Description

The Women Artists’ Cooperative Space as a Site for Social Change: Artemisia Gallery, Chicago (1973-1979)

The history of the women artists’ cooperative Artemisia Gallery in Chicago and its activist agenda has been neglected in academic literature. This article will reclaim the voice of its members and specifically explore a series of programming and exhibitions implemented by Artemisia Gallery from 1973-1979 that prepared women artists to enter the professional work force equipped with feminist pedagogy to promote social justice for women in the art world. Three workshops from this period will be discussed, specifically “Economic Structures of the Art World” (1976), “Feminist Art Workers” (1976) and “Feminist Art Methodology” (1976), as well as one exhibition “Both Sides Now: An International Exhibition Integrating Feminism and Leftist Politics.” These events were sponsored by the Artemisia Fund, which was founded after the gallery was incorporated in 1973 to foster a national educational dialogue regarding the history of women artists, as well as the social, economic and political concerns they faced.

activism, alternative spaces, Nancy Angelo, art, Artemisia Fund, Artemisia Gallery, “Both Sides Now,” Chicago, Collaboration, Candace Compton, Betsy Damon, essentialism, exhibitions, feminism, feminist art, feminist art education, Cheri Gaulke, Margaret Harrison, Donna Henes, Johnnie Johnson, Mary Kelly, Laurel Klick, L.A. Woman’s Building, Leslie Labowitz, Suzanne Lacy, Ellen Lanyon, Lucy Lippard, Adrian Piper, Joy Poe, Arlene Raven, Separatism, women artists, women artists’ cooperative

Citation: Social Justice Vol. 34, No. 1 (2007): 28-43