WMAAPS

This year, I received a grant to research women making activist art in public spaces. I have been drawn to this topic for a number of reasons, but the first being that I am a woman making activist art in public spaces.

Since beginning my research, I have learned so much about the birth of the feminist movement, social practice, public art, and these incredible women. My blog will be a way to invite all of you to see what I am seeing, to get to know these women, and to learn more about my interest in this topic.

I figured I should share a little bit more about what I am doing before I begin, so here is an abstract I wrote for the Diamond Scholars page.
Abstract:

Art has changed dramatically since the birth of the feminist movement in the 1970’s. Many of these changes can be seen in the public art realm where feminist artists were often utilizing performance, large scale installations, and interventions to create a discussion about the role women play in society. Public art gave these women the opportunity to appeal to large audiences while challenging questions of accessibility of the celebrated minimalist artwork created by their male contemporaries. Many of the early feminist artists’ work related to subjects that had previously been repressed such as the body, sexuality, domesticity, and gender relationships. As these themes gained more attention, some women artists directed their attention towards other social movements, such as labor, the environment, and alternative economies.

Through this project I will explore what it means to be a women making activist art in a public space. Who were the artists that initiated this movement? Who are the artists working in this way today? What is their process? What is it about women that attracts them to social justice and why explore it through art? Where is public activist art going? Alongside my research, I will also be exploring my own studio practice as a woman making activist art.