Art and feminism collide as part of lecture series at Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture
Following a lecture series focused on African American voices in art, American Impressionism, women artists, the Renaissance, French modernism and the female figure, Baroque art and architecture, and the Italian renaissance, a professor of art at Whitworth University, Meredith Shimizu, is bringing another lecture series to the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, this time focused on art and feminism.
This lecture series, save for the final presentation, coincides with one of the MAC’s current exhibitions, “Woman, Artist, Catalyst: Art from the Permanent Collection,” which is on display through March 9.
The series kicks off with “A Woman’s Place: Artists Confront Domesticity” on Sunday. This lecture looks at artists who pushed back against the idea that women belong in the home. Shimizu will highlight the artists’ use of performance, video and “even an actual house” to question assumptions about the roles women play in society.
The series continues on Nov. 3 with “Movies and Doll Houses: The Construction of the Feminine” during which Shimizu will highlight female artists who used photography and household items to “expose just how popular culture constructs and reinforces social expectations for women.”
On Dec. 1, Shimizu will present “Virgins and Venuses: Revisiting Feminine Icons.” This lecture will showcase female artists who revisited feminine icons like Venus and the Virgin Mary in their work in order to reclaim them for contemporary women.
On March 2, the series explores “A Seat at the Table: Judy Chicago’s ‘Dinner Party.’ ” Through this piece, Chicago worked to put women at the center of the narrative of European history.
Finally, Shimizu will explore “De-Objectification: Art and the Female Body” on April 6. In this lecture, Shimizu will look at efforts from female artists to express the female body and experience from a different point of view.
All lectures are at 2 p.m. at the MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. Lectures are free to attend with a suggested donation of $10. No registration is required.