“For the Record: Celebrating Art Created by Women” Exhibition Opens at Norton Museum of Art

On Friday, the Norton Museum of Art opened its doors to its newest exhibition “For the Record: Celebrating Art Created by Women.” 

On the first floor, visitors can explore different types of art including oil paintings, glazed porcelain sculptures, digital art and screen prints. It features over 50 objects with an artistic expression that spans over 140 years.  

While the art is not in chronological order of time it was created, J. Rachel Gustafson, assistant curator, set up everything according to the power they represent and what pieces spoke to each other. 

The exhibition came about after the 100th anniversary of the women’s suffrage movement. While she is aware that not all women were able to vote by the time the 19th amendment was ratified, she believes it was a step in the right direction. 

Going beyond just the fact that these artists are women, these art pieces also touch on the themes such as the civil rights movement, the male gaze, the stereotyping of women interests, and the social boundaries that surround a woman’s bodies. Some of these powerful messages are presented by featured artists including Anne Brigman, Sylie Fleury, Amy Sherald, and Suzanne Valadon. 

In addition to showcase art created by women, it is intended to bring awareness about gender and racial inequality within art museums around the country. According to data from 2008 to 2018, only 14% of art displayed in exhibitions in 26 prominent American museums are created by women artists. However, the Norton Museum of Art displayed 33.5%.

Not only are they spreading awareness to the lack of featuring women artists but also to the financial inequality within female artists. Displayed on the walls of the building, it shows how visual artists in the United States make only 74 cents to every dollar a man makes. In addition, it mentions that from 2008 to 2018, the worldwide market value of art by men was valued to be $196.6 billion dollars as compared to women art that only has a 2% of those sales valuing $4 billion dollars. 

She said that if the visitors could take anything from this exhibit, she hopes it would be community pride. With Norton being a public institution, she said that these art pieces belong to the citizens of Palm Beach County. 

“It’s a bit of community pride, I think, that we could take away because knowing that this museum has given such commitment to collecting art by women and that because of that commitment, we’re able to put a show together like that,” Gustafson said.  

Gustafson sets up a challenge. She said, “Think about a woman, a female identifying person that inspires you and bring them to this show, because I think seeing the vast range of creativity that women have contributed is something inspirational in itself.”

To find more information about the exhibition visit the museum’s website or tune into its YouTube channel on Thursday where Gustafson’s “Her-story of the Norton Collection” will stream live at 6 p.m. 

The exhibition will run from June 11 until October 3.