Room,” students’ global competence. 2010; On view in She Who Tells a Story This program will address the true diversity of experiences of women in the Middle East, delve into Western media stereotypes of the region, and brainstorm ways to facilitate dialogue about cultural difference. Co-sponsored by the Institute for Middle East Studies. Free. Registration required; visit http://nmwa.org/global-competence.

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SUN & SAT 1–4 P.M.

SAT 10 A.M.–3 P.M.

WORKSHOP. Firsthand Experience. Guest artist Nicole J. Georges leads this zine-making workshop inspired by the special exhibition She Who Tells a Story and its celebration of storytelling and documentation. Participants will create and publish zines to share their stories with others. Designed to instruct and engage audiences 13 and older. Materials and instruction will be provided. $25 general; $15 members, seniors, students. Reservations required; visit http://nmwa.org/ events/apr-16-workshop-firsthandexperience.

WED 7:30–9:30 P.M.

SHENSON CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT. Nadine Sierra, soprano. Artistic Director Gilan Tocco Corn welcomes soprano Nadine Sierra. Praised for her vocal beauty, seamless technique, and abundant musicality, Sierra is being hailed as one of the most promising emerging talents in the opera world today. She is making a name for herself through performances with top opera companies and symphony orchestras around the world. Free. Registration required; visit http://nmwa.org/shenson.

Shirin Neshat, Sara Khaki (Patriots) from the series “Book of Kings,” 2012; On view in She Who Tells a Story

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FRI 6:30 P.M.

BENEFIT EVENT. 2016 Spring Gala. Join NMWA patrons and gala chair Shahin Mafi for a special night at the museum’s largest annual fundraising event. The evening features dinner, dancing, and a silent auction. To purchase tickets or learn more, visit http:// nmwa.org/events/2016spring-gala.

Visit http://nmwa.org/visit/calendar for a complete calendar of events and programs.

WOMEN IN THE ARTS | WINTER/SPRING 2016

FREER | SACKLER MUSEUMS

4 | 10 & 4 | 16

SAT 11 A.M.–2 P.M.

COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND GLADSTONE GALLERY, NEW YORK AND BRUSSELS

CALENDAR

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SUN 1–3 P.M.; MON 6–8 P.M.; SUN 1–3 P.M.

READING CLUB. A Picture Plus a Thousand Words: Aligning Art with Stories. This series connects short stories by women from Iran and the Arab world with individual photographs from She Who Tells a Story. For each session, participants will read a short story, examine a selected photograph, and read a short non-fiction article that grounds the creative works in lived realities. Events will feature artwork introductions by NMWA educators and facilitated discussions. Free. Reservations required; visit http://nmwa.org/ visit/calendar. Program in conjunction with The Alignist.

5 | 1 Sex and Silence 5 | 23 Politicized Bodies 6 | 5 On War and Women

COURTESY SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

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SUN 4–8 P.M.

FRESH TALK. Women on Wheels— Can a bicycle be an agent of change? In celebration of bicycle month, the museum hosts a Suffragist Social Ride around downtown D.C. that culminates in a picnic-style Sunday Supper at NMWA. The day features conversations on the intersection Still from Wadjda, 2013 of bikes with the women’s liberation movement and a screening of Wadjda (2013), a film directed by Haifaa al-Mansour about a ten-year-old girl living in the suburbs of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, who dreams of owning a green bicycle. Reservations required; visit http://nmwa.org/events/fresh-talk-women-wheels.

Education programming is made possible by Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, The Shenson Foundation, in memory of Drs. Ben and A. Jess Shenson; Team Freiman at Morgan Stanley; Northern Trust; the Leo Rosner Foundation; SunTrust Foundation; and Wells Fargo. Additional support is provided by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation; the Harriet E. McNamee Youth Education Fund; William and Christine Leahy; Sofitel Washington D.C. Lafayette Square; and the Junior League of Washington.

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SAT 10 A.M.–3 P.M.

WORKSHOP. Firsthand Experience. Guest artist Renee Sandell leads this visual journaling workshop inspired by the special exhibition She Who Tells a Story and its celebration of storytelling and documentation. Participants will explore the Tanya Habjouqa, Untitled from exhibition for inspiration and the series “Women of Gaza,” 2009; express their stories through On view in She Who Tells a Story drawing, marking, mapping, and writing exercises. Designed to instruct and engage audiences 13 and older. Materials and instruction will be provided. $25 general; $15 members, seniors, students. Reservations required; visit http:// nmwa.org/events/may-14-workshop-firsthand-experience.

5 | 1, 5 | 23 & 6 | 5

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WED 7:30–9:30 P.M.

SHENSON CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT. Francis Poulenc “The Story of Babar,” with Rhoya Tocco Didden, narrator, and James Tocco, piano. A native of Bloomington, Indiana, Rhoya Tocco Didden grew up surrounded by music and musicians. Her mother is Iranian pianist Gilan Tocco Corn, and her father is American pianist James Tocco. A skilled amateur with piano and guitar, Didden chose literature as a career. She joins her father in performing “The Story of Babar.” James Tocco is a renowned recitalist, orchestral soloist, chamber musician, and pedagogue. Free. Registration required; visit http://nmwa.org/shenson.

The Women, Arts, and Social Change public program initiative is made possible through leadership gifts from Lorna Meyer Calas and Dennis Calas, the MLDauray Arts Initiative, Denise Littlefield Sobel, and the Swartz Foundation. Additional support provided by Deborah G. Carstens, Stephanie Sale, and Dee Ann McIntyre. FRESH TALK: Carrie Mae Weems is made possible by RBC Wealth Management. Catalyst is made possible, in part, by the Bernstein Family Foundation.

