Doin’ It in Public: Feminism and Art at the Woman’s Building, has been extended through February 26, 2012 at the Ben Maltz Gallery on the main campus of Otis College of Art and Design located at 9045 Lincoln Blvd, in Los Angeles.
Along with historical ephemera and documentation, the show surveys the work of groundbreaking feminist artists, designers and artist collectives who gathered together at the Los Angeles Woman’s Building from 1973 through 1991. Doin’ It in Public is part of Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980. This unprecedented collaboration, initiated by the Getty, brings together more than sixty cultural institutions from across Southern California to tell the story of the birth of the L.A. art scene.
The feminist art movement of the 1970s set off an explosion of art-making and analysis that continues to reverberate in the art world today, and the Woman’s Building (WB) in Los Angeles was one of its epicenters. In 1973, artist Judy Chicago, graphic designer Sheila Levrant de Bretteville, and art historian Arlene Raven founded the WB, and for over two decades it helped shape the regional and international cultural landscapes.
Through extensive public performances, site-specific work, networking with political activists, and collaborations, the feminist art movement at the WB raised consciousness, invited dialogue, and transformed culture. The WB handed women their rightful claim to the role of “artist.†It inspired and allowed members to create a community of women who saw art as a powerful tool for social change, and shared this vision with the public.
A listing of the artists featured in Doin’ It in Public, including Miriam Schapiro, Faith Wilding, Betye Saar, and Suzanne Lacy, can be found at www.otis.edu/benmaltzgallery
The closing ceremony by artist Linda Vallejo on Sunday, February 26 at 3pm will pay homage to the elements of earth, water, fire, and air, the four cardinal directions, mother earth, father sky, and the great spirit. An altar, built for the opening ceremony of the exhibition, will be dismantled and momentos given to visitors as a remembrance of the Woman’s Building community, sharing renewed creative energy with a younger generation.
Parking & Admission to the show are free and the hours are:
Tuesdays-Saturdays 10:00am-5:00pm and Thurdays 10:00am-7:00pm. Closed Sunday, Monday.
For more information: www.otis.edu/benmaltzgallery
