Examiner Staff Writer
Segregated studios have their benefits.
To belong to the Baltimore-area group, you must be woman and serious about your work, said Bert Walker, a Forum member since the organization?s inception in 1997. “Without sounding too much like a sexist, women speak a different language than men, and they?re often surrounded by different circumstances ? not better or worst, just different. They encounter issues only another woman could understand.”
Finding the time to produce the amount of work needed for gallery shows is just one of the issues plaguing women artists with families, Walker said. “I?ll never forget what one member told me. She said getting back to into [the art world]after having children is like pushing an elephant.”
Exclusively working among women in an all accepting environment helps members refocus on their work after their career or hobby took a backseat to their families. The Forum provides exhibition opportunities and a place for members to share their techniques, knowledge and enthusiam for art.
The Forum?s latest exhibit is a multi-media juried show, on view at the Joseph & Rebecca Meyerhoff Gallery.
Since the group?s first meeting in the basement of Towson University?s library 11 years ago, Forum members have multiplied from two to over 100. Members, 16 to 70 years-old, represent a spectrum of styles, mediums and capabilities, reflected in the group?s latest exhibit, Walker said.
For the show, jurors combed through works from 42 artists. They decided on 27 artists and 43 art works, including collage, photographs, oils, watercolors, acrylics and wooden sculptures.
“It?s all there without looking like a miss mash,” said Juror Nancy Goldberg. “At first, I turned to [one of the other jurors] and said ?What if we don?t like anything?? But it ended up being very difficult to choose.”
IF YOU GO
Works from the Women Artists? Forum
WHEN: Through June 25
WHERE: Joseph & Rebecca Meyerhoff Gallery, Gordon Center For Performing Arts,3506 Gwynbrook Ave., Owings Mills
