Today is International Women’s Day, which feels particularly charged in 2018, given the recent Women’s Marches and the #metoo and #timesup campaigns, which have been shaking up the arts and culture industries.
Increasingly, art institutions around the world are paying attention to the diversity of representation within their collections and programs. Take Uffizi director Eike Schmidt, who committed last year to including more women artists in the prestigious Italian museum. And Sam Keller, director of the Beyeler Foundation in Switzerland, told artnet News in a recent interview that he plans to break through his museum’s “glass ceiling.”
Despite these efforts, there is a still long way to go to increase visibility and close the gender pay gap in the art world (and beyond). But for now, let’s celebrate some of the impressive exhibitions featuring women artists currently on view around the world.
4. Howardena Pindell at MCA Chicago
A major survey by the groundbreaking American artist Howardena Pindell is currently on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Throughout her decade-spanning career Pindell’s meticulous work has employed materials such as glitter, talcum powder, and perfume, often bringing unlikely perspectives into the realm of painting. The exhibition also includes Pindell’s exploration into photography, film, and performance, including her 1981 work Free, White, and 21, which depicts the artist cover her face by wrapping white paper around her head.
–Kate Brown, Naomi Rea