Apr 04 - 12 2020
[CLOSED] Women Breaking Boundaries

[CLOSED] Women Breaking Boundaries

Presented by Cincinnati Art Museum at Cincinnati Art Museum

CINCINNATI— A new special exhibition explores the role of women in art and art history at the Cincinnati Art Museum from (now continuing once we reopen to the public) April 4, 2020–April 12, 2020. Women Breaking Boundaries highlights artworks from the museum’s permanent collection created by female artists from the seventeenth century to today. It will encourage visitors to think critically about gender, inclusion, and diversity and how that translates to the museum’s gallery walls.

A cross-departmental selection of 36 artworks from Europe, North America and Asia will be featured, ranging from oil on canvas, metalwork, ceramic, and prints to photography and fashion. Prominent artists include Georgia O’Keeffe, Lorna Simpson, Kara Walker, Mary Cassatt, Julia Margaret Cameron, Elizabeth Catlett, and Chiyo Mitsuhisa.

The Cincinnati Art Museum’s female founders played an essential role in the birth of this city’s vibrant arts scene. In 1877, the Women’s Art Museum Association (WAMA) was formed to promote the arts in Cincinnati, founded on the heels of the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. WAMA was adamant about bringing the social and economic benefits of an art museum to Cincinnati. Enthusiasm and support for their cause was widely generated and, by 1881, the Cincinnati Museum Association was incorporated.

This connection to the museum’s founding women has long been lauded as an early success for Cincinnati women in the arts. Members of WAMA were strong female activists for the arts, founding our institution as well as others throughout the city, and funding early acquisitions by female artists. As the nation is about to celebrate 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage, Women Breaking Boundaries reminds us to reflect on this history. By examining our museum’s story and presentation practices we can revisit this narrative, encouraging visitors and museum staff alike to reflect on the past, engage with the present, and consider the future.

Ainsley M. Cameron, Curator of South Asian Art, Islamic Art & Antiquities, has organized the exhibition. “Though Women Breaking Boundaries proudly recognizes the contributions of female artists to the art canon, this is not a celebration of equality,” says Cameron. “Artists who identify as female continue to be a minority within museum collections—ours, and in the art world more broadly speaking—and addressing this inequality creates space for dialogue and productive exchange.”

Pairings and juxtapositions of artworks will be created to encourage such dialogue and exchange. Barbara Kruger, a feminist artist who critically engages with the portrayal of women in the media, will be paired with a dress by early twentieth century fashion designer Madeleine Vionnet. The female form as seen in a 1970s Jo Ann Callis photograph of a woman’s body will be reflected in an art nouveau vase created by Mary Sheerer of Newcomb Pottery. While vast and vastly different, the works presented offer insights into the myriad of ways that female artists have been, and continue to be, active change-makers in their chosen medium.

Related programs will be held at the museum in conjunction with the run of the exhibition, including Family First Saturday, Gallery Experiences, gallery talks and more. For a full list of programming, please visit the museum’s online calendar.

Admission Info

FREE

Dates & Times

2020/04/04 - 2020/04/12

Location Info

Cincinnati Art Museum

953 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Parking Info

Parking: FREE. Bike Racks are available outside the Main Entrance of the Art Museum. Hook up to one of our Marcel Duchamp-inspired racks during your visit! Accessible Parking is available in our north parking lot, just past the main visitor parking lot and entrance. Wheelchair + Stroller Entry is available via our DeWitt Entrance, on the east side of the museum, near the accessible parking. Access to the Mary R. Schiff Library + Archives is available via our Castellini Foundation Entrance, just to the right of the main entrance on the west side of the building.