Can you name five women artists? If I asked you to name five artists, who would you name?, I think most people would list five male (and probably white) artists. I’m assuming that many people would find it easy to name five male artists, but may struggle to come up with five women artists. Augusta Savage Augusta Savage, The Harp, 1939 Augusta Savage (1882-1962), a leading member of the Harlem Renaissance, was an African-American sculptor, arts educator, and activist. She created beautiful, expressive portrait sculptures and artwork that celebrated the black community. Savage created one of her most inspiring artworks, The Harp, for the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. Carmen Lomas Garza Carmen Lomas Garza is a Mexican-American artist who creates positive paintings and illustrations of Mexican-American families. The artist hopes “to heal the wounds inflicted by discrimination and racism” through her art. Heaven and Hell II 1991. Jaune Quick-to-See Smith Indian hand 1992 Jaune Quick-to-See Smith is an enrolled member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Nation, Montana. Through her art, she combines her Native American heritage with current issues facing Native Americans like Euro-American hegemony, the government’s oppression of native cultures, and environmental issues. Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian "Muqarnas One" (2012). Reverse painted glass, mirrored glass, plastic After studying Fine Arts at the Tehran University, Farmanfarmaian was one of the first Iranian students to travel to the U.S. after World War II, where she completed her studies at Cornell University. Nearly five decades later, her drawings, sculptures, and installations transcend categorization as she treats traditional reverse glass painting, mirror mosaics, and principles of Islamic geometry with a contemporary sensibility. Yayoi Kusama CONVERSATIONS IN HEAVEN, 2012, Silkscreen, etching embossing Kusama is a Japanese artist whose work was a precursor and influence to Pop artists like Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg. Her artwork was bold and new, and focused on repetition of pattern in bold colours. Her exciting art varies from sculpture to painting, from performances to installations.
