Women's Museum hosts art book fair July 7

One of the titles at the upcoming Art Book Fair at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Attention:  art book lovers! Save the date; July 7, 12 - 5 p.m. for the third annual DC Art Book Fair to be presented in the Great Hall of the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

More than 40 male and female artists, chosen by six judges, will have their independently published works available for browsing and sale at the family-friendly event. The formats range from zines (?) to books to comics to prints and more.

It's free admission day, too, which, since it's the museum's monthly no-charge "Community Day," means guests get six for the price of none!

At a DC Art Book Fair in the Great Hall at the National Museum of Women in the Arts/Photo by Emily Haight, NMWA

The collection and exhibition galleries of the museum's current shows will all be open for viewing including Ursala von Rydingsvard,  More is More: Multiples, and in the library, Power in My Hand: Women Poets, Women Artists, and Social Change.

And, don't forget what's outdoors just beyond the museum's entrance: the New York Avenue Sculpture Project, the only public art space with changing installations by contemporary women artists in Washington, the NMWA is proud to claim. 

The DC Art Book Collective organized the fair.

What: DC Art Book Fair

When: Sunday, July 7, 2019. Usual open hours at the museum are Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sundays, 12 - 5 p.m.

Where: The National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005
 
For more information: 202-783-5000 or visit nmwa.org.

Metro stations: Metro Center (exit at 13th Street and walk two blocks north) or walk a short distance from McPherson Square.

patricialesli@gmail.com

Rodarte fashion show ends Sunday at NMWA

Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

The eye-popping, incredible Rodarte exhibition of gowns and apparel, designed by the hot costumers of stage and screen, the Mulleavy sisters, will enjoy its last day at the National Museum of Women in the Arts on Sunday.

For anyone remotely interested in design, the combination of nature and costuming, fashion, creativity, and women's gowns, this is must-see. To miss it is to deprive yourself of one of the most spectacular shows in the history of the Women's Museum.

Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

Rodarte is the first fashion exhibition at NMWA where the Mulleavys say they "are honored to be the first designers" featured.

The name of the house built by Kate (b. 1979) and Laura (b. 1980) comes from their mother's maiden name, Rodarte.
 
Sounds rather Italian, doesn't it?

These are dresses and slips worn by Kirsten Dunst in the Mulleavys' 2017 film, Woodshock. Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

A slip worn by Kirsten Dunst in the Mulleavys' 2017 film, Woodshock. Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

The museum's Fall 2018 issue of Women in the Arts  quotes Kate Mulleavy: "There is probably a little bit of California's natural beauty in every one of our collections," and Laura Mulleavy: "Nature inspires our choice of colors and the way we build garments" incorporating flowers and other natural plants and pieces found outdoors. 

Like Sean Scully whose Landline series stemmed from memories of his childhood in Dublin, Ireland and the natural lines of sea and horizon, the sisters credit nature and the outdoors where they played as children for the source of many of their creations.

The label copy reads:  "Horror films, a favorite cinematic genre of the Mulleavys, inspired this collection. For these looks, they undertook a laborious process of bound-resist dyeing in order to achieve the precise blood-red hue." Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

Natalie Portman wore this tutu in Black Swan, 2010. Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

Growing up, the sisters' stomping grounds lay between San Francisco and Monterey, and the two also had access to film production lots, another source of inspiration. Their college educations in art history (Kate) and literature (Laura) served as springboards to possibilities and adaptations, strengthening their inclinations to use natural elements and what lay around them.

Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

Jill D'Alessandro, the guest curator from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, wrote that when "Rodarte burst onto the scene in 2005," the house took "the fashion and art world by surprise with their deeply personal and conceptual approach to fashion design." 

Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

Almost 100 creations spanning the life of Rodarte define the show with the most enthralling gallery, the last, the garden room, filled with florals and outrageous combinations and flaming colors.  It's rather like a giant dollhouse of science fiction, life size mannequins in a fairy land at the height of femininity.  Another world, adopting the station of womanhood and submission from centuries ago, to women dressed today romantically and idealistically to fit conceptions of what could be.

In the Garden Gallery at the Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

In the Garden Gallery at the Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

In the Garden Gallery at the Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

In the Garden Gallery at the Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

In the Garden Gallery at the Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

In the Garden Gallery at the Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

Shades of Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night and sunflowers at the Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

Star Wars gowns at the Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

 

Rodarte Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C./Photo by Patricia Leslie

Please, come and compare your impressions to mine and write soon.

