Level playing field?

Just a comment- I fail to see how a simple math question like 1+1 can prevent spammers.

I am from Denmark one of the countries in the world who claim to be democratic, where women’s rights are held high, but even here women’s art is sold for less money than art by men.

Women painters also outnumber men in Denmark, so perhaps women have to fight each other harder to get a piece of the cake. I agree with Robert that we should not support discriminating exhibitions. We are all humans so we should all be treated the same way.

I think that men needs rights too, perhaps less men paint, because they are not supported enough when they try to be creative?

The big difference between male and female painters is that the male painter seams to be more professional about their work. Female artists love the creative part of being a painter, but they forget the business part, and that includes my self. I never asked a gallery if they would sell my art, and I only took part in very local exhibitions, but I can’t blame that on the male painter, I can only blame my self.

Another issue could be the buyers; perhaps more men buy art than women, so they look for art that they can relate to. It would be interesting if we could ask male and female buyers to choose art works, with out telling them if it was painted by a male or female painter. Perhaps men would go for male art? I know that here in Denmark women buy the less expensive decorations for the house, and men will buy more expensive things like art.

You stand corrected, Bob. The uneven playing field has been there since time immemorial. But study the current election fever in the USA to see it in full swing now! People are still judged by skin colour, gender and religious beliefs and we are currently getting a show of what a woman can do when instrumentalized. The frightening part is how many women go along with this heirarchy. Equally frightening is the fact that women seeking for or in power have to take on the less admirable traits of their male peers if they are to survive in what is still “a man’s world”. The only place I have ever experienced equality was on the opera stage, simply because a male would be really challenged if he had to sing any one of countless roles intended for the female voice. And even that is really a novelty. Castration was quite common until the late 19th century.

On the question of the rise of the “weaker” sex, one tiny problem may be that these days women tend to survive childbirth. Go into any old English chapel and read the memorial stones. The average “gentleman” got through 2, 3 or even 4 wives. And today we are confronted in the media by aging male stars and celebs taking on their umteenth spouse – not for the intelligent conversation, but because it boosts their stance as males (also see your epistle on male hormones and one or two of the comments thereon).

But let’s console ourselves. Cloning is on the horizon. And of course, the old adage holds true – if men had to bear the children, the human race would long since have become extinct.

Getting back on track….. The networks propagating male success work better than anything females can get going, not least because males are congenitally protective of their “superiority”.

You say “More value was put on their work in terms of prices paid.” Don’t prices paid relate directly to prices asked? Were you not allowed to ask as much for your work as the men?

Another hornet’s nest has been whacked with a Louisville slugger; Oh how I do look forward to the responses to this letter Bob.

I passionately support your daughter, Sara’s view and comment! And I support your choice to include it in your letter! Thank you!

Your daughter is very lucky in that she has had you for a mentor and to open doors for her that are not available for women artists on their own. I think it is lovely that she has not been discriminated against, but it is not the way with the real world.

This thought had never crossed my mind before now. I wish it hadn’t. There are enough ways to separate us from one another and each one has a cost to our compassion and openness. I am going to go on as I was before by focusing on painting.

Robert, your daughter is lucky. She’s never seen a prospective buyer looking at her painting, smiling, then, upon seeing the signature, stop smiling comment, “Oh.” and then walk on away.

Your daughter is wise beyond her years.

We are, in large part, what we perceive ourselves to be. If we perceive ourselves to be victims, we are indeed victims – victims of our own doubts. If society, in whatever nefarious way, projects victimization onto a group and that group convinces itself of the truth of it, whether true or not, the perception may be adopted as if true. And, the perpetrators of the resulting prejudice also become part and parcel to the perceived victimization. If you want to be a victim, there are plenty of bullies out there willing to step up and take advantage.

Of course there are always exceptions – that is, those who refuse to perceive themselves as victims and those who refuse to see them as victims. The group mentality can be a difficult thing from which to break away. It’s those who separate themselves from the crowd of victims that achieve greatness – the Helen Frankenthalers, Hedda Sterns, Frida Khalos, Margaret Thatchers, Indira Ghandis, Marie Curies of the world.

Maybe as a male I have an advantage – the advantage derived from not casting myself as a victim, of not being mired in self doubt, of confidently DOING.

