In the early 1970s, fewer than 2 percent of art galleries in the United States displayed the works of female artists. “It seemed most of them explicitly didn’t want women artists,” said painter Janet Fish. “One gallery assistant told me to please stop bringing my slides around as the director said women couldn’t paint.”
Fish ultimately banded together with other artists to display their work in supportive, cooperatively owned galleries in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. “Better Than Ever: Women Figurative Artists of the ’70s SoHo Co-ops” reunites 19 of these artists in a dynamic new show that exhibits a pair of works from each, one from their formative years and another more contemporary piece of art. The exhibition will run April 3-22 in the Dishman Art Museum on the campus of Lamar University.
“The 1970s was a crucial period in the feminist movement, both in the United States and internationally,” said Fu Chia-Wen Lien, director of the Dishman Art Museum and assistant professor of art history at Lamar. “This show is so important because it keeps feminism alive and in the forefront of our consciousness. A recent study found that female artists’ representation in galleries has edged up to somewhere between 15-20 percent, but we still have a long way to go.”
“Better Than Ever” features a variety of styles, including photography, pencil, oil, watercolor, stoneware, acrylic, mixed media, and other methods. One of the many intriguing aspects of the show is the side-by-side comparison of the artists’ early work with their contemporary offerings.
“Seeing an early and a later work of so many strong artists is a rare opportunity to understand how their unique vision has developed over time,” explains Sharyn Finnegan, exhibit curator and participating artist.
Although their formats vary, all of the pieces of art are considered figurative or representational art. “This is also very refreshing for me,” said Lien, “because this show focuses on non-mainstream art. People downplay these types of voices, so I am thrilled we can offer them a forum.”
In addition to Fish and Finnegan, other participating artists are Dotty Attie, Nancy Beal, Temma Bell, Marcia Clark, Daria Dorosh, Susan Grabel, Nancy Grilikhes, Barbara Grossman, Marjorie Kramer, Marion Lerner Levine, Tomar Levine, Cynthia Mailman, Juanita McNeely, Frances Siegel, Sylvia Sleigh, Shaw Stuart and Selina Trieff.
A reception to celebrate the opening of the exhibit begins at 6 p.m. on April 3 with a lecture by Finnegan. The free reception continues from 7 – 9 p.m. and will feature a dance performance by Liesl Collins and Mary Guillory, choreographed by associate professor Harriet Lihs.
Admission to the reception and exhibition are free (donations welcome). For more information, please call (409) 880-8959, or visit the museum online at www.lamar.edu/dishman.
