Opening Reception to be Held on Sunday, March 13; Exhibit Runs Through Saturday, June 25
As Mattel reimagines the look of Barbie with the release of new dolls that have diverse physical appearances, ArtsWestchester, exploring what it means to be a woman today, has announced its 2016 spring exhibition, called SHE: Deconstructing Female Identity.
Mari Ogihara, “Underthing”
The contemporary art exhibition will open in March, during Women’s History Month, and run through the end of June, providing an artistic exploration of issues related to gender and female identity.
Laurel Garcia Colvin, “Beyond a Room of Our Own,” detail
“Modern American women are struggling to redefine themselves in the face of shifting societal values, changing perceptions of femininity and the choices between domesticity and executive leadership. These issues will be explored in a new exhibition, SHE, in which 11 artists will weigh in on the role of gender in society today,” said ArtsWestchester CEO Janet Langsam, adding that with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the exhibition presents ideas by a selection of both well-known and emerging New York artists.
Debbie Han, “Season of Being I”
Mari Ogihara, Strip and Dismantle
For more than 50 years, ArtsWestchester has been the community’s connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State whose mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts. The arts organization provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester County, which includes helping fund concerts, exhibitions and plays through grants; bringing artists into schools and community centers; advocating for the arts; and building audiences through diverse marketing initiatives.
Nancy Davidson, installation view with “Maebe” and “Netella,” Prague 1999
Tricia Wright, “Vir Domesticus”
Kathy Ruttenberg, “The Nature of the Beast”
The opening reception for SHE: Deconstructing Female Identity will take place on Sunday, March 13 from 3:00 pm to 5:00PM. at ArtsWestchester, located at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains, N.Y. The exhibition will be on view through Saturday, June 25.
The following artists will be featured in SHE includes Nicole Awai of Brooklyn, Laurel Garcia Colvin of Chappaqua, Nancy Davidson of New York City, Marcy B. Freedman of Croton-on-Hudson, Debbie Han of New York City, Rebecca Mushtare of Oswego, Valerie Piriano of Brooklyn, Mari Ogihara of White Plains, Kathy Ruttenberg of New York, Barbara Segal of Yonkers and Tricia Wright of Kingston
Debbie Han
Marcy B. Freedman
“Themes explored include the body, self-adornment and self-presentation, the domestic sphere and icons of the feminine,” added ArtsWestchester Gallery Director Kathleen Reckling. “The exhibition is designed to give women a space where their voices can be heard above the cacophony of social media, digital media, print media, marketers, politicians, pundits, and journalists. SHE will explore the concept that femininity, and gender generally, is a grand performance piece, a play within and against socially constructed themes and voices.
Debbie Han, “Eye of Perception”
Nicole Awai, “Specimen from Local Ephemera Drab Hanger,” (image courtesy of Nicole Awai and Artist Pension Trust)
In conjunction with the exhibit, Artswestchester will also provide community programs in partnership with local women’s organizations that will address women’s rights, relationship abuse, self-image and women’s career development, particularly in science and technology.
The community programs in March include:
Thursday, March 10, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – SHE is Beauty, an exhibition preview and benefit shopping night at Bloomingdales in White Plains, N.Y.
Monday, March 21, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Join ArtsWestchester for a performance and Q&A with an art world icon and iconoclast. The Guerrilla Girls have appeared in almost every U.S. state and on almost every continent, using facts and humor to expose and protest discrimination. Online registration required.
(A full listing of these programs that will occur through June can be found by visiting www.artswestchester.org)
Rebecca Mushtare, “SIGNal”
Admission is free to the public. Docent tours of the exhibit are available to the public and for private groups with a suggested per person donation. ArtsWestchester gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. For more information, visit https://artswestchester.org/she-deconstructing-female-identity
In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations, and the community. A two-story gallery is located on the first floor of ArtsWestchester’s historic building on Mamaroneck Avenue.
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