I do some art shows and am in some galleries and I must say that I have not noticed this kind of prejudice or inequality, but then I may not have looked close enough. All I know is that there are plenty of women artists who are priced above me and can outsell me like crazy. I totally agree that people should buy what they like, not caring so much about who painted it and especially what gender or race they may be.

As a devout Catholic I must comment on the nuns becoming pope. This is not an issue of sexism. Many like to view it that way but then they don’t stop to consider what the Church teaches and why. It is a deeper theological issue that goes all the way back to Christ and who He chose for to be apostles. For anyone who still wants to say the Church is sexist I suggest they study the incredible reverence the Church shows to the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is considered to be the most important and dignified figure in Christianity next to her Son. The greatest in the Church is not the priests or even the pope. The greatest in the Church are the Saints and this office is open to anyone regardless of race or gender.

Sara is a wise young woman. But she is wrong when she says this is an issue of self-esteem and not a “feminist issue.” Feminism is not just about external forces of discrimination: it is about how women empower themselves to meet those forces, and self-esteem is a key factor in being able to do that. As another respondant observed, one of the factors that perpetuates the disparity is that women have been acculturated to accept them, and often do not even recognize them. Even when we do, we often are baffled about how to effectively address them. Sara’s response was glorious, simply because it contained one of the key answers to that hidden question: self-esteem itself. Her words are proof that the women’s movement has created an atmosphere in which young women are no longer automatically questioning their own worth. We do not need to be complicent with the discrimation, but we do need to find and use ways to counter it that serve us in a positive way. Celebrating women artists is one way. Celebrating our own talent is another. One problem is that we — both women as artists, and the art world in general, are often ignorant of the history of women in art. I just had the privilege of seeing an exhibit of Mary Cassat at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont, along with some works by artists influenced by her and who influenced her. I came away with a much stronger sense of my own ability and worth as an artist — and my freedom to deviate from what is expected. (Something to ponder: what is the source of the assumptions that creators of beautifully accomplished cave art were boys, simply because the handprints are small? Why not the more logical assumption that the artists were women, which makes more sense both contextually and in terms of the obvious skill of the paintings? This is an example of the silly bias still extant in our culture — and note I said our culture. We cannot say this is universal, nor can we claim it as age-old.)

I have found the same prejudice Suzanne has experienced. Unfortunately prejudice is part of the human condition and anyone who denies this is burying their head in the sand. I have no problem with “women’s art”. I was appalled by a women who was very excited by an artist’s work because she (the artist) painted “like a man”. What is that? Vivre la differance! I say. Every artist has their own voice and that should be celebrated. Woman artists have increased in numbers dramatically over the last 20 years and their work is strong and wonderful! I have found some of my strongest supporters to be men, however, Mellisa’s experience is not new to me.

This isn’t so much an art question as it is a social question. The whole idea of the relationship of men and women throughout history has to be brought into question when we look at the “value” of women’s contribution in society in general before we can be specific about pricing artwork.

It has been the established fact for generations that a women’s place was in the home and producing children. ( easy girls — read on before you crucify me) This wasn’t created to suppress women as much as it was the way the genetics worked it out. This “arrangement” was necessary to get humans this far in history. Women nurtured while the men hunted to feed the family. Not too hard to figure out. It was necessary to continue the life cycle. Biology was the issue not feminist.

There are many reasons for what started the change where women started to take a bigger more public role in society. Mind you women have been in the thick of it but behind the scenes, quietly in a non-public way forever. The norm then was women supported their husbands publicly and worked privately for change and both thrived as a family.

As we progressed and technology made life “easier” we now have more “leisure time”. Women have had the burden of homemaking and childbearing eased from their shoulders. It’s now accepted women/men don’t necessarily have to have children. It’s also more acceptable for women not to marry, have more say in society, and vote.

The pill changed much to give women freedom and take on a more public role longer.

What is taking time to change is this perception of women as homemakers, child bearers.

As many women as men still hold to this idea.

When women took to the art world, their work was looked upon as dilettantism. Something they did to while away the long hour at home. What holds women back is not their ability or dedication or creativity, it’s this (societal) notion that they will eventually marry, bear children and take care of the home and give up art.

In many respects men are still bringing home the bacon, but what has change because of economics is so are women. Early social mores didn’t allow for men to be other than the breadwinner. Men’s role in society isn’t as easy as most would have you believe. Every time there is conversation about suppression of women there never seems to be a balance of what happens to the men when women attain freedom and confidence and give up more traditional roles men and women have held for centuries.