Virginia Treanor, associate curator at the NMWA, assisted with production of the exhibition.

What: Rodarte
 
When: Through Sunday, February 10, 2019. The National Museum of Women in the Arts is open Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays, 12-5 p.m.
 
Where: The National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005
 
Admission:  $10, adults; $8, seniors and students; and free for members and children, 18 and under.
On the first Sunday of each month, "Community Day," there is no charge for admission.
 
For more information: 202-783-5000 or visit nmwa.org.
 
Metro stations: Metro Center (exit at 13th Street and walk two blocks north) or walk a short distance from McPherson Square.

patricialesli@gmail.com



 

Today is the last day for 'Heavy Metal' at the Women's Museum

This expresses how I feel many days! It is Self-portrait 4, 2005 by Carolina Rieckhof Brommer (b. 1979, Lima, Peru). Read more about her below/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Hurry!  

It's a feast for bored art eyes ending today at the National Museum of Women in the Arts at 5 p.m.  

Metal is the medium of choice for women artists who have "heavy metal" in the show.

My hair in the morning?  No, it's Self-portrait 3, 2004 by Carolina Rieckhof Brommer (b. 1979, Lima, Peru). The artist's experience as a costume designer made her aware of restricted and uncomfortable clothing many women wear. This is an example of wearable art which can be "empowering and protective-often all at the same time," according to label copy/Photo by Patricia Leslie

A museum press release says one purpose of the exhibition is to disrupt the common believe that metal belongs to men only, despite women working in the field for centuries.
 
The presentation is the fifth of the Museum's Women to Watch series, shown every two to five years which features works by underrepresented artists from states and countries where NMWA has outreach committees.

To gain more attention at that next party, wrap this snake around your neck and record your responses. Made of stainless steel, 14-karat gold solder and Mediterranean coral, it's titled sacredheartknot, 2015 by Lois Brooks (b. 1969, Ann Arbor, Michigan).  The label says Ms. Brooks tries to create a sense of unease and finds inspiration in fairy tales and nursery rhymes "which often have macabre undertones."/Photo by Patricia Leslie

This reminds me of the Titanic, but this creation depicts a smaller iceberg  above the ship, not below, and this, on second glance, looks to be a city in the hull of a helmet. Somewhere there is oil, so maybe this is the Titanic in Texas? Or, the evolution of a city in Texas. Kelsey Wishik (b. 1990, Charleston, S.C.)  is the artist who made Space City, 2012 of mild steel/Photo by Patricia Leslie

 Ho hum, unlike most who are smarter than I, I still do this! Holly Laws (b. 1963, Savannah, Georgia) says the caging unfolds the story of this domestic chore, mostly done by women. It is a respectful presentation of notorious "women's work," which many resent (ahem) having to perform.  The titles are (from left) Placeholder and Three Eastern Bluebirds, both, 2017/Photo by Patricia Leslie

From committees' submissions, NMWA curators selected 50 works from 20 artists including Cheryl Eve Acosta (b. 1980, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico) who has 17 different pieces of jewelry on display.

Some of the artists used recycled materials such as can tabs (Alice Hope).  Charlotte Charbonnel used iron filings and a singular sound from the Pacific Ocean (not metal), however, the sound echoed that of a train (which qualifies) and is titled Train End. Leila Khoury makes monuments to places affected by the war in Syria. Artists used tin, aluminum, steel, bronze, brass, pewter, silver, and gold.

This is a portion of Grandfather, Cricket and I, 2016 by Carolina Sardi (b. 1967, La Plata, Argentina) which is plated steel over a painted wall which look like luscious jewel pieces to me (earrings, necklace, brooch, anyone?)/Photo by Patricia Leslie

A beehive of porcupine quills? Or, a fancy chandelier made for the lobby of the World Wildlife Fund or other animal lover? Not to make light of any of these pieces but just to show what they can suggest! Alice Hope (b. 1966, Hong Kong) made this untitled piece last year of steel ball chain, used fishing tackle, and found netting, one of three works she has in the show. The wall label says the artist repeats processes in making art, like that required in "women's work" (sewing), all ending in "deep texture and movement."/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Does this suggest slinkys to you? They are still available on the Web.  The Second Part, 2014, one of four works in the show by Paula Castillo (b. 1961, Belen, New Mexico), is made of fencing nails and auto-body finish.  Ms. Castillo "finds beauty" in industrial remains which help her visualize "how human-made and natural forces perpetually remake the world we inhabit," according to the wall copy/Photo by Patricia Leslie