WINTER/SPRING 2016 | WOMEN IN THE ARTS

WOMEN IN THE ARTS | SEASON 0000

Salon Style French Portraits from the Collection January 29–May 22, 2016 VIRGINIA TREANOR

he Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in France was founded in 1648, and the first woman, Catherine Duchemin, a still-life painter, was elected into its membership in 1663. Duchemin’s specialty was typical of women artists, who were barred from the life-drawing classes where men were trained to create history paintings, the multi-figure compositions that were highly regarded. Because women were assumed to be less intelligent than their male peers, and due to their lack of artistic training, most women were limited to painting still lifes and portraits. For ambitious women artists who follwed Duchemin, however, including Élisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun and Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, the Academy provided the prestige—and entry to the Salon exhibitions—necessary for success. The Academy was modeled after earlier, Italian academies that sought to separate and elevate painters and sculptors above crafters such as masons, wood carvers, and textile workers. Membership marked artists as professionals and bestowed a Élisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun, Portrait of Princess Belozersky, 1798; Oil on canvas, 31 x 26 ¼ in.; NMWA, Gift of Rita M. Cushman in memory of George A. Rentschler

royal stamp of approval. To be admitted, artists had to present an example of their work to the members of the Academy and then win their formal vote. Only members of the Academy could exhibit in the group’s biennial Paris exhibition, known simply as the Salon, named after the space in the Louvre in which it was held from 1725 onward. It was the preeminent exhibition venue for artists in eighteenth-century France, and it became an increasingly important milestone for the success of any artist. Over the span of its existence, the Academy had more than 450 members, of whom only fifteen were women.1 Their admission was always controversial. Records show the struggle that attended the admission of a woman—members insisted that a particular decision should in no way set a precedent for the acceptance of more women in the future. In 1783, when VigéeLeBrun and Labille-Guiard were admitted on the same day, the Academy reacted by petitioning King Louis XVI to limit the number of women academicians to four. Thus, with these two women, the Academy reached its quota.2 Even when admitted, women did not enjoy the same benefits as their male peers. They were not allowed to vote on new members, nor could they teach or take Academy art classes. WINTER/SPRING 2016 | WOMEN IN THE ARTS

METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, A. HYATT MAYOR PURCHASE FUND, MARJORIE PHELPS STARR BEQUEST, 2009

Pietro Antonio Martini, View of the Salon of 1785, 1785; Etching, 14 ¼ x 20 ¾ in.; Martini’s work shows how the Salon was hung nearly floor to ceiling

ome women artists found entry to other venues, displaying their work at exhibitions sponsored by the Guild of St. Luke (until it was disbanded in 1776), as did the pastellist Marie-Geneviève Navarre in 1774. Many entrepreneurial spaces opened in the Guild’s wake. The best-known and most successful of these was the Salon de la Correspondance, run by businessman Pahin de la Blancherie, where Vigée-LeBrun, Labille-Guiard, and Marie Victoire Lemoine exhibited. Unlike the displays of paintings modern viewers are familiar with—works hung at eye level with plenty of space between them—the eighteenth-century salon was lined almost floor to ceiling with paintings. This method grew out of the conventions for showing private collections and allowed for a maximum number of works to be displayed. The biennial events allowed both the public and the artists themselves to view works in close proximity, prompting comparisons. Critics portrayed Vigée-LeBrun and Labille-Guiard as rivals from early on. Labille-Guiard was admitted to the Academy through the normal processes, whereas Vigée-LeBrun—the favorite portraitist of Queen Marie Antoinette—was granted membership on orders of the king. Whether or not the two artists saw their relationship in this competitive light is not clear, though the Academy atmosphere encouraged artists to emulate their teachers and impress their peers. Vigée-LeBrun and Labille-

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Guiard were seen as having different styles, so the purported rivalry was likely due to their gender and concurrent entry to the Academy. Both were accused of getting help from male artists, also rumored to be their lovers.3 These aspersions highlight the bias that women artists faced. By working as artists and public figures, Labille-Guiard and Vigée-LeBrun constantly had to defend their talent and their reputations. For her “reception piece,” the artwork she presented to gain admission to the Academy, Labille-Guiard submitted a pastel portrait of sculptor Augustin Pajou. Pastels had come into their own as a respected medium earlier in the century thanks to another woman artist, Rosalba Carriera. Born in Venice, Carriera traveled to Paris in 1720, where she was admitted to the Academy. Pastel works continued to gain popularity throughout the eighteenth century, particularly for portraiture, and artists such as Marie-Geneviève Navarre became known specifically for their talent with the medium. Vigée-LeBrun, too, executed works in pastel, including Innocence Taking Refuge in the Arms of Justice, which was popular enough to be copied in multiple prints. Although it seems she sought to be accepted to the Academy as a history painter, Vigée-LeBrun ultimately gained renown as a portraitist, a genre in which she had tremendous talent.4 Countless copies were made after Vigée-LeBrun’s paintings, not only in print form, but also full-size reproductions in pastel and oil paint.