We now are finding that men would love to stay home and raise their kids. This is a new concept in society, but again the common thinking in the work place is the women is the nurturer and the man goes to work.

All this is changing of course, but as much as things change, until technology and biology changes and women give the fundamental essence of what makes a women a women, there may always be this “inequality.”

Descrimination is WRONG – everywhere ! Re: artists should not stand by their paintings : I once showed a very abstract pntg of a spring tooth harrow in a museum show, and standing beside it, heard an old man tell his lady, “It`ll never work.” Guess I got the word from the Horse`s Mouth.

Evething that Sara said is true, BUT in this context, I think she is a little off the mark. I believe that male artists, and their work, are generally taken more seriously. But that is an ‘outside factor’ whereas self-esteem and confidence are ‘inside factors.’ Right or wrong, there is not too much we can do about what others think. All we can do is persevere to be the best we can be, act with dignity and assurance, and hope that those perceptions improve over time. In fact, I believe they are improving, albeit slowly.

PS: Why does it take 2 or 3 tries before my comments are accepted? I seem to always get the message ‘your comment was not submitted, please re-submit’ at least once every time I post a comment.

I’ve reread “Leveling the Playing Field” many times since receiving it and find that the issue of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, color, persuasion etc. has absolutely no place in the world of art. Once artists define themselves as some “Special Interest Artist”, they have taken the first step to pull the attention from the “Work” and apply it to themselves. For what ever reason this exists is not only the flaw but also the tool that perpetuates these mentalities and keeps them alive in galleries and shows and within artists as well. As artists, isn’t what really matters is the “Work” and only the work. In terms of Suzanne’s feelings of value of her work compared to the male artists, my question is, who priced the work? If she was unhappy with the pricing structure, speak up and change it, that is her responsibility. I think what I am missing here is, was her work in line price-wise with the other artists, what sort of relationship has she had with this gallery and the group she was showing with, are these all artists of equally established careers, was the work comparable in theme, there seem to be many variables missing that supports this notion of prejudice. Robert mentions, “Fact is, women painters currently outnumber men four to one.” my question is what does that matter; this is a statistics that establishes some measure of separation and continues this absurd notion we need to keep this concept alive. Just paint or sculpt or blow glass or weave, that’s it, the rest of the debate is brutally incompatible with the act of producing the art.

To address your stand on this Robert, given the 4 to 1 ration you speak of, it seems the statistical analysis doesn’t support the claim of “Uneven”, or rather uneven in which direction? Art buyers as you well know are discriminating, and whether they are purchasing a painting to match the fabric on a couch, collecting for investment, or purchasing for the sheer aesthetic, the idea of gender hardly falls into play. I’ve never sold a painting because of being a man nor have I lost a sale because of my gender. I support artists, and I don’t care about anything other than their work, nor do those who buy my work. My circle of compadres produces art without any overt reference to their plight. They express their unique nature, ethnicity, gender, story, heartaches, loves, and religion. You name it….all by means of a well trained eye, a good sense of translation and a very well defined artist statement. Your response seems a bit placating to Suzanne’s situation. You elude that “Taste” and “Confidence” are somehow gender based and the obvious explanation for this dilemma. You knew you’d get a load of responses I applaud you for taking the hits….

Rick, does anyone write things to you and says someting like “easy boy, read on…”?

Lady – because when I make what seem like inflammatory statements – I want to “nip in the bud” any emotional responses before having a chance to expound further.

And “yes” I’ve had respondents call me on some things. It wasn’t meant to inflame, as it seems to have done with you.

One other thing I neglected to mention is this sparring between the sexes that will never stop no matter how advanced we think we are. Ego is a strong factor. As women take on more, men’s egos will invariably feel the pinch. We are still learning to live with it. Until biology can be altered change will come slowly.

Dear Robert, I am somewhat dismayed at your analogy -“…before a nun gets to be pope”– how does this compare? I think the “Big Guy, upstairs” is the only one who has control over this. I guess for my opinion-this is (albeit innocent) a perfect instance of why my Faith is in Him.

Ah, but I will support the all women’s shows. And I will continue to send money and join the national organizations for women in the arts and the national museum for women in the arts.

