Thoughts on jurying an exhibition of works by women students...

As an undergrad and graduate student of art, I noticed the way art programs are dominated (at least in numbers) by women. As an instructor I see the same thing. My student populations are generally at least 75% women. And yet, high-paying full-time positions in academia, in galleries, and in museums - all of these prestigious positions seem to be heavily dominated by men. STILL. Look at works being exhibited in any gallery or museum space - the artists are STILL predominantly male. The numbers just don't add up. This may all sound like the guerilla girls circa 1989. But in 2009, representation of women artists is a huge problem. STILL.

How can this be?

What happens to our young women artists? Where do these women with BFA and MFA degrees disappear to? This discrepancy in representation both silences and de-emphasizes women's contribution to the arts. If I attend a gallery and I see that the artists are 50% women (which statistically they should be), I am absolutely astounded.

That's why Woman Made Gallery is so important - it more closely resembles the reality of who is creating art. Of course it is an extreme representation (100%), but it more closely reflects the ratios I have seen firsthand of young student artists in training.

So WHY are women artists disappearing post-BFA and post-MFA? I think it is certainly a reflection of our society - a male-dominated world where the sensibility and subjectivity of men is the "norm". Women's sensibility, point of view, and subjectivity is therefore regarded as "other". STILL.

Woman Made Gallery is a haven from the realities of the art world - a place where "other" becomes "norm". There you will find the women artists dominating (or perhaps trying to make an appearance in) the art world. Let's support them so they may begin to have a larger sphere of influence. Let's turn these others into the norm.

WHILE IN CLASS - the deadline is approaching! Submit your work by OCTOBER 14

Juried exhibition at Woman Made Gallery. We are looking for women student artists (undergrad or grad) to submit works. Works can be of any subject matter, and in any medium.

Go to the Woman Made website to submit your jpg images and artist statement:

http://womanmade.org/entryform.html