TOP TO BOTTOM

LEE STALSWORTH

Marie-Geneviève Navarre, Portrait of a Young Woman, 1774; Pastel on paper, 24 x 19 ¾ in.; NMWA, Gift of Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay Rosalba Carriera, America, ca. 1730; Pastel on paper mounted on canvas, 16 ½ x 13 in.; NMWA, Purchased with funds donated by Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay Charles Bianchini, Portrait of Vigée-LeBrun (after Vigée-LeBrun’s 1789 self-portrait), ca. 1880–1900; Oil on canvas, 24 ½ x 19 ½ in.; NMWA, Gift of Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay

LEE STALSWORTH

Reproductions were valuable as duplicates of a coveted artwork, but they also spread awareness of an artist’s talent and served as a training tool for her copyists. The market for copies of Vigée-LeBrun’s work remained strong well into the nineteenth century, demonstrated by Charles Bianchini’s painting after her self-portrait of 1789. Contradicting the idea that women in the Academy were rivals, evidence exists that they supported one other. In addition to taking on women pupils, Labille-Guiard was an outspoken proponent of equal acceptance of women into the Academy. Although these efforts were unsuccessful, Labille-Guiard did not stop pressing for rights she felt she and her students deserved, such as lodgings within the Louvre, a benefit that all male members enjoyed. In 1789, the year that the French Revolution began, painter Marie Victoire Lemoine paid homage to women instructors with her painting The Interior of an Atelier of a Woman Painter (in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art), in which some scholars believe she depicted herself as a student and Vigée-LeBrun as her teacher. During the Revolution, the artists in this circle faced political upheaval. Vigée-LeBrun was forced to leave France because of her close ties to the court—she traveled and painted throughout the courts of Europe and Russia—though other artists remained in Paris and successfully negotiated the turbulent period. Labille-Guiard, who was also connected with the royal family, survived by offering a donation to the National Assembly as proof of her loyalty to the new government.5 In 1791 the National Assembly decreed, in the spirit of democracy, that the Salon be open to all artists, not only Academicians, and for a time, this greatly increased the number of women able to show there. Although this was a great boon for women artists in general who continued to gain professional recognition, it would be decades before another woman reached the status and acclaim of Vigée-LeBrun and Labille-Guiard.6

François Bartolozzi, Innocence Taking Refuge in the Arms of Justice (after Vigée-LeBrun), 1783; Engraving on paper, 15 ½ x 18 ¼ in.; NMWA, Gift of Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay

Notes 1. Mary D. Sheriff, The Exceptional Woman: Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun and the Cultural Politics of Art (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996), 79. 2. Still-life painter Anne Vallayer-Coster and the miniaturist Marie-Thérèse Reboul Vien were the other two. 3. Danielle Rice, “Vigée-LeBrun vs. Labille-Guiard: A Rivalry in Context,” in Proceeds of the Annual Meeting of the Western Society for French History (Lawrence, University of Kansas: 1984), 134. 4. Academy archives do not record under which genre Vigée-LeBrun was admitted. 5. Laura Auricchio, Adélaïde Labille-Guiard: Artist in the Age of Revolution (Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2009), 67. 6. Laura Auricchio, “Revolutionary Paradoxes: 1789–94,” in Royalists to Romantics: Women Artists from Versailles, the Louvre, and Other French National Collections (London: Scala Arts Publishers and the National Museum of Women in the Arts, 2012), 29.

LEE STALSWORTH

Salon Style: French Portraits from the Collection, presented in the Teresa Lozano Long Gallery of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, is organized by the museum and generously supported by its members.

LEE STALSWORTH

Virginia Treanor is associate curator at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

WINTER/SPRING 2016 | WOMEN IN THE ARTS

WOMEN IN THE ARTS | WINTER/SPRING 2016

Womanimal: Zine Art by Caroline Paquita On view through May 13, 2016

Heather Slania

hat do Thomas Paine, Martin Luther, and modern punks have in common? They all created independently produced, self-published works made with copying technology. While a printing press and a photocopier are different tools, both enable people to reproduce texts and art easily. This capability has influenced society and culture ever since Gutenberg created the first printing press. Despite the internet’s impact on information sharing, or perhaps because of it, zines—the modern version of these independent publications—are undergoing a revival. The term “zine” is derived from “fanzine,” amateur “little magazines” produced by science fiction and fantasy fans beginning in the 1930s. In the mid-1960s, copying became cheap and readily accessible, and fanzines flourished in the music community and a variety of other groups. By the mid- to late 1970s, the burgeoning punk scene and do-it-yourself movements began to use zines. New publications featured not just fans commenting on their interests, but also makers and creators of art, poetry, and literature.

Opposite and above: Cover and interior page from Garden of the Womanimal, 2014; Risographprinted zine, 6 ¾ x 9 ½ in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center Center: Interior page from Brazen Hussy #1, 1998; Photocopy-printed zine, 5 ½ x 8 ½ in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center Bottom: Interior page from Brazen Hussy #5, 2000; Photocopy-printed zine, 5 ½ x 8 ½ in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center

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uring the late 1980s to mid-1990s, a new generation of punk music emerged, and with it came strong growth in the creation and publication of zines. In particular, the Riot grrrl movement, which combined feminism with a punk and DIY ethos, grew from feminist punk zine creators who formed bands together. This movement empowered young women in their teens and twenties to tell their own stories, give and seek support, and create art in a world that was often hostile to them. Self-publication has roots not just in social movements, but also in artistic communities. Dadaists, Surrealists, and Futurists created independent periodicals, manifestos, and artists’ books. Their techniques, such as collage and radical juxtapositions of art and text, also influenced zine creators, who needed to develop composition skills in order to realize their visions. Armed with scissors and glue sticks, they learned to use and mix images and words to create graphically bold, successful publications. Within this history, multidisciplinary artist Caroline Kern (b. 1980) began to create zines. She produced her first zine, Brazen Hussy, when living in her hometown of Miami. It included several fictional comics and childhood stories, and it already shows evidence of her distinctive aesthetic, which features strong line work. She began using the medium to explore sexuality, culture, and identity. As she describes, her first zine “mimicked what I thought a zine was supposed to look like—a mix of photos, letters from friends, art, and some writing. It wasn’t