A close-up of another by Alice Hope (b. 1966, Hong Kong), also untitled and made in 2004/Photo by Patricia Leslie

It is fun to admire the ingenuity of these artists and wonder about the sources of their inspirations. The museum is an excellent place to bring children who can join their parents to admire the wonders of creativity, and come up with their own ideas about just exactly what is here and what they can make from it.

A catalogue ($21.95) is available in the shop or online.  

What: Heavy Metal-Women to Watch 2018
 
When: Through today. The National Museum of Women in the Arts is open Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays, 12-5 p.m.
 
Where: The National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005
 
Admission: Free on the first Sunday each month. Otherwise, fees are $10, adults; $8, seniors and students; and free for members and children, 18 and under.

For more information: 202-783-5000
 
Metro station: Metro Center. Exit at 13th Street and walk two blocks north. 

Patricialesli@gmail.com



 

'Women House' closes doors at the Women's Museum

Birgit Jürgenssen, Austrian (1949-2003), Hausfrau.Housewife, 1973, c. Estate of Birgit Jürgenssen, The SAMMLUNG VERBUND Collection, Vienna

Pictured here are a few of the provocative images of the works in Women House, ending its display Monday at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the only venue in the U.S. for the show, organized by La Monnaie de Paris.

Penny Slinger (b. 1947, London),  Ganesh House (Money House), 1977, courtesy of the artist/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Money which Ms. Slinger collected from around the world decorates this house. Ganesh is the Hindu god of fortune and enlightenment. The display illustrates the power of money to make or break you, if you let it.

Rachel Whiteread (b. 1963, London), Modern Chess Set, 2005, courtesy of the artist/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Rachel Whiteread (b. 1963, London), close-up of Modern Chess Set, 2005, courtesy of the artist/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Miriam Schapiro (1923, Toronto-2015, New York), Dollhouse, 1972, Smithsonian American Art Museum/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Dollhouse was an original piece in the 1972 exhibition, Womanhouse, by one of the founders of the landmark show, Miriam Schapiro. The house describes Ms. Schapiro's conflicts as a mother, a wife, and an artist  and contains items Ms. Schapiro collected from women throughout the U.S.

Miriam Schapiro (1923, Toronto-2015, New York), close-up of Dollhouse, 1972, Smithsonian American Art Museum/Photo by Patricia Leslie

In the window are men in coats, ties, and hats staring at the viewer as if to say:  What are you doing?

Miriam Schapiro (1923, Toronto-2015, New York), close-up of Dollhouse, 1972, Smithsonian American Art Museum/Photo by Patricia Leslie

You can see the spider, can't you?  And the unfriendly bear in the window?  Do you think they mean her house is dirty? Or that she needs to escape as quickly as possible to save her life?  The latter occurred to me after the "dirty house" thought, and it makes more sense.  Caution: Don't blow up the bear's face as I did or you may have bad dreams.  Or, maybe need to escape.  The contents of the chair are a conglomeration of ...?

Birgit Jürgenssen, Austrian (1949-2003), Bodenschrubben (Scrubbing the Floor), 1975, c. Estate of Birgit Jürgenssen, The SAMMLUNG VERBUND Collection, Vienna

Look at their facial expressions.  I see boredom, anger, complacency, and surprise.  What do you see?  How do you interpret this?

Birgit Jürgenssen, Austrian (1949-2003), Hausfrauenarbeit (Housewives Working), 1975, c. Estate of Birgit Jürgenssen, Courtesy of Galerie Hubert Winter, Vienna

Above the woman irons a male figure right to the ironing board. Is she ironing that man right out of her life?

Birgit Jürgenssen, Austrian (1949-2003), Fensterputzen (Window Cleaning), 1975, c. Estate of Birgit Jürgenssen, Courtesy of Galerie Hubert Winter, Vienna

Erasing haunting memories?