Here is why. Unless the oppressed group organizes and fights, then we will not get our place at the table. Janson’s History of Art finally listed a woman artist in….are you ready for this….1966! And yet, we have always been painting. We lacked instruction…it was denied to us. Until one hundred years ago, we often were not allowed to learn to READ. Elizabeth Cady Stanton started an ALL women’s organization that led to the right to VOTE. Have you looked at the membership roster of PAPA or any of the painting groups out there? Do you really think that there are just more men in these fields that are better? Really? There are more plein air men painters that are better? I don’t think so. There are men who were noticed, bought, and put forth. There were always women just as good. And if we do not organize, if we do not fight, then we will simply NOT be at the table. It won’t be handed to us, it never has been handed to any oppressed group. When Martin Luther King organized for blacks having a place at the table there were many of us white people who backed that effort. And there are men who back the effort that women have to take to get noticed. And sometimes that is all women’s shows, all women’s art organizations, and all women museums.

We invite any men to that table that will back us to be accepted on the local and the national level in a level playing field. And we will continue to have all women’s shows, National women’s arts organizations, and museums celebrating our contributions until the day when there is a level playing field.

All women shows are merely a tactic to help us level the playing field. And until the playing field is leveled we must organize and do what we can to make that happen.

Otherwise, what we do is simply wait until the men invite us equally? That the galleries invite us equally? That the organizations invite us equally? Never in history have rights been won by the group with privilege suddenly inviting the group that was not included. NEVER. It has always been that the group not included has had to struggle for the place at the table. And all women shows are just a part of that struggle to be recognized equally throughout the art world.

We would welcome your support. But we understand when you say that to support that is to give us special favors. We have heard that one before.

So much of the focus is on “the fight” instead of the product. Artists, like all other professions, develop.

Let’s get to work. God loves us all.

I think Sara has a great mind. Just being a full time artist takes it all to the limit anyway, gender issues aside. Smile. Serve doubt and negative thoughts their eviction orders and paint!

My home base is in Whistler BC. I am currently in Panama City , Panama on a 3 month art commission project.

Whistler has an abundance of artists, both male and female of all genres and styles if one had to categorize it. I completely agree with the fact there are more female artists than male, but I must point out, that the male artists do tend to be more successful, or at least the number of successes are equal to the women who have a higher artistic population. The fact that if one narrows it down to men being quite logical thinking and females are generally more emotional thinking, makes the male artist more business-oriented, promotional-based, and labour intensive beyond the actual act of painting or creation. I see that the female artist is proud of her work, loves the art and gets excited about creation. When the female artist goes beyond this, and into the promotion, business and distribution of her work, she becomes very successful.

The work I see and love from both males and females regardless of quality, style, materials and whatever, is completely on par with one another. If anything, women have the upperhand for being so loving of the artistic process.

Boy, did this hit a sore spot with me. I have noticed the imbalance for years in southern California and wasn’t liking it, especially when I did a head count on how many men were invited to the special plein air painting invitationals. I do try harder than the men and I think I am leaping hurdles in my art expertise. I was cut down and told to give up and get a real job. It hurt badly, but I got mad and fought off the discredit. It has taken me years of endless hours of painting without much recognition until recently. I also have a famous name that people think I changed my name to it so I can gain instant fame. Hah! Male artists have asked me to not sign my full name so people won’t judge me by it. Since I was born with this name, I have gone through over fifty years of signing it and I am not about to change it now. I am over the feelings of inferiority at this time in my life as an artist and woman. I feel equal to the men out there, call it courage, call it confidence. Maybe it’s all the experiences in life that taught me to focus on the successes, not the failures. I relate to the male artists on a level neither above or below. I haven’t one iota of bias anymore, no prejudice. I am over the feeling of lack and I think it’s because I believe in myself now. Woman artists have to raise kids, take care of a house, feed the animals and that includes the husband, just kidding! Men artists get up early in the morning and take off and get to come home anytime they want. No need to worry about anyone to care for. Woman can do it all and despite the heavy load they carry, they still find time to pull off an incredible work of art. Who’s to say men are better and deserve more credit? I was reading Georgia O’Keeffe’s book last night and she was extremely successful and even men placed her up on a pedestal. I have become friends with many male artists who do not hesitate to give support and kind advice. It’s all good now. My advice is to not let it get you down, you will only recede if you believe men are getting all the breaks. Look deep within yourself as an artist with a gift, then work like heck to draw it out. Believe in and be true to yourself first, then everything falls into place.

