Women of Visions celebrates 40-year history with show at University of Pittsburgh Art Gallery

  

Women of Visions celebrates 40-year history with show at University of Pittsburgh

By Dani Janae

CP Photo: Jared Wickerham

Artist LaVerne Kemp poses with her fiber tree artwork at the Women of Visions show on opening night inside the Frick Fine Arts Building in Oakland.

Women of Visions, a Pittsburgh-based arts collective of Black women, celebrated its 40th anniversary on Wed., Oct. 20 with an opening reception at the University of Pittsburgh. Located in the Frick Fine Arts Building, the exhibition features 50 total works from all 22 of the current Women of Visions artists, some who joined the organization recently and others who have been a part of the collective for years.

Included is a long glass case displaying flyers from previous Women of Visions shows, including ones from the 30th and 35th year anniversaries, as well as posters from shows in 1982. “It is definitely an awareness of their own history,” says Alex Taylor, a Pitt professor who helped organize the show with students from his Classical Curatorial Development class. The show is presented by Pitt’s Department of History of Art and Architecture, and was curated by Museum Studies students, according to the event website.

Student involvement in the show — on view in the Frick Fine Arts Building’s University Art Gallery through February 2022 — extends to those from an Exhibition Development class taught by Janet McCall, former executive director of Contemporary Craft. Students were paired with artists to discuss their work and their vision for the show. The Classical Curatorial Development students also worked on assignments that will become a part of a publication on the history of Women of Visions.

“Drawing on the kind of human resource of Pitt students to tell that story, and for students to have an opportunity to learn how to tell historical stories and to draw on these kinds of resources, to contribute to telling that history, is pretty exciting,” says Taylor.

CP Photo: Jared Wickerham

Center artwork by Jo-Anne Bates  and far right work by Ruth Bedeian of Women of Visions

Women of Visions was founded in 1981 by a group of women artists looking for opportunities not afforded to them in the traditional art world. Over the course of the collective’s existence, members have hosted more than 50 shows in Pittsburgh and beyond. They became a nonprofit in 1995, and current president, artist Christine Bethea, has served in that position since December 2019.

The current Women of Visions artists are Lynne b., Jo-Anne Bates, Ruth Bedeian, Christine McCray-Bethea, Tina Williams Brewer, Richena Brockinson, Pamela Cooper, Elizabeth Asche Douglas, Colette Funches, Annette Jackson, Ashley A. Jones, Charlotte Ka, LaVerne Kemp, Mary Martin, Altha Pittrell, Sharrell Rushin, Dominique Scaife, Edie Smith, Emmanuelle Wambach, Ruth Ward, Marcè Nixon-Washington, and Janet Watkins.

Serving as the centerpiece of the entire exhibition is Ashley A. Jones’ “More than Just A Paper Bag.” Using charcoal and colored chalk, Jones drew current Women of Visions members on brown paper bags. The bags, a nod to the infamous paper bag tests in Black communities used to judge a person’s skin tone, were interspersed with a quote by writer and feminist, Audre Lorde.

Another standout in the show is the fiber work of LaVerne Kemp. Her fiber work trees highlight the fact that “even though we may seem separate, we all tangle at the roots,” says Sylvia Rhor, director of the University Art Gallery. Kemp also uses fiber, pictures, and other objects to craft her family tree, tracing from Virginia to Pennsylvania.

Mixed-media artist and music archivist Lynne b. created a colorful piece made of wire and found objects, signifying a ship bringing musicians to Pittsburgh. The featured musicians had all lived in Pittsburgh at some point in their careers. Next to the piece is a quilt made by Tina Williams Brewer that mainly consists of paper snippets of Pittsburgh Courier articles on Black Pittsburghers who have made a difference in the city.

CP Photo: Jared Wickerham

Opening night at the Women of Visions show

“We really liked this kind of idea that both of these works are quite literally assembling images of Black achievement in this city,” says Rhor.

Another striking piece is Mary Martin’s “Soul Clap Series: Severed Ties, II / Reciprocity.” Featuring two bronze ceramic hands linked together by a bronze rope, the sculpture is described as exploring “the power of hands and the ability they give us to create meaningful contributions.” The hands are etched with symbols that signify the “passing on of aspirations from mother to son.”

The show is a testament to Women of Visions as a unifying collective, and the incredible talent of Black women artists who have passed through the city at some point in their artistic lives.

