This evening I made my way to Arts Westchester to attend a talk by the Gorilla Girls, a collective of determined and dynamic women who seek to challenge the status quo to raise awareness of the lack of women, people of color and marginalized populations all ignored by the cultural institutions of our time.
Years back, their subversive actions in the forms of billboards and posters shattered the complacency of the art world. Why were there so few women artists represented on gallery walls? At auction, women's work commanded prices that reflected their lower status in the business of buying and selling art.
Most days despite whatever difficulties cross my path, I am grateful that my daughters are not forced to wear burkas and enjoy the same civil liberties of my son. As long as women are valued less than men, that gay people, people of color and transgendered status have less economic opportunity than whites and experience social injustice, gatherings like this remind me that our skewed society requires reform, awareness and change.
(and their provocative thoughts reproduced below...)
I've loved these ladies since the 70s...but STILL, women make 70 cents to the $1 that men make for the same job, women artists are represented less than 15-20% of the museum exhibitions men are in and women museum directors get 30-40% Less $ than male museum directors...it is very very sad, particularly as young women today keep saying they are "not feminists" and are against Hiliary Clinton because they say that the "equality" she keeps talking about is "already here.." for women. right....
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