ART WOMEN ART WEEK WANTS TO PUT CREATIVE WOMEN IN THEIR PLACE: ALONGSIDE MEN

TANJA M. LADENAUGUST 22, 2018

LA WEEKLY

Here in the City of Angels, we have art fairs galore, from the L.A. Art Show and Art Los Angeles Contemporary to the time-tested photo l.a. But how many focus exclusively on women, who make up more than half the world's population? Not many, and that's where Art Women Art Week comes in. A weeklong series of screenings, discussions and installations by female visual artists, AWAW is curated by the leading online arts gallery, Saatchi Art. It makes sense, too. In an artists' panel on Sunday, Aug. 19, at the multipurpose restaurant, bar and outdoor screening space E.P. & L.P., Saatchi Art's senior VP and general manager, Jeanne Anderson, pointed out that Saatchi is female-led, with 70% of the staff women.

Still, panelist and featured artist Kelly Brumfield-Woods addressed the continuing disparity between male and female artists, and the evolution of women's rights over the course of the past few decades. “I grew up in the '70s and 'feminist' was a really bad word in my house,” she said. “It meant you weren’t ladylike.” Yet while she agrees the art world has since come a long way, Brumfield-Woods also pointed out, “We’re not there yet.” This, despite the fact that according to Saatchi, 70% of artists in galleries are men, while 50% of art sold online is made by women.

LedgeConductorDivingBoardChute; Credit: Kelly Brumfield-Woods/Courtesy Saatchi Art

“When we ask questions, we don’t want to fear that we’re less-than,” Brumfield-Woods said. With such a large population of female artists in Los Angeles, she feels that just being exhibited is not enough. Nonetheless, the artist remained adamant about distancing herself from the militant attributes of '70s feminism. “I’m not anti-man, I’m just for equality,” she said.

Brumfield-Woods' art is featured in AWAW's installation at E.P. & L.P., with additional art by Stephanie Vovas, Meike Legler and Javiera Estrada. Meanwhile, each night of the series follows roughly the same format. It kicks off with a soundtrack from a female DJ at Frankie’s Private Bar overlooking West Hollywood, then segues into a unique casual fete that introduces the evening's theme. Afterward, guests head to the adjacent Melrose Rooftop Theatre, where hosts lead female-centric talks and panels. Next comes a short film, followed by a feature-length movie focusing on women.