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CHAMPION OF WOMEN’S ART Names such as Rembrandt or Picasso are familiar to art connoisseurs as well as amateur ethusiasts. But mention Harriet Campbell Foss or Lavinia Fontana, and one is greeted with blank stares. These too, are pain ters, excellent ones, only they are women and until very recently their work and the knowledge about them was relegated to obscurity. In April of this year the whole concept of women in the arts will enter a new phase of existence, due to the opening of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. The institution, probably the only one of its kind in the world, according to the American Association of Museums, will be devoted to presenting and preserving art by women. The moving force and founder of this ingenious pro ject is Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, noted art patron, art collector and socialite. Mrs. Holladay’s original collec tion of more that 300 paintings and scuptures spanning four centuries of creative work by women in Europe and America, forms the nucleus of the Museum’s collection. (To date the collection has doubled, thanks to gifts and recent acquisitions.) Almost 18 year ago Billie (afectionally called by her friends) Holladay and her husband, on one of their fre quent trips abroad, admired paintings by a Flemish artist Clara Peeters, found both in Prado and Austria’s National Museum. Upon returning home, Mrs. Holladay was surprised to find no mention of the artist in any art reference books. As a matter of fact no women artists were included in these volumes. This state of events peaked her interest and the obvious omission of women artists intiruged her. Hence, the Hollady’s decided to fill in this gap by becaming serious collectors of art created by women. The idea for a museum was born when the Holladays realized that their unique collection needed a showcase. In an interview published in The National Museum of Women’s Art Newsletter, Billie Holladay explained the process of events. “At first, we thought we would dis tribute our collection to schools and museums. But an important professional in the art world who had helped us, suggested that we keep it together and give it as the seed from which a museum might grow.” Since 1981 Mrs. Holladay became totally committed to the task of creating a national institution. She has since raised almost $15 million, purchased a building (the former Masonic Temple) in a prestigious Washing ton neighborhood, within walking distance of the White House, recruited over 100 corporate contributors, drew a membership of over 50,000 and selected a staff of pro fessionals to run the museum. Her single minded devo tion to the success of the project, her enthusiasm and tireless efforts on its behalf are noteworthy and ad mirable. The National Museum of Women in the Arts Washington, D.C. Національний Музей Жінок в Мистецтві. Вашінґтон. "Few people are aware of what women have contri buted to the history of art. They may know that Marie Antoinette’s court painter was a woman by the name of Elizabeth Vigee-LeBrun, but how many know that Maria Sibylla Merian went to South America to record and illustrate new botanical specimens 100 years before Darwin." Mrs. Holladay feels that the Museum will herald a new era in the appreciation of the process of creativ ity. "The Museum will recognize women’s contributions to the cultural life of their society. It will not only raise the stature of all women artists, but will be a place to see and study women’s contributions in other areas over the centuries.” In addition to the art collection, the Museum will con tain archives of original documents relating to the per sonal lives of the women artists, as well as a library for the use of students and scholars. Also, according to Mrs. Holladay, the Museum plans to organize temporary and travelling exhibits “not only in painting, but in all art forms in which women have contributed to our social fabric — embroidery, lacemaking, quilting, pottery, fa shion and jewelry design — the works of our own Sothwest Indian women and the basketry of South Carolina weavers. Perhaps, even showing contemporary films produced and directed by women.” As with every issue, dissenting voices are being raised concerning the validity of a Museum devoted to women artists exclusively. There are legitimate questions being raised as to how such an institution will impact on the work of artists exhibiting there and whether the “separa tism” or “ghettoization” of women artists will increase the value of their work or harm it. Mrs. Holladay is not perplexed by these questions. “Those who have never seen the collection or talked with us one-on-one might НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, БЕРЕЗЕНЬ 1987 21
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