This newsletter is divided into the following articles. To read any one of these articles, please click on the text of the article title.

Letter from the Directors:

Another beautiful season has arrived. Fall with its cool air, rich fragrance and brilliant color is here without having been asked to happen. We don’t question, but wisely accept the imminent. Change is sometimes welcome but often very painful. It presents us with challenges and prompts us to grow, to adjust, to become stronger and better, to learn and become aware, to survive and make the best of a situation. We here at WMG, as some of you already know, have been presented with just such a situation. We were informed that our rent will increase nearly 300% at the end of our lease in August 2000. Rather than spend such money on rent, we would prefer to invest in our very own space. Our goal is to have our own building, a Women’s Art Museum in Chicago. Such a building would provide a home to simultaneously showcase artwork from our ever-growing permanent collection, our diverse group shows and solo exhibits. We also need room for our research library, workshops and a gift shop. It would be great to have an area for lectures, performance events and poetry readings, complete with stage.

How can all this be done? How can dreams come true? We are considering all sorts of possibilities including joining up with other worthy organizations to purchase a space and share reception and common areas. The other option is to find our own building. Whatever path Woman Made chooses, one thing is for certain: We need your help and support! We have grown surely and steadily over the years and presently have over 500 members. If each of our members remained faithful to Woman Made year after year and inspired two of her (or his) friends to do the same, we could make an offer on our own building at the start of the new year. It would be a wonderful and phenomenal group effort. Group effort is key.

Just as we were finalizing this newsletter, we received the wonderful news of a welcome change in our bank account reflecting a $5000 grant from the Kaplan Family Foundation. To top all of this, our guardian angel has struck again: We have received yet another donation of $5000 from her and are extremely happy and very grateful for this tremendous gift. With such encouragement, along with the support and feedback we constantly receive from artists, members and volunteers, we are inspired, rather than overwhelmed by all that lies ahead and are truly looking forward to making the most of any changes that come our way. Equally, we hope and wish that any changes or events you may be experiencing in your life will unearth new opportunities for growth and strengthening of spirit for the remainder of 1999 and beyond.

Beate Minkovski, Executive Director, Janet Bloch, Gallery Director
& Pamela Callahan, Assistant Director

PS: Judy Chicago update
Another change in plans involves our Executive Advisor, Judy Chicago, who had to unfortunately cancel her plans to jury the Third International Open Exhibition in March 2000. And to make things even more upsetting, the exhibitions we so eagerly looked forward to, titled "Chicago in Glass" with new art by Judy Chicago and executed in glass by Vicki Leon will not take place in October as planned. You may still order signed copies of her new book, ‘Women and Art: Contested Territory, co-authored with Edward Lucie-Smith by filling out the enclosed order form. A group of fanatics, made up of staff, board and regular WMG members will drive to Bloomington, IN to view Judy Chicago’s exhibit, ‘Trials and Tributes’ and meet her to sign our books. If you are interested in joining us for this road trip, please let us know by October 20th.

Reflections

The following article was written by Janet Bloch and published in Dialogue art magazine, July/August 1999.

My involvement with Woman Made Gallery since 1992 came as a result of feeling disenfranchised from the art world and its institutions. In the midst of my art schooling in the 1970s, the women’s movement exploded. At the age of 20 I transferred to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I anticipated all the names and works of women artists I would learn about and how they would inspire me. Books and classes about women were offered for the first time.

Although I would learn the names of women artists and familiarize myself with their works, I was predominantly self-taught. Most professors were not acquainted with the artworks of women and in fact, snickered at the notion that art had any gender bias. Painting was still taught by men. Sculpture was still taught by men. Museums and exhibitions were still directed and curated by men. Despite this environment, most of the women who went to art school during the 1970s were profoundly affected by artists such as Judy Chicago and Ana Mendieta. But it seemed in the next decade that many women artists (including myself) would retreat into the "female" realm of "doing our art for ourselves."

In the 1990s the most significant, positive impact on the art world has been the emergence of women as art professors, museum directors, curators, and historians. These women have most often validated a female aesthetic and brought art by women to a public domain via exhibitions and acquisitions. Most importantly they have secured women a place in history by producing catalogues of shows and books documenting women artists and their contributions.

