The exhibit recontextualizes the work, spanning centuries and cultures, to highlight a wide range of themes while collectively speaking to the contributions of women in the arts and their shared journeys towards parity. Feminizing Permanence invites visitors to consider the underrepresentation of women artists in the permanent collections of museums across the country.

Feminizing Permanence’s overarching theme speaks to a recent study published in ARTnews. This study revealed that only 11 percent of works in the nation’s major museum collections are works by female artists.  Despite awareness of women not being equitably represented, few improvements have been made in the field. Feminizing Permanence addresses this situation, inviting visitors to discover and explore a wide range of themes that connect the forty women across time, race, culture, and artistic practice.

“Feminizing Permanence celebrates women artists included in the Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art’s permanent collection despite a structure that has historically marginalized female artists. Moreover, the exhibition creates a space for dialogue and considers how this conversation has impacted and can impact our museum,” shares curator April Bojorquez.

Chronologically presenting work from 1876 to 2014, three gallery spaces display a variety of artistic practices and mediums, including oil paintings, watercolors, photographs, lithographs, etchings, prints, and mixed media.  The genres and subjects of art span from local fauna landscapes and stylized animal prints to portrait photography and abstract expressions.

The exhibit, running in alignment with Saint Mary’s College of California’s 50^th anniversary of admitting women to the college, is part of a larger campus-wide celebration of creative expression and recognition of women. Go here for more information.