Sexism, Religion, the vagaries of the market, the ethics of reform, the creativity of the individual. And then we lost the Ryder Cup. Paint on guys….

Although I no longer remember who said “All unhappiness is caused by comparison”; I believe it to be true. An artist who is able to remain focused, work forty hours a week, and produce quality work, will become successful. A pleasant disposition and a smile does wonders for any artist present at an opening, as also does taking an interest in your clients. Signing your paintings with your first initial also works quite well, as others are unaware of whether a man or woman painted it. It’s fun when they get to meet you, and I’ve learned that that gender doesn’t make a difference.

I think the public has image of what an artist should be like from various books and films. Usually this image is male and women artists are left out of the history of art to a great degree. Because of this I think it is harder for the art buying public to view them as seriously as men. It can be very discouraging even if you go by the philosophy of Eleanor Roosevelt that “No one can make you feel inferior unless you let them.” Women artists still need to afford housing, food, and health care, etc. in order to be as productive as is necessary for making a living as an artist.

Once again, Bob. You hit the nail on the head…I don’t want to be involved in ANY competition that is an unlevel playing field. I try to follow the rules of competitions (prospectus), and also think others have, too. When I see winners whose work is obviously inspired by other artists, or a ‘style’ that is inconsistent with the amount of time an artist claims to have been painting…or of scenes that are remote and unlikely to have been visited by the artist…I want to cry foul!

However, I try to put my head in the studio, vow to keep ME clean, study with the best instructors/tutors and not worry about others’ interpretation of the ‘rules’ of competition.

Jackie Phelen held workshops for women-only training for mountain bike racing. A reporter asked why she made them exclusive to men and the reply is excellent: Because men have a place, it’s called the world.

Yes, Suzanne, the discrimination against women in the art world is real.

1. Take a good look at that thick tome “the History of Art” that you studied during your student years. NO women included.

2. 92% of artists who have gallery representation are male. This includes artists represented by galleries owned by women.

3. Many female artists have use initials or other gender-neutral means of identifying themselves, in order to circumvent the discrimination.

4. Look at the famous women artists of the 20th century: Lee Krasner, Georgia O’Keefe, Frida Kahlo. They received attention and achieved fame due to their close proximity with a famous male artist: Jackson Pollock, Steiglitz, and Diego Rivera. so there you have it.

Over here in the highlands of Scotland I can say we are fortunate enough to have women artists selling their paintings for the same prices as the men. I hadn’t thought about gender when looking at paintings in one of our best galleries. During their artistic career women artists have had families to look after and so their working day was often interrupted. Yet with a determined spirit they produced some incredible work of a very high standard equal to that of a man artist. I believe Sara is right in that self belief and confidence is what inspires an artist to work to produce a professional painting, whatever your gender.

I have always found it extremely important to keep my eye on my goals and not let self doubt get me down. I think as an artist who is serious about her painting career there are a lot of important things to think about. How I conduct my working day, making new galleries contacts, working towards an exhibition and project goals and most of all thinking about how I am going to tell other people about what my artistic career means to me. I have found that it is important to talk about my work to other people. By doing this they can become involved and also interested in my work. It is not always an easy thing to do as I can be quite shy at times. But after some practise it does become easier.

Life is full of challenges, let us keep our eyes firmly on our goal. Whatever our gender let us share our artwork with others and speak out about what interests and motivates us.

There is no doubt about the uneven playing field, and women artists perpetuate this by idolizing their male peers oftentimes. However, in the north central region of my state, where I live, it is the women landscape painters who dominate that subject without question. I must confess it feels good.

This is certainly an interesting topic for debate. Is it ever a level playing field? My husband is coaching a children’s soccer team and had an interesting e-mail this evening regarding the same. I have worked in a male dominated industry before and know what sexism looks like. I can honestly say that I don’t feel that I have been subjected to any type of a sexual bias as far as my art. I think that as individuals our work speaks for itself. Most everyone can think of a talented artist who has not been accepted into a show (both male and female). Is it the artist, or the art they are producing? All of it is subjective. People like the work, the style, etc. or they do not! Perhaps it’s not the sex of the artist, but the likes and dislikes of the viewer. Oh, yes, I feel the sting of rejection at times, but it makes me stronger and makes my work better! Will I be paid the same as an XY for my work? It would be nice to think so, but I’ll paint regardless, because I must!

