Word of the Day: GUGGEN-HIM
Issues surrounding gender discrimination and equity, gender variance, and in visibility and discrimination for the gender non-conforming have been on my mind lately, more so than usual. As I am organizing a show for Napoleon in September on some of these topics, I am discouraged (and additionally, feel pressed) by the continued slights shown by the art world in its representation of and valuation of women artists and art workers. The Guggenheim just announced their 2015 lineup (last week) to immediate backlash, as they have once again neglected to include a female (or non-male) artist to show on the rotunda – the most visible area of the museum. This disparity is not remotely limited to the Guggenheim, but we will gladly use it as an example. Realizing that we have not even begun to approach equality for women in this field, I feel more driven to continuing to expose the disparities and discriminations of all non-male art people. I often (ignorantly) think that we have progressed enough in male/female disparities that opening up the conversation to issues of sexual identity and gender non-conformity are just an obvious addendum. Ultimately, however, our equitable progress is not nearly what I (or likely, anyone) had expected for 2015. Le sigh.
NAPOLEON 