Mary Martin, WOV and Members in Rivers of Steel History Highlights

Mary Martin, an internationally known ceramicist, and
mixed media artist is a long-time member of Women of Visions, having served in many capacities. But the one which she has relished most, as do over half of the WOV membership, is her role as a Teaching Artist. Martin, currently working for Winchester Thruston, and three other WOV cohorts were contacted by Rivers of Steel, an organization dedicated to the preservation of the region's cultural and industrial heritage. These artists were interviewed based on their work in traditional art forms. In the recent Rivers of Steel newsletter, writer Jonathan Engel celebrated the work of  Mary Martin as well as members, Janet Watkins, LaVerne Kemp, and Christine Bethea. Their mediums include pottery, weaving, and quilting.  Read the full article here.

Rivers of Steel offers a lot to the community through "artistry, industry, and innovation." Cultural tourism through renovation projects like the Pump House and Carrie Furnace have become iconic favorites, In addition, the non-profit both educates and entertains through programming that includes workshops, exhibitions, festivals, and even carpool cinema. Take a look at their website for upcoming classes and attractions for every member of your family. 

Betty Douglas Brings "Soul" to BNY, Tina Brewer Shines in New York and LaVerne Kemp goes Smithsonian

WOV MEETING @ BNY STEEL PLAZA

For WOV's last business meeting on April 11, we decided to take a field trip to see our BNY exhibition in downtown, Pittsburgh (see the previous post). We were delighted to see member Elizabeth Asche Douglas who came in from Sewickley, Pa for the occasion. She brought with her a copy of The Soul's Twins: Emancipate your Feminine and Masculine Archetypes by Jean Benedict Raffa. One of Elizabeth's beautiful digital art pieces was selected as one of the illustrations for it.  Betty was also recently honored by CMU in the pages of its's Alumi Newsletter, who remarked how Elizabeth entered Carnegie Tech, as it was known then, at the age of 16. Betty continues to be a gift to Women of Visions through her continued support and with her on-going accolades and accomplishments in the arts. We've also learned that member, Tina Brewer has a quilt that has been curated into Eric Shiner's (former Director of the Andy Warhol Museum) selected works in EXPOChicago at the De Buck Gallery. Catch Brewer's work in the web page's opening slide show. In Craft Optimism, an online show and sale curated by the Smithsonian Women, Laverne Kemp Studios is at its best among star makers from all across the country. Congrats to these three wonderful WOV women!

Diaspora Series: Hand of God by Tina Williams Brewer

Woven Wall Hanging by LaVerne Kemp from Craft Optimism

WOV has it Covered: Downtown, Motown and Outta Town!

Now through July 25: WOV ART; Celebrating 40 Creative Years @ BNY Mellon Satellite Gallery, Steel Plaza, downtown, Pittsburgh. Contemporary Craft--celebrating its 50th Anniversary--hosts the exhibition which features the work of: Charlotte Ka, Ruth Ward, Janet Watkins, Christine Bethea, LaVerne Kemp, Dominique Scaife, Ruth Bedian, Elizabeth Asche Douglas, Altha Pittrell Jo-Anne Bates, Ashley Jones, and Lynn B., and Mary Martin. The Exhibit then travels to the Touchstone Center for Crafts, where the exhibition runs from July 31 through October 2.

Look for more from LaVerne! Her work is downtown--twice! She's showcased as one of the city's top artists in an installation curated by Pittsburgh-based fashion designer, Tereneh Idia. called 202021: A New Constellation.  (See video)  And Kemp's beautiful hand-made items are on view April 24th on the Smithsonian's Craftoptomisim, an online store highlighting makers from all over the nation whose work exemplifies sustainable materials or practices. 

Upcoming Exhibitions:

Magnificent Motown! Art Inspired by the Music @ Kelly-Strayhorn on June 19th (Juneteenth) starting at Noon with African-American Vendors from Origins. 

WOV ART: A 40-year Retrospective Coming in October to University Art Gallery @ Frick Arts Building, Oakland.

WOV in NYC! Magnificent Motown! on tour @ Kenkelaba House for the Holidays

Downtown Exhibit UP, Motown Prospectus OUT as WOV ZOOMS into 40th

 

Christine Bethea, WOV; Abreihona Lenihan, Pitt Curatorial Student; Kate Lydon, Contemporary Craft @ BNY Gallery

This Anniversary year is shaping up!  We recently hung WOV: Celebrating 40 Creative Years at the BNY Satellite Gallery in Steel Plaza Station Downtown. Space is courtesy of Contemporary Craft, who is the official curator of the gallery. CC has been an on-going supporter of WOV for many years and is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year in a beautiful new location! The exhibition will run now through July 25, then travel to Touchstone Center for Crafts, where it will run from July 31 to October 2, ending with the center's annual Open House. Exhibiting artists: Lynn B., Jo-Anne Bates, Ruth Bedian, Christine Bethea, Elizabeth Asche Douglas, Charlotte Ka, LaVerne Kemp, Ashley Jones, Mary Martin, Altha Pittrell, Dominique Scaife, Ruth Ward, and Janet Watkins.