It never occurred to me to even think about this subject. I’m not sure what this says about me but I hope it says that I am secure enough in myself not to even wonder about these things. If things change for me as I grow as an artist, I’ll let you know.

I am a woman architect and painter. (though I am listed at this site as a male). I have encountered sexiesm in both professions.

I have been taking part in an exhibition that is exclusively sea and boat related. The organizer told me straight up that the patron who buys work every year, will not buy my work simply because I am a woman. It annoys me, but I will rather sell to someone who will appreciate the paintings for what they are.

Terry Mason hits the nail on the head. “Uppety women unite!”

Thank goodness most women know the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.

I was horrified to read Katherine Spencer Harris’ advice to have a male family member stand in for ‘the artist’ and to not admit to the artists’ sex!

It is one thing to try use initials, a last name, etc to be gender neutral (and I don’t know that I agree with that) but quite another to deliberately hide the fact that you are a woman. And she should stay backstage and let her male family members ‘represent’ her is beyond ridiculous!

Maybe in the short term it will sell her a few more paintings, make a few more dollars – but what does it say about us that we’re willing to hide who we are in order to do that. If we feel the need to hide the fact that we are female then we are communicating that we also perceive it to be a flaw. We need to stand by our art proudly and let people see that women create all types of art – be it giant, bold abstracts or flowery needlepoint!

We need to confront sexism head on – not hide who we are so that it doesn’t affect us! Especially not behind Daddy, our brothers or our husbands! Good grief – we don’t want to go back to the Victorian Age!

I appreciated your raising the issue of gender discrimination in the arts. Suzanne is certainly not being delusional, this inequality is hard cold fact: as invidious and pervasive and harmful as any other prejudice. There are serious works of scholarship devoted to the issue (“The Obstacle Race”, “Old Mistresses” “Anonymous Was a Woman” etc ) and groups (in the US) which crunch the numbers and keep tracks of the trend (Guerilla Girls, Women in the Arts Foundation, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, etc.)

I have always signed my name with my first two intiials and then my last name, because I hate signing my name on paintings and the shorter the better, but using only all initials seemed like it could cause future confusion. So, while a student, one of the school administrators led a distinguised older gentleman up to me at a student show and introduced us saying to me “Mr. X has just bought your painting of the stack of books.” Mr. X visibly started ,gulped and blurted out “YOU painted that? Oh, I thought that was by a man!” Seeing the confused and undelighted reaction his words were creating he hastened to reasssure me ” Well, my dear, it’s simply amazing. You paint like a man!”

He obviously meant this as the highest accolade. But did he ever buy another piece from me? No, he did not.

Only today I discussed my pricing with someone in charge of such things, wondering out loud why a male artist I know of similar “rank and file” is getting significantly more for his work. The answer came, honestly but a little apologetically, “Well, you know of course, part of the problem is that men are still, even today, perceived as the main bread-winners. It is felt that they need to earn more, to support their families.”

And with these all-pervasive prejudices in place, that men are, if not more talented, at least more worthy, this is a self-fulfilling prophecy. However, having said all this, an artist who is a woman can’t let these thoughts enter her head while she is working. She needs to be aware of the prejudices and the obstacles when her work has left the studio, to try and not take things so personally: any successes will taste all the sweeter. And of course, there are some women who will never feel the subtle sting of prejudice. There are a lucky few in every generation: usually lifted over the obstacles by painter fathers or family friends/connections in the art world. I say more power to them. Just don’t let them be used as “evidence” that the very real inequality most women artists face is non-existent.

I find it hard to believe that gender discrimination still exists in the art world. With the example of Emily Carr in our own back yard it is shocking. My niece and one of my long time friends (female) are slowly becoming bigger frogs in their ponds. Neither has felt slighted because of gender that I have heard and both, time permitting, could easily make a living from their art. They are strong women who do not feel threatened if an exhibition includes more men than women. The work on the canvas is what counts. If it’s good gender, race, political stance,religion or any other bias is irrelevant.

There must have been an OVERFLOW of testosterone on the trading floors in the last two years to have gotten us into the pickle we’re in

I agree with your daughter but I also hedge myself by only using a first initial and my last name….I don’t want people to judge my work based on my gender when they first see it.

In my opinion, one of the best ways to negate this problem is to continue to work diligently, be alert to new learning experiences and refuse to be sidetracked. Focus on what can be changed — not what can’t (gender). Cream will rise to the top.