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particularly deep, but as I continued to make more issues, the zine became more illustration-based.” She adopted the name Caroline Paquita a few years into zine-making, to retain a measure of anonymity. While working toward her BFA at the University of Florida, Paquita continued to make zines with the encouragement of her professors. She also played in bands, toured, and became involved in the larger zine-making community by attending zine fests and conferences around the United States. However, the community began to erode as people increasingly used the internet. Blogs, message boards, and email lists efficiently delivered the kinds of information contained in zines, and fewer people were making them. However, Caroline Paquita not only continued to make zines, she also started to help others create zines of their own. In the 2000s, photocopying became increasingly expensive, and Paquita began to have trouble creating as many zines as she wanted. However, a friend introduced her to a Risograph stencil duplication machine, which opened new possibilities for her zine creation. She bought her own machine in 2009, and undertook a series of printing experiments, including her zine series Womanimalistic, featuring half-woman/half-animal creatures. The stories of these “womanimals,” like the other characters she depicts, depict queer lives and moving narratives with honesty, whimsy, and irreverence. Following these projects, Paquita officially began Pegacorn Press in 2011. Pegacorn Press specializes in small-run art books, comics, and

Opposite, left: Cover from Honey, 2011; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center Opposite right and left and right: Interior pages from Honey, 2011; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center

zines. The Pegacorn, part Pegasus and part unicorn, declared that artists working with her could create zines as weird or wild as they liked. Paquita works in a true collaborative environment with each artist to create publications that both are satisfied with. She also worked with Booklyn Artists Alliance (an organization of artists and bookmakers based in Brooklyn) on box set Ride the Wild Ride, in the collection of the Library and Research

Center at NMWA. The set gathers her work from her early zines to her recent, highly illustrated zines. Paquita’s work, in itself, tells the story of the last twenty years of zine-making. Heather Slania is the director of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

On Screen, Up Close & In Person Visitors to NMWA’s Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center can view a small selection of Paquita’s work. Much more is available through a special exhibition feature—on an iPad adjacent to the display cases, viewers are able to flip through an array of imagery from Paquita’s zines. This breadth of images shows the zines in their entirety, enabling visitors to read full comics and stories and follow the artist’s aesthetic development. Join us for an artist talk with Paquita on March 25! See the calendar listing on page 17 for additional details.

Caroline Paquita

WINTER/SPRING 2016 | WOMEN IN THE ARTS

MUSEUM NEWS AND EVENTS

Member News Please Join Us for Member Preview Day

JACK HARTZMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Be among the first to explore She Who Tells a Story: Women Photographers from Iran and the Arab World. Presenting more than seventy photographs and a video installation, most created within the last decade, the exhibition features themes of identity, war, occupation, and protest in work by twelve groundbreaking women artists. Member Preview Day is Thursday, April 7, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Entrance is free for members and one guest, who will enjoy special exhibition tours, double discounts in the Museum Shop, and 15% off in the Mezzanine Café. Register by April 6 at http://nmwa.org/ member-day-april-7.

Opening Reception Members and the public are also welcome to celebrate the opening of She Who Tells a Story at a special opening reception, Thursday, April 7, 7:30–9:30 p.m. Attendees will enjoy a first look at the exhibition, behind-the-scenes tours, and light refreshments. Registration includes two drink tickets. $15 members, $25 nonmembers. Register by March 31 at http:// nmwa.org/opening-reception-april-7.

Guests at the Mod Women event toured Pathmakers, showed off their mod-themed accessories, and danced the evening away at NMWA

exhibition, sampled vintage cocktails and delicious refreshments, and danced while “mod squad” judges selected winners for the costume contest.

Save the Date The next NMWA Nights event takes place on Friday, May 20—mark your calendars and keep an eye on your member e-news for more information!

Silver Tea Reserve your place at the museum’s second annual Silver Tea, which supports the care and conservation of the museum’s extensive collection of silver created by women silversmiths. This year, the NMWA Women’s Committee is honored to present the tea on March 16, 2–4 p.m., at the Residence of the Japanese Ambassador. Learn about the Japanese tea ceremony, the museum’s silver collection, and enjoy a tea buffet during this fabulous afternoon. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the NMWA Silver Conservation Fund. $100 members, $125 non-members, $1,000 table. For more information or reservations, call Carolyn Higgins, 202-783-7983 or chiggins@ nmwa.org.

Mod Women (and Men) Redux Hundreds of mod members and friends turned out in full retro regalia for the Halloween-weekend opening event for Pathmakers: Women in Art, Craft, and Design, Midcentury and Today. Guests toured the 28

WOMEN IN THE ARTS | WINTER/SPRING 2016

Last-Chance Opportunity for Named Great Hall Plaques The museum’s signature Great Hall and Mezzanine are among the most memorable spaces in Washington. The beautiful white marble balustrades around the Mezzanine offer a meaningful way to honor your favorite woman artist, supporter of the arts, or museum member. With a named balustrade, you can request a short message to be etched on a brass plaque. For a limited time, this naming opportunity is available for $1,500. Donation levels for balustrade plaques will increase to $2,500 in September 2016. Take advantage of this opportunity to support the museum, champion excellent women artists, and recognize someone important to you. For more details, please contact Kimm Watson, 202-266-2805 or kwatson@nmwa.org.

