Ninth Street Women and the MFA’s Big Show

When women are left out of the annals of art history only half of our collective human history is being told. A study of art history shows us not only visual representations of any given artist’s oeuvre –– and it’s not just about analyzing the technique or talent of that artist –– but art history also gives us the cultural, political, and historical stories behind those works.

For centuries, women artists have struggled to receive recognition for their accomplishments and contributions. Despite activism toward social and professional equality, women remain underrepresented and undervalued in the art world.

As Murray Whyte of the Boston Globe points out, “the best strategy for career success for woman artists appears to be to live long enough to see it. Though waiting — and waiting, and waiting — has never been much of a guarantee.”

Whyte also includes some statistics: ninety-six percent of all art sold at auction is by men. While forty-six percent of American artists are women, only thirteen percent of American art museum holdings are by women.

In my hometown of Boston, MA, strides are being taken to draw attention to women artists from our history as well as those working in the contemporary art world. Like others who write about this subject, I’m struck that there still seems to be a need to differentiate “women artists”.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is seeking to remedy gender discrimination found in museums, galleries, academics, and the art market. The MFA also acknowledges its lack of support toward consistently supporting women artists, and to this end, the museum has reallocated the entire third floor of the Art of the Americas Wing, now showing approximately 200 artworks made by women over the last 100 years. In what the museum is calling a “takeover”, this major exhibition aims to challenge the dominant history of art from 1920 to 2020.

Women Take the Floor is a year-and-a-half-long exhibition, running through May 3, 2021. It coincides with the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment and is also part of the MFA’s 150th anniversary—a year-long celebration focused on enhancing the power of art and artists, honoring the past and reimagining the future.

“Our goals are to celebrate the strength and diversity of work by women artists while also shining a light on the ongoing struggle that many continue to face today. We see these efforts of recognition and empowerment to mark a first step to redress the systematic discrimination against women at the MFA, and within the art world,” says Nonie Gadsden, who led the cross-departmental team of curators in organizing Women Take the Floor.

Have you enjoyed this excerpt? See the Winter/Holiday issue of Venü Magazine for the entire piece including more on Mary Gabriel’s book, Ninth Street Women.

Featured Image: Chamonix, Joan Mitchell