Voices: Women Artists in the Era of Second Wave Feminism

August 9, 2022 – December 16, 2023
Click here to view the virtual exhibition

This exhibition highlights women artists working during an era of feminism characterized by the fight for equal rights for women and men. The Suffragists won women the right to own property and vote during their struggles through the 19th and into the early 20th century. In the 1960s and through the 1970s, women again took action to advocate for a better future for their sex. This second wave of feminism, also known as the Women’s Liberation Movement, brought successes even while it culminated in the failed Equal Rights Amendment. This amendment to the United States Constitution would have provided rights and protection from discrimination for all American citizens regardless of sex. This includes equal rights in terms of divorce, property, employment, and other legal matters. It was introduced to Congress every year from 1923 to 1972, the year it finally passed the Senate and was sent to the states for ratification. It failed to obtain the three-fourths majority needed to ratify the amendment by the 1982 deadline.

Some of the artists in this exhibition directly engage with feminism concerns that were part of the Women’s Liberation Movement, while others are affected by the societal impact of the movement. The art and artists selected for this exhibition contribute to a conversation about the role of women in the 1970s. Artists include Kansans Caroline Thorington and Janet Kuemmerlein as well as internationally renowned artists Jenny Holzer, Louis Bourgeois, and Lee Krasner, and others.

Platinum Sponsors: The Alms Group, Greater Manhattan Community Foundation’s Lincoln & Dorothy I. Deihl Community Grants Program
Gold Sponsors: Dan and Beth Bird
Silver Sponsors: Mary Cottom and Judy and David Regehr