The 9th International Open group exhibition, an annual celebration during Women’s History Month features artwork in all media by 39 women artists from a variety of US states and from overseas. Entries were juried by Chicago-based writer and art critic Margaret Hawkins. In her juror statement Ms. Hawkins comments: “Jurying the 9th International Open for Woman Made Gallery was challenging to say the least with almost 1200 entries (individual images) in a broad range of media from around the world. By necessity I found myself simply choosing the work I loved because I couldn’t think of any other way to narrow the field and get this tiger by the tail…”
“Thus the show is weighted to the figure and even in the abstract works to the organic, the animal, the psychological, the biomorphic and in some cases the cellular. I’ve chosen 40 works, trying to make a cohesive – but not too boringly homogeneous – show that is inclusive but not crowded. I ended up with work from Ireland and Iran, Chicago and Hawaii, but it pains me there are lands I entirely left out. Less is more but woe is me.”
Exhibiting artists include Nancy Agati, Setsuko Aihara, Yasmine Awais, Amy Babinec, Theresa Bertocci, Rupa Chordia, Marie-France Cournoyer, Nuala Creed, Marisa DiPaola, Donna Dodson, Magda Dudziak, Golnaz Fathi, Julie Foreman, Barbara Freeman, Jocelyn M. Goode, Clare Grill, Michelle Kay, Mairead O’Neill Laher, Laura Sherrill Ligon, Regina Mamou, Nichole Maury, Monika Meler, Lisa Merida-Paytes, Marcia Middleton, Uzma Mirza, Nancy Morrow, Judith Schubert Mullen, Jennifer Murray, Joyce Owens, Nicole S. Pietrantoni, Cherry Rahn, Jennifer Raimondi, Alisa Savage, Dana Ann Smith, Roberta Smith, Jacklyn Soo, Wendy Red Star, Annette Tacconelli and Hong-Ling Wee.
(Banner image: artwork by Roberta Smith)