WOV just released a prospectus to members and invitees for our exhibition, Magnificent Motown: Art Inspired by the Music which will be presented by the Kelly Strayhorn Theater on Juneteeth (July 19th)

Women of Visions, who historically only exhibits visual art by African-American women, has invited a group of African American men, also visual artists, to pay homage to the most iconic record producers in history, using their favorite song titles to inspire new works of art. 

Women of Visions has zoomed into the future! With the pandemic came new opportunities. More and more of our members are learning to use ZOOM technology. WOV held its first experimental Zoom meeting in May of 2020. Since then, members have been learning to adjust to what has become a vital form of communication in all facets of life. Below are images of some of our most recent Zoom encounters: A meeting of SPACE (Small Pittsburgh, Arts Coalition for Equity); and the recent Artist Talk by WOV Treasurer, Janet Watkins with the Curatorial Studies class at the University of Pittsburgh under Professor, Alex Taylor. His spring class sets the groundwork for WOV's 40-year Retrospective at UAG, a corresponding class with a WOV exhibition programmed by Janet McCall,, who will soon retire as Director of Contemporary Craft, as she takes on this new assignment.

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Key Zoom meeting with members of SPACE

Image: Psychedelic Shack by Janet Watkins 

Artist Talk via Zoom with University of Pittsburgh and WOV Treasurer, Janet Watkins

 

From the grapevine: The Westmoreland Museum recently acquired Divine Plan, by WOV Member, Tina Willaims Brewer.

Tina Williams Brewer with her quilt, Divine Plan

WOV's First 2021 Anniversary Exhibit @ BNY Mellon Gallery Thru July 25th

Made You Look Series #4 and #5 by Ashley Jones.

WOV kicked off their 40th Anniversary last fall with their exhibition Creatives in the Era of COVID 19 @ the Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media in October 2020. Even then, the concerns of how to get work into galleries and spaces that were closed by the pandemic weighed heavy. But following the presidential election, the spirit of resilience surfaced, and the country danced in the streets.

Fortunately, we at WOV had never lost heart. All through 2020, the foundations were being laid for a truly celebratory year in 2021. We have four wonderful exhibitions planned during our 40th: WOV Celebrating 40 Creative Years at the BNY Mellon Satellite Gallery now through July 25 which travel to Touchstone Center for Crafts. and remains until October 2. Our summer event will be Motown, Art Inspired by the Music at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater. starting June 19th And finally, our 40th Anniversary Retrospective at the University Art Gallery,@Frick Fine Arts Building in Oakland in the fall of 2021. For detail, keep checking our Women of Visions Facebook page.

Celebrating 40 Creative Years includes the work of, Ashley Jones, LaVerne Kemp, Charlotte Ka, Janet Watkins, Altha Pittrell, Dominique Scaife, Mary Martin, Elizabeth Asche Douglas, Ruth Bedian, Jo-Anne Bates, Lynn B., and Christine Bethea. The exhibition is being presented in collaboration our friends at Contemporary Craft, celebrating their 50th Anniversary.

Global Artist/Former WOV member, Renee Stout Joins Pitt University Course on 40th

 

Renee Stout, today a well-known artist of international acclaim with solid credentials from top museums and galleries (and her own Wiki page}, had recently graduated from Carnegie Mellon University when she joined WOV c.1983. Since then, Stout has continued her support of WOV as an alumnus and is currently supporting the 40th Anniversary. She has joined WOV members as one of the Teaching Artists for Professor, Alex James Taylor's Curatorial Studies class, offered as a Spring course at the University of Pittsburgh. Others doing talks include Christine Bethea, LaVerne Kemp, Mary Martin, Dominique Scaife, Ruth Bedian, Ashley Jones, Charlotte Ka, and Janet Watkins.  Art Shown: Spirit of the Crossroads, by Renee Stout 2015-2019

HAA1019 Curatorial Development

Spring 2021

Professor Alex Taylor (he/him)

Tuesdays and Thursdays 9.25am-10.40am

 

Course Description:

 

This core museum studies course will work to develop the artist-based research leading to a major exhibition celebrating the fortieth anniversary of Women of Visions, Inc., the Pittsburgh-based collective of Black women artists, in the University Art Gallery in Fall 2021. Students will engage with art historical sources about the contemporary practice by Black women artists, and develop their own research that will contribute to the planning and programming of the exhibition. Student work in the class will culminate in a publishable essay on a single artist intended for inclusion in a proposed exhibition publication.

