CHICAGO ––Woman Made Gallery (WMG) is proud to present Roe 2.0 in direct protest and response to the United States Supreme Court’s 6–3 Dobbs v. Jackson decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion in 1973. Roe 2.0 is a hybrid group exhibition featuring works in a variety of mediums by 44 artists in WMG’s gallery space as well as varied responses to the theme by 100+ artists in the virtual-only part of this important and powerful exhibition.
Individuals also responded to a call for Abortion stories. Some signed their names while others stayed anonymous. Displayed next to the visual artworks at Woman Made, these written accounts, thoughts, and experiences offer an unflinching view of very personal perspectives entangled with political repression. Abortion Stories will be added online throughout the year as they are submitted.
The Dobbs v. Jackson verdict leaves people with the capacity for pregnancy at the mercy of each individual state, which can now set their own abortion laws. Access to safe, legal abortions and reproductive healthcare is a basic human right that the U.S. government actively chooses to exploit. The denial of reproductive rights and access disproportionately affects individuals of color and those from economically disadvantaged communities. Our bodies and reproductive capabilities are not a political playground.
We at WMG believe that art can and does create lasting social change. As an intersectional feminist organization, WMG stands in solidarity with pro-choice activists and organizations. This exhibition seeks to document artists’ voices in this time of urgency, as a means of resistance to facilitate change and create a space for open dialogue regarding abortion rights.
Roe 2.0 Virtual Exhibiting Artists:
Nadia Alkhun, Jennifer Bantz, Grayson Beaulieu, Mercedes Bernard, Melanie Brewster, Julia Ann Briggs, H. Buchholz, Nina Caporale, Kathleen Celestin, Helen Celewicz, Lucy Churchill, Kennedy Coe, Bria Corranda, Violet Costello, Chris Cowan, Kala Cree Cullars, Ann Dawkins, Ayling Zulema Dominguez, Felicia Doolin, Grace Doyle, Sara Drescher, Julia D Dzikiewicz, Lauren Eddy, Ethan Edwards, Susanna Eisenman, Kelly Erdenebaatar, Britton Farrell, Jaymes Fedor, Robert Fields, Erica Fitzgerald, Scarlett Ford, Leza G, Victoria Goite, Kathleen Greco, Mollie Greenberg, Kelly Heck, Lillian Heredia, Deborah Hirshfield, Mikel Ibarra / Pies in the Window, Joer_B, Meg Johnson, Kelly R Johnston, Emma Louise Kamerer, Cynthia Kerby, Kendra Kett, Hwahyun Kim, Maegan Kirschner, Aurore Le Ludec, Meghan Lewis Macleod, Suki Liebow, Kristy Lisle, Angela Maroun, Victoria May, Katie McLoughlin, Molly Young Meier, Metal Priestess, Vessy Mink, Nilou Moochhala, Melissa Morse, Gwendolyn Murphy, Charlotte Newman, Carey Nollner, Brittany Noriega, Magda Parasidis, Miranda Reichhardt, Kaleen Repsher, Elizabeth Rhoads Read, k rick, Hernando Rico Sanchez, Sarah E. Rieser, Gina Lee Robbins, Jennifer Roche, Megan Roethler, A. Rose-Art of Nature, Sam Rueter, Piyaali B Samanta, Karen Saneholtz, Sue Scanlon, Sarah Schneiderman, Christine M. Schroder, Katrina Shafor, Katherine Shehadeh, Emily Showers, Madison Signore, Rae Sitzes, Kayla Jean Smith, Sarah Ellen Smith, Lilian Snider, Jill Sutton, T.Moz, Cheryl Thomas, Linda Thomas, Sally Traxler-Lavengood, Ana Vitek, Krista Voto, JoEllen Wang, Kaeleigh White, bari wieselman schulman, Harriet Winograd, Teresa Greve Wolf, Lorraine Woodruff-Long, Veronica Bruce Woodward, and Joyce Wynes.
(Image: Erica Fitzgerald: I Talk About Abortion at the Dinner Table (2021) – vintage silk tablecloth, hand-stitched lettering, shunned talks of abortion; 90 x 132 in.)
ROE 2.0 Healing Together: A Workshop
Woman Made Gallery thanks Pritika Chowdhry and Jae Green for their work on WMG’s Program Committee. Gratitude to all Artists for being part of the ROE 2.0 Group Exhibition. Thanks to Board, Staff and Volunteers for their devotion.
Woman Made Gallery is supported in part by grants from The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The Illinois Arts Council Agency; the Arts Midwest GIG Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. the Puffin Foundation, a major anonymous donor; and the generosity of its members and contributors.