Committee News Committee Support

Committee Activities

The U.K. Friends of NMWA held a successful selling exhibition, Nature by Design, November 16–17 at the Royal Thames Yacht Club in London. The exhibition celebrated contemporary female jewelers, ceramicists, silversmiths, and designers influenced by nature. Twenty-four artists and artisans displayed their wares during the packed two-day event. Additionally, artist Polly Morgan, whose work appeared at NMWA in Women to Watch, generously donated Receiver (2010), a wallmounted sculpture, to be raffled during the sale. Proceeds will benefit the committee’s tenth anniversary Participating Nature by Design artists with NMWA Deputy celebration in 2016–17. Director Ilene Gutman at the sale

which featured an introduction by Barbara Lee, founder and president of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, a lecture by Harvard PhD candidate Eva Payne, and a viewing of the exhibition, which presents over 60 prints by the artist alongside works by her Pop Art contemporaries. Les Amis du NMWA supported an event with director Pamela Green for her film Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché on November 22 at a private residence in Paris.

PHOTO YASSINE EL MANSOURI

Center’s (WISC) annual Founders’ Award on August 6. She was a featured speaker in the EDGE Series: Women in the Visual Arts Week, “How Women Artists Shape the Arts and Contribute to Social Change,” sponsored by WISC and New Mexico State Committee. The Massachusetts State Committee partnered with the Harvard Business School Women’s Association for a private reception and viewing of Corita Kent and the Language of Pop at the Harvard Art Museums on October 19. More than 150 committee members and guests attended the event,

PHOTO YASSINE EL MANSOURI

The Mississippi State Committee held its seventeenth annual Honored Artists’ Luncheon on August 3. NMWA Director Susan Fisher Sterling attended the event, which celebrated three women artists— photographer Gretchen Haien, painter George Ann McCullough, and arts educator and author Betty Oswald—and awarded scholarships to three female art students at Mississippi universities. Sterling traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to accept the Women’s International Study

Nature by Design

PHOTO VIRGINIA ARENDT

Generous recent donations from several NMWA committees are benefiting the museum, its collection, and its exhibitions. The Georgia Committee donated funds for stylish and durable museum benches designed by Florence Knoll, which have been placed in the Great Hall. They also purchased for the collection the ceramic sculpture Leia (2013) by Jiha Moon, the Georgia artist whose work appeared in the recent committeesourced exhibition Organic Matters—Women to Watch 2015. Les Amis du NMWA also donated art featured in Women to Watch, Françoise Pétrovitch’s ink-on-paper work. The New Mexico State Committee contributed funds to support Pathmakers: Women in Art, Craft, and Design, Midcentury and Today. Carol Olmstead, co-chair of the committee’s outreach committee, traveled to Washington to attend the exhibition’s opening.

Left: Women to Watch artist Françoise Pétrovitch (second from right) with Les Amis du NMWA members Danielle Grall, Katy DeBost, and Tara Beauregard Whitbeck, in front of Pétrovitch’s work donated to the museum; Right: Women to Watch artist Jiha Moon (second from right) with Georgia Committee members Lisa Cannon Taylor, Sara Steinfeld, and Belinda Massafra, with Moon’s work at NMWA

WINTER/SPRING 2016 | WOMEN IN THE ARTS

MUSEUM NEWS AND EVENTS

Museum News Seward & Kissel Supports National and International Programs In 2015, NMWA’s unique network of national and international outreach committees received a generous three-year donation from Paul Clark, John Cleary, and John Tavss, partners in the leading U.S. law firm Seward & Kissel LLP. The gift, organized by Clark, a member of the NMWA Advisory Board (NAB), is made in honor of fellow NAB member Nancy Valentine and in memory of her husband, Richard Valentine (1920–2003), who was a partner at Seward & Kissel. The Valentines’ support has been significant to the museum. Nancy was the first-ever chair of the museum’s NAB, and she assembled the silver by British and Irish women silversmiths that became part of NMWA’s collection. Tavss, Seward & Kissel’s managing partner says, “Seward & Kissel celebrated

its 125th anniversary in September. Dick Valentine, who joined the firm in the 1950s, made a significant contribution to the success of the firm, both as a pioneer in hedge fund law and an acclaimed tax lawyer and as a mentor to several generations of young lawyers. We are delighted to recognize the role that Dick and Nancy played in the lives of so many Seward & Kissel attorneys by making a contribution to an institution that Dick loved and in which Nancy continues to play an active role.” Committees, under the direction of Deputy Director Ilene Gutman, champion NMWA and bring its mission to a larger audience. Seward & Kissel’s gift will support the museum’s national and international programs as they grow, with the formation and expansion of groups across the United States, South America, and Europe.

Nancy and Richard Valentine

Museum Events 1. The Women’s Voices Theater Festival celebrated its launch at NMWA, which also hosted festival performances 2. Artistic and managing directors of the Women’s Voices Theater Festival (back) Edgar Dobie, Molly Smith, Eric Schaeffer, Michael Kahn, Paul R. Tetreault, and (front) Ryan Rilette, Meghan Pressman, Meridith Burkus, and Howard Shalwitz 1

MARGOT SCHULMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Launch of the Women’s Voices Theater Festival

3. At the inaugural Women, Arts & Social Change FRESH TALK event, a panel on the artist’s voice featured Guerrilla Girl Alma Thomas, Micol Hebron, Ghada Amer, and Simone Leigh 4. After a series of talks and discussions, attendees stayed for a shared Sunday Supper 5. Attendees participated in a discussion and shared their thoughts on comment cards 3

WOMEN IN THE ARTS | WINTER/SPRING 2016

KEVIN ALLEN

Women, Arts & Social Change: Righting the Balance

6. NMWA Board President Sheila Shaffer, Su Kwak, Museum of Arts and Design Director Glenn Adamson, and NMWA Director Susan Fisher Sterling 7. Reception attendees enjoyed the art on view in Pathmakers 6