As one of the directors of Woman Made Gallery, I am optimistic about the future status of women in the arts. I know inequities still broadly exist, but I have had the privilege of working towards a solution. It’s been said that adversity challenges us and makes us who we are, but just imagine who we might be if we had always received encouragement and praise for our work. With the support available at Woman Made, women’s voices are whispering, humming, and roaring, and they are being heard way beyond Chicago’s doors.

Herstory Time

What do eggs, quilts, a dinner party and henna all have in common? They all relate to 'female' art forms, some that have been practiced for hundreds of years. Each has a story, written by a woman, to help you learn about them. Woman Made Gallery is pleased to present a children's story hour, commencing this fall. Produced and led by artist/storyteller Jennifer La Civita Kimbrough, this series welcomes parents and children (ages 6-12) to visit the gallery and learn about some amazing women artists. Kimbrough incorporates storytelling, music and an art activity for the children to participate in. The first session will take place on Sunday, October 17 from 2-3pm. Suggested donation is $3 and all materials are included. Refreshments will be served.

Session I (FALL)
Women in the Kitchen - "The Dinner Party"©
Learn about Judy Chicago and her installation piece, "The Dinner Party". In it, Judy Chicago pays homage to needlework and other 'female' art forms. Highlights will be excerpts from her books, Through the Flower and Beyond the Flower. Diane Stanley's picture book, The Gentleman and the Kitchen Maid will be read. Make your own placemat in the spirit of "The Dinner Party'" and celebrate the work of Judy Chicago.

Upcoming next year (details in future newsletters)
Session II (WINTER) Warm up with Quilts©
Session III (SPRING) Eggs, Eggs and More Eggs©
Session IV (SUMMER) It's Summer and Body Art is in Season, It's Henna Time©

Two Artists You Should Know

Woman Made is pleased to welcome artist Mary Ellen Croteau as the first speaker in our new slide and lecture series "Two Artist's You Should Know." This educational program invites artists to lecture on and show slides of their work and the work of an artist that has been an inspiration to them. This allows for the audience to learn about both contemporary artists and artists of other eras.

Mary Ellen Croteau's solo exhibition "Mercy" will be in the Joy Darrow Memorial Wing at WGM from October 15 through November 12, 1999. "Mercy" is an installation of works based on the novel of that name by Andrea Dworkin. Mary Ellen received her MFA from Rutgers University in 1998 and has both exhibited and lectured all over the country as well as internationally. She will speak about her work and life as an artist and about Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1652). Gentileschi was an Italian Baroque artist who was renowned in her own time but ignored by male art historians. Her art, often said to have been created by lesser male artists, was rediscovered during the feminist movement in the 70's.

Mary Ellen will lecture on November 7, 1999 from 2-3pm. Admission is free although there is a suggested donation of $3.

Hassle-Free Holidays!

Tired of the same old holiday gifts? Really tired of those stuffy, rubber chicken holiday parties? Let Woman Made Gallery answer your every holiday need. That's right, gift giving and holiday party planning all in one glorious historical setting. The Holiday Bazaar offers unique, one-of-a-kind handmade crafts all created by women artists. And this year, Woman Made premieres holiday party planning. From after-work office holiday cocktail parties to December birthday bashes to private shopping for your business associates ... Woman Made Gallery is available for holiday party rentals (plus ... your party guests will be able to shop for all their gift giving needs during the party!) Call the Gallery for details ... let us cater to your every need and let yourself enjoy the holiday season ... hassle-free.

Auction 99

Our auction on November 5th is a hot topic. There will be great art available in a live and silent auction (including a signed serigraph by Judy Chicago). A raffle with fabulous prizes, performances by King and other talents plus yummy hors-d’oevres and the company of great WMG supporters are all reasons why you should attend this event. A portion of the proceeds will go to our building fund.

Please help us in making this fundraiser successful! We are aiming to have the down-payment for a building to call Home where we can continue supporting and showcasing women artists. Our board vice-president, Cali Bergold, put together a list of things you can do:

1. You can buy or sell event tickets ($60 per person).
2. Take out an ad in the event booklet, sell raffle tickets ($5 each or 6 for $25).
3. Donate items or services for the silent auction.
4. Become an event sponsor (by selling from 5 to 10 tickets) and be listed in our event literature.
5. Volunteer your time.