Robert, I love what your daughter shared; about self esteem and a belief in oneself as an Artist and a ‘worthy’ person. We all have a story to tell, and there will always be someone who needs to “hear” what we are saying in the work we do. There will never be a way of pleasing everyone in the art-viewing world, but if we bless at least a few people over the years, we are fulfilling that calling that keeps us reaching out to share our art. It is very important (to me) to show emotion in my work. Being on a road of discovery as to ‘how’ to do that, via technique and skill is one thing; but we all have in us, what’s needed to tell an important story. We WILL grow, change and improve if we are moving forward. We’ve just need to leave the ‘arrival’ time to the powers that be.

I recently put a birdfeeder on my terrace and I even get hummingbirds feeding on my hosta flowers! I took some money from some legal expert work I do, which is NOT fun and I had a pond built in my backyard in the country. Of course I’ve been too busy working to see it but my friend out there gives me reports. I’m going to get my fish in 2 weeks and I’m going to name them after artist’s. Yes, it’s too bad about being a woman in the art world, but try MY predicament, an emerging OLDER woman artist! Any tips for us? Years ago I lived with a painter and just before we found out he was terminally ill, I asked him on a whim “what would you want me to do with your art if something happened to you!”. We had no idea he would be dead 8 weeks later at 39, He wisely said, “I don’t even care what happens to my art after I do it. I ONLY care about what happens to ME WHILE I’m doing it!”

I have, over the years, sent in numerous slides, accompanied by a completed entry form, for an exhibition opening in the near future.

I’ve stood by the mail box daily awaiting the results. Some were positive and some not. After reading articles on how work for an exhibit is chosen, by a juror’s particular style, I decided to start using strategy in choosing the work I entered. When the ‘call for entries’ were posted, I imminently set out to research the juror all I could. I knew their likes their dislikes their personal style and their past choices. I finally felt like maybe I had a little power in the whole jurying process. At the same time, I feel like I was being underhanded and unethical in some way. I really need some advice to my role, as an artist, in exhibition entries.

Just wanted you to know… I think there already was a female pope – Pope Joan.

It is not just the men… its the women too. Putting each other down with a vengeance. It is entertaining and you do better to rise above it and let it wash on by.

I totally agree that shows and groups should have no discrimination based on anything. That is why I was against the National Museum of Women in the arts when it first opened in Washington DC and didn’t join it. However, I have now seen wonderful art from so many women of the past, the Renaissance, and some earlier, native arts of third world countries and contemporary art from everywhere at that museum and I’m beginning to think that it is unique. I am not sure much of this art would ever be shown in our other museums. Some would and I don’t think there is a need for a National Museum of Men in the Arts but this museum does serve a purpose for now. Maybe someday it will open its doors as so many single sex campuses have and we won’t have that need anymore.

Your wonderful daughter is very wise. Painting is my passion. If it were not I would have given up a long time ago. Now that I am fifty-six I am beginning to make headway and hope to maintain some regular hours. I have just opened a Gallery/Studio in my home town, Legal, AB (pop. 1100) and we will be celebrating next Saturday with a Grand Opening. I trained (before I went to university to become… a lawyer, of all things — didn’t make it) at Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney, Australia. Yes, we moved a lot when I was young. I only had about a year and a half at the school, and I shut down for about thirteen years before I met my marvelous Martin, but the knowledge I gained has been built on ever since. It is like another language… doesn’t take up much luggage space! In the meantime I keep putting one foot, or is it one brushmark, after the other and I feel like I am flying!

Lake O’Hara…..How lovely to be there! I know you will treasure this time with your daughter. From her comments in ‘Esoterica’ I see she is as well-spoken as her dad.

I have been dappling in painting for close to 20 years now. It’s always been my passion but never thought to take it further until now that I am in my 50s. I am now faced with having to find employment when I wish I could spend my days painting. Two of my recent paintings were accepted into a well-known auction benefitting a hospice in the area. A gallery representative apparently said my paintings were “very good. Unless she seeks gallery representation, she will always be an amateur.”

When galleries take 50% of the sale, how does one get ahead? What’s your take on gallery vs. Internet, amateur vs. professional?

As a female artist, who happens to work in watercolor, I feel I am discriminated against doubly. I would like to read your views on gallery and client discrimination toward watercolor as opposed to oil, or even acrylic.