JACK HARTZMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Opening reception for Pathmakers: Women in Art, Craft, and Design, Midcentury and Today

2015 Fall Benefit

ALISON TREMBLAY/WASHINGTON PHOTO

8. George White, NMWA Founder Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, and Shahin Mafi 9. Shenson Chamber Music Concert Series Artistic Director Gilan Tocco Corn and NMWA Director Susan Fisher Sterling 10. Irene Roth, Vicken Poochikian, NAB member Rosemarie Forsythe, NMWA Board President Sheila Shaffer, and NMWA Trustee Hon. Mary Mochary 11. Neera Singh, Alka Kesavan, NMWA Trustee Mahinder Tak, Anisha Jindia, and Amrita Rai 12. NMWA Founder Wilhelmina Cole Holladay welcomed attendees

Book Arts Lecture: Carol Barton 13. Artist Carol Barton delivered the first of an annual lecture series devoted to artists’ books and their creators. 14. Carol Barton, Library of Congress Chief of the Rare Book and Special Collections Division Mark Dimunation, and NMWA Book Arts Curator Krystyna Wasserman

Women, Arts & Social Change: Carrie Mae Weems 15. Artist Carrie Mae Weems spoke at a November FRESH TALK event 16. The event featured a conversation between Weems and Robert Raben, of the Raben Group, moderated by Lonnae O’Neal, of the Washington Post 17. The conversation was followed by a shared Sunday Supper, where attendees continued the conversation on art and social change

WINTER/SPRING 2016 | WOMEN IN THE ARTS

KEVIN ALLEN

SUPPORTING ROLES

Board of Trustees

Legacy of Women in the Arts Endowment Campaign

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay—Chair of the Board, Winton S. Holladay—Vice Chair of the Board, Sheila Shaffer— President, Gina F. Adams—Vice President, Arlene Fine Klepper—Treasurer, Juliana E. May—Secretary, Mary V. Mochary—Finance Chair, Amy Weiss—Nominations Chair, Nancy Nelson Stevenson—Works of Art Chair, Marcia Myers Carlucci—Building Chair, Carol Matthews Lascaris—President Emerita and Endowment Chair, Dana J. Snyder—At Large, Susan Fisher Sterling*—The Alice West Director, Janice Lindhurst Adams, Pamela G. Bailey, M. A. Ruda Brickfield, Charlotte Clay Buxton, Rose Carter, Diane CaseyLandry, Mary Clark*, Lizette Corro, Deborah I. Dingell, Martha Lyn Dippell, Nancy Duber, Karen Dixon Fuller, Susan Goldberg, Cindy Jones, Sally L. Jones, Marlene McArthur Malek, Jacqueline Badger Mars, Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Marjorie Odeen, Jackie Quillen, Andrea Roane, Clarice Smith, Kathleen Elizabeth Springhorn, Sharon Lee Stark, Jessica H. Sterchi, Joanne C. Stringer, Mahinder Tak, Annie S. Totah, Sarah Bucknell Treco*, Frances Usher, Ruthanna Maxwell Weber, Alice West

We wish to thank all of the supporters of the Legacy of Women in the Arts Endowment Campaign, whose generosity guarantees that NMWA will endure and forever inspire for generations to come. Although we can only list donations of $10,000 and above due to space limitations, NMWA is grateful to all donors to the endowment.

*Ex-Officio

NMWA Advisory Board Sarah Bucknell Treco—Chair, Patty Abramson, Noreen M. Ackerman, Sunny Scully Alsup, Jean Astrop, Jo Ann Barefoot, Gail Bassin, Susan G. Berk, Sue Ann Berlin, Catherine Little Bert, Brenda Bertholf, Eva M. Borins, Caroline Boutté, Nancy Anne Branton, Amy Sosland Brown, Margaret Boyce Brown, Deborah Carstens, Eleanor Chabraja, Paul T. Clark, John Comstock, Linda Comstock, Lynn Finesilver Crystal, Belinda de Gaudemar, Betty Dettre, Elizabeth J. Doverman, Ginni Dreier, Kenneth P. Dutter, Gerry E. Ehrlich, Patrice Emrie, Elva B. Ferrari-Graham, Rosemarie Forsythe, Jane Fortune, Robert Freeman, Claudia Fritsche, Lisa Garrison, Barbara S. Goldfarb, Jamie S. Gorelick, Jody Harrison Grass, Claudia Hauberg, Sue J. Henry, Anna Stapleton Henson, Caroline Rose Hunt, Jan Jessup, Alice D. Kaplan, Doris Kloster, Nelleke Langhout-Nix, Fred M. Levin, Gladys Kemp Lisanby, Sarah H. Lisanby, M.D., Nancy Livingston, Maria Teresa Martínez, C. Raymond Marvin, Pat McCall, Debby McGinn, Dee Ann McIntyre, Cynthia McKee, Suzanne Mellor, Jacqui Michel, Eleanor Smith Morris, Claudia Pensotti Mosca, Deborah E. Myers, Jeannette T. Nichols, Kay W. Olson, Katherine D. Ortega, Margaret Perkins, Patti Pyle, Madeleine Rast, Drina Rendic, Barbara Richter, Elizabeth Robinson, Geri Roper, Elizabeth A. Sackler, Stephanie Sale, Steven Scott, Marsha Brody Shiff, Kathern Ivous Sisk, Geri Skirkanich, Salwa J. Aboud Smith, Dot Snyder, Patti Amanda Spivey, Kathleen Elizabeth Springhorn, Bonnie Staley, Sara Steinfeld, Jo Stribling, Susan Swartz, Cheryl S. Tague, Lisa Cannon Taylor, MaryRoss Taylor, Deborah Dunklin Tipton, Nancy W. Valentine, Christy A. Vezolles, Paula S. Wallace, Harriet L. Warm, Island Weiss, Tara Beauregard Whitbeck, Patti White, Betty Bentsen Winn, Rhett D. Workman

