Women Speak
Opening Reception March 29th, 5:30 - 8:30 PM
This exhibit is about response and empowerment spurred by an enthusiastic community interest. City Lights gallery presents powerful work by 20 artists reflecting feminine perspectives.
In this exhibit ‘women speak’ as teachers, warriors, life sustainers, the intuitive ones, exposing the absurdity of the concept of the ‘weaker sex’, A full spectrum of powerful art expresses relevant ideas. A variety of materials are used in unexpected ways to spur the mind and open the heart.
Exhibiting artists: Elisha Brockenberry, Patrice Barret, Mary Bailey, Alicia Cobb, Christy Gallagher, Robin Gilmore, kHyal, Liz Helling, Suzanne Kachmar, Beth Lazar, Martha Willette Lewis, Linda Lindroth, Shanna Melton, Yolanda Vasquez Petrocelli, Margaret Roleke, Susan Tabachnik, Rita Valley, Lydia Viscardi, Lee Walther, Joan Wheeler.
“Make Smoking Great Again” by Mary Bailey
“Big Money”
“Censorship”
“Fossil”
“B + P”
About “Make Smoking Great Again”:
My newest work, a group of hand-painted cigarette packs called “Make Smoking Great Again” was inspired by the re-election of Donald Trump. The packs illustrate the realities that Trump is rapidly and recklessly bringing into being. I’ve used the cigarette pack as a canvas to depict these disturbing scenarios because of the tobacco industry’s long history of combining colorful graphics with elitist language to seduce us into consuming a product that slowly kills us.
“Capitalize Me” by Rita Valley
About “Capitalize Me”:
“Capitalize Me” is part of my on-going series, “My Economy”. There is much irony in examining the economy of an artist, or the any other person not fortunate enough to be a millionaire. One of the preoccupations expressed in my work is analyzing our capitalist society and its inherent disparities. How, as an artist do I fit in. Why are so many people left behind. Why do so few hold so much of our nation’s wealth. Read more
“Seed Corn Must Not Be Ground” by Lydia Viscardi
About “Seed Corn Must Not Be Ground”:
"[This piece] assumes the form of a kylix, an Ancient Greek amphora in the form of drinking vessel. Amphora were often decorated with narrative scenes of everyday life included historic battle scenes. My narrative honors the German artist Kathe Kollwicz (1867-1945) who devoted her career to social commentary particularly the desperate plight of poor women and children due to the devastation of war." Read more
Prrêt-à-Protester Scarf by Martha Willette Lewis
Wearable large bandannas honoring women in history who worked with coding technologies.
The scarves: The scarves hide and reveal messages based on how they are used or folded and would make the wearer at once more visible and protected from facial recognition software- often used in surveillance photography- via dazzle camouflage techniques of using contrasting and disorienting patterns to fool the eye. These techniques play on our inherent pattern recognition sense, which are ancient and hardwired into our psyches. Read more
