Meet the Women of Boston's Art Scene
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
Central to human connections and innovation is creativity, and ARCK truly believes imagination knows no boundaries. We are dedicated to ensuring that all young people have the tools and opportunities needed to address emerging global issues and effect positive change in their communities. Through the belief that they can make substantive contributions to society, our students gain a sense of self-mastery, technical skill, and confidence in their capacity to shape the world around them.
Art is a powerful tool, not only for self-expression but also to instigate deep conversations around society’s most complex issues that strengthen our local and global communities. Women always have and will continue to shape our world through art. Below are a few ways you can interact with the works of female artists in Massachusetts that continue to engage people through creativity.
NANCY SCHÖN
If you have ever walked through the Boston Public Garden, you probably saw a line of duckling statues. These statues bring to life an iconic 1941 children’s book, Make Way for Ducklings.
Artist Nancy Schön did not want her art to be stagnant and untouchable like it typically would be in a museum. She envisioned public art as something with which people can physically interact in their daily lives. She made her art accessible to all, so the community was able to participate. If you go by the ducklings now, you might even see them dressed in winter sweaters and hats that Bostonians have knitted for them!
MFA’s WOMEN TAKE THE FLOOR EXHIBIT
Women’s contributions to the art world often went unnoticed throughout history or were seen in a significantly smaller capacity than their male counterparts. In fact, museum acquisitions from 2009 to 2019 included only 11% of pieces by women. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston currently has on display an exhibit called Women Take the Floor which is focused solely on women artists in order to make their artistic representation more equitable. Many of the pieces feature well-known artists like Georgia O’Keeffe and include the reshuffling of over 200 pieces drawn from their permanent collection. Many other works in the exhibit feature possibly lesser-known, but equally valuable contributions of women artists over the years.
Check out the exhibit at the MFA until November 28, 2021.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN ARTISTS (NAWA)- MASSACHUSETTS
The goal of NAWA is to “foster and promote awareness of, and interest in, visual art created by women in the United States.” The organization puts on regular exhibits which highlight art by women. Recently, their exhibit A Year in Blue focused on how there is beauty even in sadness. This past year has been a challenging one for all, but self-expression through art can be a powerful method for coping and learning to be positive, even in difficult times.
SILVIA LÓPEZ CHAVEZ
Artist Silvia López Chavez used art and creativity to make a statement and stand up for her beliefs with a mural in East Boston. Her piece Rise was put on display in December 2020 as part of Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans, which uses art as a platform for drawing attention to environmental issues. Chavez’s piece focuses on plastic pollution and the human impact on oceans especially in relation to the adjacent Boston Harbor. Her work demonstrates the value of art as a powerful tool in driving change for the future.
These women have used their voices to make an impact in the Boston community. Art has given them a way to express themselves and their beliefs and share their unique points of view with the world. We imagine a world where all young women are able to understand the power of their own voices and can find inspiration in those who came before them.
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