Press release for extended dates for "Doin' It in Public: Feminism and Art at the Woman's Building"

              Media Release: Doinʼ It in Public Extended through February/ Ben Maltz Gallery / Pg 2 of 3
historian Arlene Raven founded the WB, and for over two decades it helped shape the regional and
international cultural landscapes. Through extensive public performances, site-specific work,
networking with political activists, and collaborations, the feminist art movement at the WB raised
consciousness, invited dialogue, and transformed culture. The WB handed women their rightful claim
to the role of “artist.” It inspired and allowed members to create a community of women who saw art
as a powerful tool for social change, and shared this vision with the public. A listing of the artists
featured in Doinʼ It in Public, including Miriam Schapiro, Faith Wilding, Betye Saar, and Suzanne
Lacy, can be found at www.otis.edu/benmaltzgallery.
Exhibitions such as WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution, 1965-1980, (MOCA, Los Angeles,
2007); Catalog L.A.: Birth of Art Capital: 1955-1985 (Centre Pompidou, Paris, 2006); and Sexual
Politics: Judy Chicago's Dinner Party in Feminist Art (Hammer Museum, 1996) positioned the WB
within the West Coast feminist art movement. This exhibition is the first to fully explore the
contributions of the Womanʼs Building in its widest ramifications.
The major focus of Doinʼ It in Public is revealing the WBʼs emphasis on developing, teaching, and
executing collaboration. The work of collaborative groups such as Ariadne: A Social Art Network,
Chrysalis Magazine, Feminist Art Workers, Feminist Studio Workshop, The L.A. Womenʼs
Video Center, Madre Tierra Press, Mother Art, Sisters Of Survival, The Waitresses, and the
Womenʼs Graphic Center is presented and contextualized through the exhibition, programs, and
publications.
Otis has released a two-volume publication in conjunction with the exhibition. Volume I: From Site to
Vision: the Womanʼs Building in Contemporary Culture, is a collection of 14 essays originally
published online in 2007, edited by Sondra Hale and Terry Wolverton. Essayists include Sheila
Levrant de Bretteville and Lucy R. Lippard, activist and writer on contemporary art and culture.
Volume II: Doinʼ It in Public: Feminism and Art and the Womanʼs Building includes research and
writing by a prestigious team of scholars who assembled in 2008-09 to shape the curatorial focus of
this project. The limited edition two-volume book set is available at http://www.amazon.com or
through the galleryʼs website www.otis.edu/benmaltzgallery
Doinʼ It in Public project directors at Otis are Meg Linton, Director of Galleries and Exhibitions, Ben
Maltz Gallery and Sue Maberry, Director of Library and Information Technology and former Project
Director at the Womanʼs Building. Former Womanʼs Building artists as well as Otis faculty members
advising on the project include Suzanne Lacy, Director of Otisʼ Graduate Public Practice program, as
well as Cheri Gaulke, Jerri Allyn, Terry Wolverton, Nancy Angelo and Sondra Hale. Curatorial and
research interns assisting on the project are Jenay Meraz, Joanne Mitchell, Julia Paoli, Kayleigh
Perkov, and Paige Tighe (MFA Public Practice ʼ10).
BEN MALTZ GALLERY: Location, Hours, Admission, Parking
Location: Otis College of Art and Design, 9045 Lincoln Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Parking & Admission: Free. Visitor parking in structure off La Tijera Blvd.
Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-5pm / Thu 10am-7pm. Closed Sunday, Monday.
Gallery Tours: 310.665.6909 to schedule tours for school, museum or other groups
Gallery Info: 310.665.6905, galleryinfo@otis.edu, www.otis.edu/benmaltzgallery