The greatest incentive to attend the auction or support it through purchasing tickets, raffles or ads is knowing that you have contributed to a special place, one that cultivates and supports women in their creative endeavors. Please call us at 312-328-0038 for more information or if you have any questions.

words

The editors of Rhino, the poetry journal, held a contest for poems that were to be created by collaging words together. The contest winners read their poems at a special reading held at Woman Made Gallery in May during the Cut & Paste exhibition. All poets and participants were asked to walk through the Cut & Paste show as well as Dian Sourelis' solo exhibition, Shrines for Our Fathers . Here are some of the poems born of that experience. If you missed the show or would like to refresh your memory, a selection of works is posted on the Woman Made webpage (http://www.womanmade.org/cutandpaste.html).

Holy
(In response to Upstart by Robyn St. Cyr Mann)

I remember feeling wholly incomplete
Scattered disconnected- Pieced piece-meal together at
The hands of a benevolent
But confused God
Whose safety scissors cut
My parts and whose
Clumped paste fused me
Together
Making me
The beautiful human mess
That stands before you.

-Jennifer Hart

What’s Inside You
(In response to several artworks from Cut & Paste)

the father in the closet
the dog in the tree
the couple in the cupboard

a harp in the string
a seed in the hand
an arrow in the heart

a poet in the flag
a skirt in the sky
a glitter in the ghost

a frog in your arms
a rose in your face
a skull in your garden

a crowd in your soul

-Kathleen Kirk

How I Got That Poem

I cut up a map.
Then I cut up a book.
then a newspaper, and a Harper’s magazine.
Then I cut off my hair,
trimmed my toenails,
and flossed my teeth.
Gross but plaque, you know,
is resilient and sticky.
than I ate some watermelon
and summoned a load of saliva.
Then I spat.
(I didn’t want to drool.)
I literally spat at the page.

-Kathleen Kirk

Memories: Cut & Paste

I remember Grandma Kirk
this way, softly blurred, in black
and white, a flowered print
smoke gray house dress, pink arms,
White Shoulders enclosing me,
pink disks of wintergreen in a glass bowl.

Yes, I remember frogs,
lizards, pigeons, squirrels,
wanting to touch anything wild.

I remember covering my hand
with Elmer’s Glue on the last day of school,
to be able to peel it off
and see my lifelines,
the utter fossil of my future.

I remember my sister’s tutus.
I never took ballet.
I played the piano.
Clair de lune, moonlight sonata.

I remember black and white tv
and then (sung) the wonderful world of color.

I remember a hotel in Chicago,
looking out the window at a window
in another hotel across the street:
two couples, naked, prancing,
and how they saw us shocked children
laughed, and pulled the drapes.

-Kathleen Kirk

Entrance
(In response to Shrines for Our Fathers )

Here is a room to be dead in.
Within the high, white walls
fronted with the full-length
bay windows and down
the center of the stripped-bare
wood floor are
three white pedestals.

-Jackie White

The Inner Room Tour

All that hangs here mixes together
part of the solution:

there, blue faces flow across the gray swaths,
the faces bleed themselves purple pink,
the swaths wave into opposite stripes
of the flag, they both wave
from the red square right. Beside its X
stars spill up out of the robed
woman. The train coming up fast behind her crosses tracks
at the last moment one remembers Karenina
and there, a triangled stick figure multiplies
in black amid hears scattered
each more red and larger.

(I remember
the journal of a man thinking
he could not write
of his own happy family—
there, in the middle of the room
is a full length mirror so the
self, regardless of) paint to
fall through, of paper glued
over cloth, of windows opening
from this building and from the canvas
sprinkled with leaves, with petals, with
seeds (the self sees the self
doing this writing again) and here,
yellow curves against blue, sparkles
fold over the photo, the wedding
gown’s train splits into thirds
like winter’s two faces and one
breath; and here are the needles
of our hatching, roots swirling
down into the labyrinth
of shells sucked on by dark, glowing insects.

Beside the headless torso’s stretched
arms from centered lovers
leaning over the serpent spun foliage
licking a tongue toward the tangled
flight cycloning to depths,
there are animals caught in
the cycle of hunting (there are
instincts inescapable
that rise up over all
they’ve been pasted over with)

we’ve come full circle, and see
she squeezes the neck
of a frog.

In The Outer Room

I am the angle with the key
floating through the harp’s pulp,
the stringy remnants of power,
the tool that might open
what the blue egg rings.