Endowment Foundation Trustee ($1 million+) Anonymous, Betty B. and Rexford* Dettre, Estate of Grace A. George, Wilhelmina C. and Wallace F.* Holladay, Sr., Carol and Climis Lascaris, Estate of Evelyn B. Metzger, The Honorable Mary V. Mochary, Rose Benté Lee Ostapenko*, Madeleine Rast, The Walton Family Foundation Endowment Foundation Governor ($500,000–$999,999) Noreen M. Ackerman, P. Frederick Albee and Barbara E. Albee*, Catherine L. and Arthur A. Bert, M.D., J.W. Kaempfer, Nelleke Langhout-Nix, Joe R. and Teresa L. Long, James R. and Suzanne S. Mellor, National Endowment for the Humanities, Drs. A. Jess and Ben Shenson*, MaryRoss Taylor, Alice W. and Gordon T. West, Jr. Endowment Foundation Fellow ($200,000–$499,999) Catharina B. and Livingston L. Biddle, Jr.*, Marcia Myers and Frank Carlucci, Costa del Sol Cruise, Kenneth P. Dutter, Estate of E. Louise Gaudet, Lorraine G. Grace*, William Randolph Hearst Foundation, Estate of Eleanor Heller, Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston/The Shenson Foundation, in memory of Drs. Ben and A. Jess Shenson, Dorothy S. Lyddon*/Seven Springs Foundation, Marlene McArthur and Frederic V. Malek, Victoria J. Mastrobuono*, Sea Goddess I and II Trips, Alejandra and Enrique Segura, Sheila and Richard Shaffer, Clarice Smith Endowment Foundation Counselor ($100,000–$199,999) Janice L. and Harold L. Adams, Nunda and Prakash Ambegaonkar, Carol C. Ballard, Baltic Cruise, Eleanor and Nicholas D. Chabraja, Clark Charitable Foundation, Hilda and William B. Clayman, Julia B. and Michael M. Connors, Martha Lyn Dippell and Daniel Lynn Korengold, Gerry E. and S. Paul* Ehrlich, Jr., Enterprise Rent-A-Car, FedEx Corporation, Barbara A. Gurwitz and William D. Hall, Caroline Rose Hunt/The Sands Foundation, Alice D. Kaplan, Dorothy and Raymond LeBlanc, Lucia Woods Lindley, Gladys K. and James W.* Lisanby, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Adrienne B. and John F. Mars, Juliana and Richard E. May, Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Irene Natividad, Jeannette T. Nichols, Lady Pearman, Reinsch Pierce Family Foundation by Lola C. Reinsch and J. Almont Pierce, Julia Sevilla Somoza, Marsha Brody Shiff, June Speight*, Kathleen Elizabeth Springhorn, Mahinder K. and Sharad Tak, Sami and Annie Totah Family Foundation Endowment Circle ($50,000–$99,999) Linda Able Choice*, George* and Ursula Andreas, Arkansas Fifty, Lulu H. Auger*, Virginia Mitchell Bailey*, Sondra D.* and Howard M. Bender/The Bender Foundation, Inc., Patti Cadby Birch*, Laura Lee and Jack S. Blanton, Sr.*/Scurlock Foundation, Anne R. Bord*, Caroline Boutté, BP Foundation Inc., M. A. Ruda and Peter J. P. Brickfield, Margaret C. Boyce Brown, Martha Buchanan, Charlotte Clay Buxton, Sandra and Miles Childers, Mary and Armeane Choksi, Margaret and David Cole/The Cole Family Foundation, Holland H. Coors*, Porter and Lisa Dawson, Courtenay Eversole, Suzy Finesilver*/ The Hertzel and Suzy Finesilver Charitable Foundation, Karen Dixon Fuller, Alan Glen Family Trust, Peter and Wendy Gowdey, Laura L. Guarisco, Jolynda H. and David M. Halinski, Janie Hathoot, Hap and Winton Holladay, Evan and Cindy Jones Foundation, I. Michael and Beth Kasser, William R. and Christine M. Leahy, Louise C. Mino Trust, Zoe H. and James H. Moshovitis, Joan and Lucio A. Noto, Marjorie H. and Philip Odeen, Nancy Bradford Ordway, Katherine D. Ortega, Margaret H. and Jim Perkins, Ramsay D. Potts*, in honor of Veronica R. Potts, Elizabeth Pruet*, Edward Rawson, Jane S. Schwartz Trust, Jack and Dana Snyder , Judith Zee Steinberg and Paul J. Hoenmans, Susan and Scott Sterling, Nancy N. and Roger Stevenson, Jr., Jo and Thomas Stribling, Susan and Jim Swartz , Elizabeth Stafford Hutchinson Endowed Internship—Texas State Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, William and Frances Usher, Elzbieta Chlopecka Vande Sande, Betty Bentsen Winn and Susan Winn Lowry, Yeni Wong Endowment Patron ($25,000–$49,999) Micheline and Sean Connery, Sheila ffolliott, Georgia State Committee of NMWA, New York Trip, Nancy O’Malley, Mississippi State Committee of NMWA, Northern Trust, Estate of Mary Marvin Breckinridge Patterson, Chris Petteys*, Lisa and Robert Pumphrey*, Elizabeth A. Sackler, Estate of Madoline W. Shreve, Patti Amanda and Bruce Spivey, Sahil Tak/ST Paper, LLC, In Honor of Alice West, Jean and Donald M. Wolf, The Women’s Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts Endowment Sponsor ($15,000–$24,999) Deborah G. Carstens, Stephanie Fein, Martha and Homer Gudelsky*, Sally L. Jones, Louise H. Matthews Fund, Lily Y. Tanaka, Liz and Jim Underhill, Elizabeth Welles, Dian Woodner Endowment Friend ($10,000–$14,999) Carol A. Anderson, Julia and George L. Argyros, Mrs. Joseph T. Beardwood, III, Catherine Bennett and Fred Frailey, Susan G. Berk, Mary Kay Blake, Booz Allen Hamilton, Lynne V. and Richard Cheney, Esther Coopersmith, Darby Foundation, Jack J. Dreyfus, Jr.*, Patricia M. and Clifford J. Ehrlich, Mary Page and Thomas B. Evans, Lois Lehrman Grass, Anna Stapleton Henson, Alexine C. and Aaron G.* Jackson, Jan Jessup ,Pamela Johnson and Wesley King, Helga and Peter-Hans Keilbach, Howard and Michelle Kessler, Ellen U. and Alfred A. King*, Jacqueline Badger Mars, C. Raymond Marvin, Clyde and Pat Dean McCall, Edwina H. and Charles P. Milner, Evelyn V. and Robert M.* Moore, Harriet Newbill, Estate of Edythe Bates Old, PepsiCo., Inc., Anne and Chris Reyes, Savannah Trip , Mary Anne B. Stewart, Paula Wallace/Savannah College of Art and Design, Marjorie Nohowel Wasilewski, Jean S. and Gordon T. Wells *Deceased (all lists as of December 15, 2015)

