Saturday, March 14, 2009

"Better Than Ever: Women Figurative Artists Who Created SoHo Co-ops in 1970s."


Ice Cream Sundae

The Salena Gallery is hosting an art exhibition titled: “Better then Ever: Women Figurative Artists of the ‘70s SoHo Coops.”  The exhibition celebrates Women’s History Month, and will run from March 2 to March 27.  The Salena Gallery is situated on Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus in downtown Brooklyn, on the corner of Dekalb and Flatbush avenues.  

...According to curator and artist Sharyn Finnegan, “For those first couple of years, 50 percent of the artists in these early galleries were women, a very rare sort of art scene with women proportionately represented.  These pioneers validated the co-op model as a powerful engine for women artists to find a public in addition to a community that... support[ed] them in pursuing a professional career.”  Many faced overt discrimination from gallery directors, Finnegan noted, and took great pleasure in taking their careers into their own hands.

Nineteen women who were either founders, early members, or directors of galleries like A.I.R., Prince Street Gallery and SOHO20, are represented by one work from the ‘70s and another from recent years, giving a glimpse of the trajectory of their development.  The roots of Dotty Attie’s serial narratives can be seen in a portrait drawing of Ingres.  Early and late self-portraits show both the aging process and the maturation of a painting style in Marjorie Kramer and Sharyn Finnegan’s pieces. Current politics engage many now, with work about war by Attie, peace by Selina Trieff, and environmental degradation by Cynthia Mailman and Marcia Clark.

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday/Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.  

The Salena Gallery is convenient to the #2, 3, 4, and 5 trains to Nevis Street; the Q, R, W, and M trains to Dekalb Avenue, and the A, C, and G trains to Hoytt Street.

For more information, call Nancy Grove at (718) 488-1198.

Media Contact: (718) 488-1015

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