This exhibition brings to light decades of collective work in celebration of women’s art, an ongoing project, as nothing can be taken for granted.
This gallery exhibition is a reconfiguration of a virtual exhibition of the same name which, in its original form, offers a feminist reading of the MAJ’s 80-year history (1942-2022) through 80 works from its permanent collection. This more intimate presentation at the Museum serves as a counterbalance to the institution’s current holdings, only 12% of which are works by women.
Without claiming to be exhaustive or representative of the full scope of women’s art history, the exhibition offers a selective survey in which each work presented is linked to a specific year and to one of three sections that guide its interpretation.
The first section explores the aesthetic choices women artists have made throughout the history of art. The second section highlights certain major changes in women’s social and political conditions, as well as the political engagement of artists from Québec and elsewhere. The third outlines the history of women’s involvement with the MAJ.
Some works are linked to their year of creation, while others are associated with an external event such as a political demonstration, an important exhibition, or the moment of their acquisition. This contextualization provides a broader view of the works, considering the intersection of the social, the aesthetic, and the political.
Drawing on works of all kinds, from preparatory studies to late-career pieces, the exhibition brings to light stories that are sometimes little known. Revealing underrepresented aspects and absences, the research carried out will inform the development of the MAJ’s collection in the years to come, towards a richer and more diverse representation of women artists’ production.
Women have gained ground over the years by fighting for recognition and exposing the injustices they face. Communities have mobilized, and women have come together to gain collective strength in the socio-political sphere as well as in the arts. They have changed perceptions and asserted their rights. This exhibition and the history of the collection it unveils bring to light decades of collective work in celebration of women’s art-an ongoing project, as nothing can be taken for granted.
Curators : Julie Alary Lavallée et Renée Filbey
Artists
Béchard Hudon, Valérie Blass, Sylvie Bouchard, Shannon Bool, Kittie Bruneau, Ghitta Caiserman, Joane Cardinal‑Schubert, Lynne Cohen, Sorel Cohen, Claire Fauteux, Martha Fleming & Lyne Lapointe, Alicia Framis, Louise Gadbois, Raymonde Gravel, Anne Kahane, Renée Lavaillante, Agnès Lefort, Rita Letendre, Liz Magor, Lilias Torrance Newton, Bea Parsons, Leslie Reid, Cynthia G. Renard, Jeanne Rhéaume, Mariette Rousseau‑Vermette, Carolee Schneeman, Irène Senécal, Karen Trask, Jocelyne Tremblay and Leila Zelli.
Partners
This exhibition is presented with the generous support of Power Corporation du Canada.
The research conducted as part of the virtual exhibition was funded by Digital Museums Canada, an investment program managed by the Canadian Museum of History.
We thank the Fondation du Musée d'art de Joliette for its support of this exhibition.
