More than Muses - Women Make Sculpture

5/7/19. Claire Mander, Director, National Museum of Women in Arts.  Washington

Men disappear, ie do not attend, women's events.  Washington NMWA - small.  Started in 1981 by Wilhelmina and Wallace Holladay, showing their private collection from 1987 by opening their home.  In 1970s there was little information about practising women artists.  It was the only museum for women in the arts.

Advocates for better representation of women by

- leadership, communication, engagement, and social change
- exchange of ideas and art
- addresses gender imbalance - seeks out unknown artists and great women today.  Renaissance to date.
- Challenges cliches of gender and race.
- Advocacy, campaigning and research.
- Seeks other museums to pledge - commit to X works by women - change to 50% women.  Writes to museums to say thank you when they achieve it.
- Buy work by women
- museum as hub - women naturally collaborate.  Music, film, fashion, art, poetry, concerts.

Museum to feel like a home, a space to learn and be accepted.


Women's History Month - they hold an Wikipedia Edit-a-thon to rewrite entries about women artists -  in line with the wiki rules.  4000 people took part.

Seek out Women to Watch.  Look for refreshing work.

There is an organisation called UK Friends of NMWA.  They run Women to Watch; events; Whitechapel Gallery collaboration; listings; gifts to museum; Fresh Talks.

Women at the Top roundtable discussion.

Sylvie Garmenzano (dealer) Claire Mander ( curator)

Issues for women at the top of art; issues for women artists; issues for greater representation of women artists.

Issues for women at the top of art - selling - young, female dealers really have to prove themselves.  Men instantly get more social currency.  Selling often has a boozing, lad-culture - not a space for women.  Not take seriously.  Find female clients.  Self confidence is not easily accepted by others - need to build it yourself as there will be few supporters.  Build relationships by social contacts - family, friends, clothes - preamble chat.  People think she (speaker) is pushy - but would not think this of a man behaving the same.

Claire Mander.  Art historian/academician OK as woman.  Not necessarily a gender issue.  But also has been taken as the tea girl!  Commercial sales - tea, ... but drink, skirt, heels NO!    Artists more educated and open.  Less into heirarchy.  Museums - hierarchical on male terms.  This needs to be dealt with as an issue of Infrastructure - corporate, law, government.  Women's thought processes are different.

V&A funding for lack of female leaders.  Salaried staff - privileged position as not freelance.  Women in institutions to help others to rise?

Other young galleries - blue chip galleries have high prices; small galleries share the unknown, more interesting artists.

Men working in small galleries have high turnover.  (Dealer) prefers to employ women as technicians.  She has had issues with men not liking being told what to do.  When she says to hang work 'like this' she wants them to get on and do it, not suggest other ways of doing it. Expects her authority respected and work done promptly.  Women techs get on with it and get it done quicker.

The market.  Male taste in sculpture - big, stands up, male shape.   Retraining of consciousness - art codified as masculine.

Market prices - Women to buy women.  More likely from people with money.  Women  artists have different aims - not famous; work in series; under radar; content with work.  Need show in National Museum.  Maybe not a national success.  Female sculptors do not churn out lots of work; and don't forgo all for riches, fame and noteriety.  Men - judge by span of career - this is not for women.

Women working to business commission - unknown historically.  Needs a fundamental shift - women sculptors as equal.   Art critics needed to up the game of women sculptors.  Reacts with buyers.  Jennifer Higgie the only female art critic identified as writing about women.

Art communicates the lived experience.  Institutions need to consider decolonising the institution - include more women and people of colour.  Walker Gallery Liverpool is a good example.