Birgit Jürgenssen, Austrian (1949-2003), Hausfrauen Kuchenschurze (Housewives--Kitchen Apron), 1975-2003, c. Estate of Birgit Jürgenssen, Courtesy of Galerie Hubert Winter, Vienna

These are self portraits which Ms. Jürgenssen made to show how women focus on the needs of others.

Louise Bourgeois (1911, Paris -2010, New York), Femme Maison, 1994, Collection of Louise Bourgeois Trust/Photo by Patricia Leslie

A locked-up, faceless woman confined to the home. What is your interpretation?

In the center is Femme Maison, 2001, by Louise Bourgeois (1911, Paris-2010, New York), Collection of The Easton Foundation/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Nil Yalter (b. 1938, Cairo), Topak Ev, 1973, Vehbi Koc Foundation, Contemporary Art Collection/Photo by Patricia Leslie
The curator for the exhibition is pictured above with a home for a future bride, made to resemble an Anatolian yurt which can be an enclosed world or a safe house.  Visitors are invited to step inside and experience tomb-like oppression.

"Provocative" is too conservative for some of the pieces which depict in video, sculpture, installation, photography, and painting, the states of contemporary, repressed women, their mothers and grandmothers. (I am not sure younger women can relate.) Overall, a sobering, depressing show which illustrates the sorry mental and emotional state of women for thousands of years. For younger women, a pictorial social history of the frustrations and pentup anger their foremothers tolerated and lived, an awakening and appreciation for the groundwork laid.


The exhibition is the second chapter of the 1972 show in Los Angeles, Womanhouse, by Judy Chicago and Miriam Schapiro which represented women's relationship to the home and was the first "female-centered art installation to appear in the Western world," says NMWA.

Thirty-six artists from around the world have pieces in this show, some artists with several, like Birgit Jürgenssen of Vienna, Austria (1949-2003). Her renderings captured my imagination, and I photographed more by her than any other artist in the exhibition, without realizing they were all by the same person, however, the styles are similar.  The subjects and how she drew them are what attracted my attention for longer study than the other works in the show.

A catalogue is available. 

Monnaie de Paris, a government-owned institution,  was founded in 864 and produces France's euro coins.

What: Women House

When: Now through May 28, 2018. The National Museum for Women in the Arts is open Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays, 12-5 p.m.
 
Where: The National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005
 
Admission: Free on the first Sunday each month. NMWA is a Blue Star Museum with free admission for all active-duty military members and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day, 2018. Otherwise, fees are $10, adults; $8, seniors and students; and free for members and children, 18 and under.

For more information: 202-783-5000
 
Metro station: Metro Center. Exit at 13th Street and walk two blocks north.

patricialesli@gmail.com

Women's Museum celebrates black female art

 Mavis Pusey (b. 1928), Dejygea, 1970. Courtesy of Brock and Co. This piece debuted at the 1971 "Contemporary Black Artists in America" exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art. It illustrates Ms. Pusey's embrace of old, dilapidated New York structures and their architecture.  The museum label notes that early on, Ms. Pusey's work was frequently mischaracterized by museum curators as about "self" rather than the artist's environment she chose.


Looking for an indoor place to take your brood over the holidays?  Children (and adults) will be intrigued by what lies in front of them at the National Museum of Women in the Arts' new show, Magnetic Fields:  Expanding American Abstraction, 1960s to Today.  There discussions may be piqued by renderings which can trigger emotions and senses to include, but not limited to, humor, sadness, awareness, contemporary times, and whatever else one can detect and extract.  

I guarantee you no one will find it "boring," not the young, not the "don't bother me" teenager, nor the dragged-along Uncle George who doesn't want to go anywhere or do anything. 

With representations by 21 contemporary black female artists, the museum is proud to present the first U.S. exhibition by abstract artists of this genre.  Reading the labels and hearing the voices of the women who describe their backgrounds and experiences make attempted comprehension much more enjoyable.  

The artists' lives span 90 years, from 1891 to 1981, and several of the works are on public view for the first time.

They are "under-recognized" and "marginalized," says museum literature. The museum director, Susan Fisher Sterling, writes: "This exhibition shifts our attention to key practitioners who have not received their due" and are important to contemporary art history.

Named after Mildred Thompson's Magnetic Fields (in the show), a November 28 event will present two of the artists, Susan Snowden and Shinique Smith in public discussion. (See below.)