WOMEN IN THE ARTS | WINTER/SPRING 2016

She Who Tells a Story Exhibition Catalogue She Who Tells a Story introduces

MUSEUM SHOP

Museum Shop Soapstone Hearts Small decorative hearts are hand-carved and hand-painted in Kisii, Kenya. Assorted designs. $4/Member $3.60 (Item #1965)

pioneering work by twelve leading women photographers from Iran and the Arab world. These vibrant artists challenge us to set aside preconceptions and share in their vision and stories. $40/Member $36 (Item #60095)

Chive Pooley Tube Vase

Spring Snow Globe Spend a quiet moment

This glazed ceramic bud vase is perfect for single stems or even sitting on a shelf with no flowers at all. Each separate tube is attached to the base. Fill one or fill them all. 4 in. high x 7.25 in. long. $20/Member $18 (Item #30381)

watching cherry blossoms fall on the footbridge. The haiku on the base reads “The end of spring lingers in the cherry blossoms”—Buson. $58/Member $52.20 (Item #29364)

I am Her Illustrated Book Cherry Blossom Steeping Cup

This beautiful book is a collage of quotations, vignettes, and thought-provoking questions that will remind the women in your life of their strength, spirit, and heart. Foil-stamped hardcover; 80 pages. $14.95/Member $13.46 (Item #1044)

Loose tea by the cup…simple. This double-wall ceramic tumbler with integrated stainless steel infuser keeps tea hot and the tumbler cozy to hold. 12 oz.; Dishwasher and microwave safe. $24/Member $21.60 (Item #29307)

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Louise Bourgeois Tea Pot

Guerrilla Girls Tea Towel

Start your day like Louise Bourgeois would with lots of tea, jam, sugar, and caffeine. The imagery featured on this set is from her fabric-collage book, Ode à l’oubli. This porcelain tea pot, cup, and saucer comes gift-boxed. $60/Member $54 (Item #30413)

“The Advantages of Being a Woman Artist” is an art print on linen/cotton. Use it as functional domestic art, a tea towel, or an artwork to be framed. Made in collaboration with the Guerrilla Girls; only available in museums and exclusive design stores. $21.95/Member $19.76 (Item #30106)

Winter/Spring 2016

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NATIONAL MUSEUM of WOMEN in the ARTS 1250 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20005-3970

COMING SOON

Mark your calendar for exhibitions and events! She Who Tells a Story: Women Photographers from Iran and the Arab World Celebrate She Who Tells a Story, on view April 8–July 31. Read more about the exhibition beginning on page 8. • April 7, Member Preview Day, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Members and a guest are invited to preview the work of twelve pioneering women photographers from Iran and the Arab world. • April 7, Opening Reception, 7:30–9:30 p.m. Members and the public will enjoy exhibition tours and refreshments. Tickets $15 members, $25 non-members.

Women’s History Month at NMWA

Jananne Al-Ani, Aerial I, production still from the film Shadow Sites II, 2011; Chromogenic print, 72 x 91 in.; Courtesy of the artist and Abraaj Capital Art Prize 2011; On view in She Who Tells a Story

During the month of March, visit NMWA for programs including: • March 2, FRESH TALK discussion and cocktail hour, 7–9:30 p.m. Natalie Jeremijenko explores whether an artist can use science and technology to heal the environment. • March 6, Wikipedia Edit-a-thon, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Help write and improve Wikipedia articles on women artists. • March 6, Around the World Tour, 1–2 p.m. See and discuss art by women from around the world. • March 20 and 21, Environmental Film Festival. View films that explore water scarcity and how water issues affect women.

Check the calendar beginning on page 16 for more events and programs!