This February in the Gallery we are featuring work from the National Association of Women Artists. This exhibition was Juried by Fountain Street Gallery’s Director Marie Craig. The exhibition will run from February through March 1 with an opening reception on Friday February 7 from 5-8pm. Below Marie talks a bit about the exhibition.

MC: In this the centennial of women’s right to vote in the US, prominent museums and galleries throughout the US have been celebrating the work of women artists. Recently the Baltimore Museum of Art announced with great fanfare that it will acquire only works by women in 2020. Boston’s own MFA is currently exhibiting “Women Take the Floor” a so-called “takeover” of some of the galleries in the Art of the Americas wing by female artists. Despite this renewed interest and awareness, Artnet reports that a mere 11 percent of all museum acquisitions over the past decade have been of work by women.

None of this is new.

For me, all of this came to mind while curating “Lust After”, an exhibit by members of the National Women Artists (NAWA), Massachusetts Chapter, and in conversation with Jennifer Costello, its current president.

Jennifer, can you tell me about NAWA’s roots and origin story?

JC: The group was founded in 1899, as a way to create greater opportunities for professional women artists in a male-dominated art world. In an era when women artists were associated primarily with crafts and decorative arts, the founders of NAWA (five innovative women- Anita C. Ashley, Adele Frances Bedell, Elizabeth S. Cheever, Grace Fitz-Randolph and Edith Mitchill Prellwitz) dared to imagine an organization that would promote higher standards for women artists and provide them with exhibition opportunities. Many prominent artists have been NAWA members, including Rosa Bonheur, Mary Cassatt, Suzanne Valadon Cecelia Beaux, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, Louise Nevelson, Cleo Hartwig, Nell Blaine, Alice Neel, and Dorothy Dehner, to name just a few.

Art and its ability to elevate people inspire me and the members of NAWA’s Massachusetts Chapter every day. Here as women artists, we stand on the shoulders of our predecessors. In capturing the moment of today while embracing the past, we as female artists are as in tune with the activity of those who push the envelope to the limits of what is defined as art. No fear, with no end in sight

MC: “Lust After” explores the tension between an artist’s desire to be true to an inner vision vs. the need for attention and recognition. Do you feel that this is particularly true for women artists?

JC: I would say this tension exists for all artists regardless of gender, particularly in this era of social media. A true artist is distinguished by a unique ability to take his or her moment in time and distill its essence so that the resulting work becomes timeless. You can leave the one-offs (e.g. duct-taped banana) for temporary attention grabbers. In my own work, I strive to find balance in the midst of everyday life—an ongoing painterly narrative where I am surrounded by honest critics and by inspired and stimulating people. Art history (all historical moments) survives and cycles through desire, being true to oneself, to occasional attention-grabbing moments and ultimately to creating timeless pieces that are worthy of recognition.

MC: Who is a favorite kick-ass woman artist for you, someone who has been a touchstone and who has inspired you to stay true to your inner voice?

JC: Kiki Smith is so inspiring! She has stayed true to her inner voice by addressing the themes of sex, birth, and regeneration. Her figurative work of the late 1980s and early 1990s confronted subjects such as AIDS (prompted by her father and sister Bebe passing) and gender. These were my favorite but her more recent works depicting the human condition in relationship to nature are wonderfully intriguing too.

MC: Jennifer, It has been a real pleasure for me to talk with you, and to select the work that is included in “Lust After.” Each of the artworks in this show speaks with a clear, unique voice. The passion that fuels these artists is apparent in the depth and complexity of the work.

A lot has changed in the past century, but female artists still need to advocate for themselves. NAWA is there to foster and to promote awareness of women in the visual arts through exhibitions of its members’ work, scholarships to talented women artists in need, lectures, and other educational programs.

Lust After: NAWA Exhibition