Our museum was created in December 2012. Here, we wanted to show the role of a woman through centuries, how it changed and grew. Looking through the art objects in the offered order you will see, that a woman first used to be a model for the masters, but had no rights to paint herself. Then, little by little she started learning from her father or just tried to express herself. And in a while, you can see a woman, who patronized artists or invented new styles, which even could be borrowed by men. Nowadays, women have no limits in opportunities to learn and create art. And at the same time, they will never stop being a great source of inspiration.
To understand better how the museum "Art and Woman" was created, we interviewed its founders.
Rominda deBarros, specialist of Fourteenth and Fifteenth century in Europe; specialist of Chinese and Korean art after 1279, the international scene since 1945, and Japanese art after 1392.
Why do you find the museum special and interesting to the public?
The museum displays women represented in art around the world, from regions like Europe Asia, Africa and even the Americas. I find that to be very interesting when studying the ways in which different cultures choose to depict women and generally how these women artist express themselves. Comparing standards of beauty and how they transform over time and also how women begin to insert themselves in the art world is something all viewers can take from this museum. This museum provides a lot of good work as well as educates viewers on the artistic journey for women . This museum also in a way gives viewers the chance to see the beginning of an ongoing movement, as women have always struggled to break into the mostly male-dominated art world.
What difficulties did you face creating the museum?
The most difficulty during the creation of the museum surrounded creating a focal point on females represented in art from various periods of time. Some areas prove to be much more ample with examples while others are harder to gather from or the examples are less diverse. Fourteenth and Fifteenth century European art for example focused primarily on depicting the virgin Mary because she was the ideal female figure in art at that time. However this educates us on that specific period of time, they're ideal portrayal of the Virgin Mary also shifts throughout time as we observe closely.
Though you are a specialist of a certain epoch, did you learn anything new while creating the collection?
If anything I believe this opportunity gave me a chance to think about an important topic in art today. Women are continuing to influence art and pave the way for other female artists to break into the art world. I personally got the chance to admire these works but also the faces of immortal women who will remain apart of art forever.
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Yuliya Fedkevych, specialist of Renaissance art in fifteenth-century Italy, sixteenth-century art in Italy and Northern Europe and the Iberian peninsula, Baroque art, eighteenth- and nineteenth-century art in Europe and Americas, modern art in Europe and the Americas of 1900-1945.
Why do you find the museum special and interesting to the public? The museum is celebrating beauty of the woman, physical and
internal beauty, through centuries and around the globe. Here we tried to make
a collection of works, which were created by women or where a woman was an
inspiration for men artists. There are also some images which were considered
as ideals of women of that period. Though these days, women have the same
rights as men, they have no limits in their creativity, we wanted to remind the
society that it was not like this all the times, and how big is the input of
previous generations into today's world cultural inheritance. The museum is
supposed to give inspiration to its viewers, and prove that despite all
difficulties a real talent will always be appreciated. And that woman always
deserves to be admired.
What difficulties did you face creating the museum? It was not always easy to make the sections balanced. In the
early periods the art of women is barely performed and recorded. We can mostly
find works where a woman served as a model. But in the latest period it was
hard to choose just several works out of hundreds. It was challenging
technically, but it was a big pleasure to realize how women art is growing and
developing.
Though you are a specialist of a certain epoch, did you learn anything new while creating the collection? I learned a lot of new art pieces while I was creating my
sections of the collection. What pleasantly surprised me is the desire of the
women to work, and that actually there were quite a lot of female artists who
were hired by nobility, by kings and courts. What was a sad surprise that many
of those women because of discrimination didn't really want to be differentiated
as a woman artist.
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Chad Chaffee, specialist of art of South and Southeast Asia after 1200, art of the Americas after 1300, art of the Pacific cultures , and art of Africa in the modern era.
Why do you find the museum special and interesting to the public? While taking an Art History course I was shocked to learn that there were woman artists who were accomplished in the early years of history. In my ignorance it did not even cross my mind that they were allowed to create. Through more research and understanding I learned how integral woman were in the survival of art from as patrons, subjects, and creators. I feel as though the general public would find it just as eye opening as I did to see woman not only in the creations but part of the creations on a more integral level.
What difficulties did you face creating the museum? One of the biggest difficulties for me in creating this museum were finding earlier pieces that woman created. In many of the tribal cultures woman were held to a more utilitarian role creating what we would consider folk art. I had to change the way I was thinking and see the art in the textiles and other media from which women were allowed to work with.
Though you are a specialist of a certain epoch, did you learn anything new while creating the collection? I learned that art is not necessarily paint on a canvas or sculpture. I learned that art is expression in any creation. These women throughout time were able to release their creative energies into everyday objects not only allowing their own personal expression but invoking a natural beauty from everyday materials.
Photo: Magazine JAN, September 2011