 Maren Hassinger (b. 1947), Wrenching News, 2008, courtesy of the artist. Twisted and torn pieces of the New York Times convey the artist's representation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and its aftereffects which evoke "the poignant sociopolitical issues exposed in the wake of this natural disaster." Call 202-747-3417 and dial 205# to hear the artist speak about it/Photo by Patricia Leslie

A close-up of Maren Hassinger's Wrenching News, 2008, above/Photo by Patricia Leslie

 Howardena Pindell (b. 1943), Autobiography: Japan (Shisen-do, Kyoto), 1982, courtesy of the artist and Garth Greenan Gallery, New York. Using paint, collage elements, and hole-punched paper, the artist depicts her seven-month sojourn in Japan on a "friendship grant" and her attempts to save her memory after a serious car accident in 1979. Call 202-747-3417 and dial 209# to hear her/Photo by Patricia Leslie

A close-up of Howardena Pindell's Autobiography: Japan (Shisen-do, Kyoto), 1982, above/Photo by Patricia Leslie

From left Chakaia Booker, El Gato;  Mavis Pusey, Dejydea; and Abigail Deville, Harlem Flag/Photo by Patricia Leslie

 Abigail Deville (b. 1981), Harlem Flag, 2014, courtesy of the artist. Made from objects the artist found in Harlem and arranged to contrast and compare parallels between past and present/Photo by Patricia Leslie

 Chakaia Booker (b. 1953), El Gato, 2001, collection of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. Since the early 1990s, Ms. Booker has used rubber tires which represent travel, industry, ecology, skin and muscle as her primary medium.  Here the "regal pose and aura of a feline" is depicted in The Cat. The artist sculpts herself daily with wearable art/Photo by Patricia Leslie

The name of Barbara Chase-Riboud (b. 1939), Zanzibar/Black, 1974-75, may be better known as a poet and author who wrote Sally Hemings, 1979. This is courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery and "exemplifies the artist's interest in developing monuments dedicated to transformative individuals and places."/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Sylvia Snowden (b. 1942), June 12, 1992 is the wedding anniversary of Ms. Snowden's parents who, with Howard University, the artist credits for helping her succeed in the art world.  This was part of a series which was on exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in 1992 and is hung courtesy of the artist. Call 202-747-3417 and dial 214# to hear Ms. Snowden speak of this work/Photo by Patricia Leslie

 Shinique Smith (b. 1971), Bale Variant No. 0017, 2009, Denver Art Museum Collection.  Fabric, wood, ink, twine and ribbon comprise the sculpture. The artist weaves her own clothing and pieces she finds "to visualize the tension of accumulation and consumption."/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At the exhibition's opening Virginia Treanor, NMWA associate curator, called the museum "a natural platform for an exhibit like this." Several of the artists were born in Washington and Baltimore where some reside. Some graduated from Howard University.

"This is not a survey," Ms. Treanor emphasized in her opening remarks, or "meant to be comprehensive."

Curators were Melissa Messina and Erin Dziedzic, director of curatorial affairs at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Missouri. 

In conjunction with the show, Sylvia Snowden and Shinique Smith will speak at the museum November 28 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Guests pay $25 ($15, members, seniors, and students) to mingle with the artists, see the exhibition and other collections, and enjoy food and beverages. It is close to a sellout. Make required reservations here.

A 144-paged illustrated catalogue is available in the museum gift shop and online.

Other artists in the show are Candida Alvarez, Betty Blayton, Lilian Thomas Burwell, Nanette Carter, Deborah Dancy, Mary Lovelace O'Neal, Gilda Snowden, Kianja Strobert, Jennie C. Jones, Evangeline "EJ" Montgomery, Alma Woodsey Thomas, and Brenna Youngblood.


What: Magnetic Fields: Expanding American Abstraction, 1960s to Today

When:  Now through January 21, 2018. Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sundays, 12 - 5 p.m. 

Where:  The National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005

Admission: Free on the first Sunday of the month (December 3, 2017 and January 7, 2018 for this show) or $10, adults; $8, seniors and students; and always free for members and children, 18 and under.

For more information: 202-783-5000

Metro station: Metro Center. Exit at 13th Street and walk two blocks north.


patricialesli@gmail.com