Course Rationale and Learning Objectives

:

 Students in this class will develop skills in curatorial research and development, object-based analysis, and writing and editorial content coordination. Students will learn how to work with digital sources to describe historical content, to undertake biographical and contextual research that helps interpret works of contemporary art, and to navigate the complexities of collaborative work with varied resources. The outcomes for student work will be short, public-facing texts designed for clarity and audience engagement, oriented towards the communications requirements for diverse careers in the cultural sector and beyond.

Breaking News! Dominique Scaife's "Kool" Dolls are Breaking Barriers

 

 

WOV member Dominique Scaife is in no way embarrassed to say she plays with dolls. She learned to embrace her passion as a child and never let it or dreams go. But like many WOV members, Scaife had a career long before she considered becoming a full time artist. Then around the age of fourty, with child-raising done, she did as her Kool Image commerical says, and "put her mind" to creating wonderful dolls in the image of real black children.

 At first, she had no idea where to start. Many of the best dolls were made of porcelain. Then something changed in the '90s with the invention and wide distribution of polymer clay; doll-making suddenly became more accessible. Polymer, for many years, was her go-to medium. She formed beautifully sculptured busts in images of black women, but soon realized she wanted to create more dolls than just one-offs. She wanted many dolls; the kind every little girl could own."With more education and more means." Scaife was able to begin her journey creating Kool Image Dolls . The support of Origins, a business accelerator, will bring about her first manufactured doll by the end of 2021.

 "Barbie came a long way; even black Barbie," said Scaife confident enough to throw no shade on Mattel."Now it's time for the more cuddly doll, one who wears black heritage T-shirts and puts a hair bonnet over her braids at night."  Scaife feels black children can identify better with her dolls and will enjoy their play more. "And when you play, you learn," Scaife said, adding that she produces video skits with her dolls. Her recent series gives 8 little known facts in Black History. "The Youtube videos cost nothing, she says, "they are a gift to the community," And she gets to play with her dolls.:-)

 

 

What a Difference 40 Years Makes! Winter 2021

 Finally! Our 40th year begins, amid a flurry of plans and projections. Three gallery shows have been planned so far: March 12-July 25 at the BNY Mellon Satelite Gallery, curated by Contemporary Craft, who is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Touchstone Center for Crafts will pick up the same exhibition from July 31 until their Open House on October 2. Then in June, we celebrate with Magnificent Motown: Art Inspired by the Music." This will be historic!  Kelly-Strayhorn Theater embraces WOV as its premier visual arts residency hosting an exhibition to be held following renovations, turning its lobby into a new gallery space. Support comes from Rivers of Steel and the Creative Business Accelerator. In September, look for our 40-year Restrospective, a salon-style show that is sure to surprise. For this project, the WOV organization became a course of Pitt's Curatorial Development studies, under Professor Alex J. Taylor who stated in his syllabus: 

HAA1019 Curatorial Development Spring 2021 "This core museum studies course will work to develop the artist-based research leading to a major exhibition celebrating the fortieth anniversary of Women of Visions, Inc., the Pittsburgh-based collective of Black women artists, in the University Art Gallery in Fall 2021. Students will engage with art historical sources about the contemporary practice by Black women artists, and develop their own research that will contribute to the planning Abreand programming of the exhibition. Student work in the class will culminate in a publishable essay on a single artist intended for inclusion in a proposed exhibition publication."

Members and alumni who will be part of the Curatorial Development class Art Talks include Renee Stout, Ruth Beidan, Janet Watkins, LaVerne Kemp, Christine Bethea, Marty Martin Charlotte Ka, and Ashley Jones. Others who want to mentor and work with the Pitt students are Altha Pittrell, Lynn B, JoAnne Bates, and Tina Brewer. Curatorial Students will also interview members past and present to create copy for a 40th Anniversary catalog. Contemporary Crafts's Museum Studies Intern, Abreihona Lenihan, working with CC's Kate Lydon, is also in the class and joins WOV to assist with our celebration exhibitions at the BNY Mellon Satellite Gallery and University Art Gallery. Lenihan's love of art was cultivated by visits to museums with her mother, an interior designer. More about our two upcoming exhibitions soon!

Abreihona Lenihan is a third year

Pitt Student and an emerging Historian 

and Curator