I am the dancer
I am seven
red socks fall down
my hand rises and opens
to the yellow seed.

I am the daughter
in my mother’s poses emerging
from the green house through
the scrapbook’s ecru pages spread
open like the tarp to be cut
into quilt squares.

Whatever flies must come back
to grounding. In the middle of
reflection, the door swings open
and frees the tinkling chimes.
I am not the wind.

I am not the outer. I lie
underneath, underneath I am
not angle, not dancer, not posed.
I am barefoot and my hand is empty.
The yard is unseeded and the house,
pale, left behind. No remnants gathered.

The book remains closed. The door
opens, but in silence.
Why are we always looking
out, looking?
what would the key be for?

-Jackie White

Letters from WMG Members

Dear Women of Woman Made, I'm really delighted to have had work accepted for the Members' Show, especially since I rejoice in two patterns, or even coincidences. This is my 3rd show with you in two years, and the second time you've selected a piece of my anatomical work: work dear to me that no one outside of a medical school has shown! Thanks for your interest in my work; it feels so good!
-Ann Starr

Dear Woman Made Gallery, I wanted to thank everyone involved with the Concealed/Revealed Show. I visited Chicago from Washington DC to attend the reception on June 25 and I was very impressed with the gallery, the exhibit and all of the gracious people that I met. I am looking forward to returning in the near future and hope that this exhibit is just the beginning of my relationship with Woman Made.
Sincerely, Gay Cioffi

Dear Woman Made, I have been to multiple unforgettable art openings at Woman Made over the past five years and enjoyed some of the most interesting and challenging artworks I have ever seen in my whole life. As an ardent supporter of your organization I am always very happy and often surprised that you attract such large crowds to these events. At the last opening for your annual Members’ Show I noticed that all of you went out of your way to serve a multitude of appetizers to the hundreds of guests that showed up and I wonder if you should practice a bit more moderation in this area. It made me wonder if people really come for the art or if they are just hungry. (Come on honey, let’s go to Woman Made. They have some good food!!) What’s wrong with cheese and crackers and maybe some grapes? It would help you with your budget and save some sweat too!
-A concerned supporter and member since 1994.

Call for Artists

You have two options on how to receive guidelines for shows:

1. Send a self-addressed-stamped envelope to Woman Made Gallery, 1900 South Prairie Avenue, Chicago, IL 60616
2. Visit our webpage at http://www.womanmade.org/exhibitions.html to find out about upcoming shows and then go to http://www.womanmade.org/entryform.html to print out an entry form.

All shows in 2000 are for women only, except for the Members' Show

Call for Written Entries

Woman Made Gallery Reading Series 2000

CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS

(3-5 poems or 5-8 pages short prose, on Fairy Tale or Cleaning House themes, with SASE)

Fairy Tales (featured readers & open mic)

Rhino 2000 Release Party (Rhino contributors & open mic)
Sunday, March 19, 2-4pm

Cleaning House (featured readers & open mic)

Send to:

Help Wanted

Woman Made Gallery needs your help. Listed below are some short-term volunteer tasks.

1. Distribute WMG flyers to cafes, libraries, etc. in the following zip codes 60622, 60625, 60645, 60657 (or your own).
2. Monitor newspapers, magazines, etc. and clip articles on women’s art, file and organize them for the marketing committee.
3. Collect and maintain Woman Made Gallery press clippings.
4. Compile contact information of local women’s studies programs, women art history scholars and women art scholars for a resource list.
5. Collect information on fundraising projects and programs of other institutions, especially on the east and west coast.
6. Find out information on the planning of upcoming women’s events in the Chicago area.
7. Brainstorm tie-in ideas for programs and events with other cultural institutions, groups or people in Chicago, nationally, or internationally.
8. Make a short presentation video of the gallery.

If interested please call the gallery at 312-328-0038.

Wish List

1. wine, soft drinks and/or cheese/crackers for events
2. office supplies (pens, laser and copy paper, etc)
3. folding chairs and folding tables
4. exhibit sponsors or people to give purchase awards (see upcoming exhibitions)
5. our own Women’s building in Chicago
6. a vehicle in good working condition
7. memberships by everyone who reads this

All donations are tax deductible. We appreciate what you can give us but please keep in mind that if an item is not in working condition we can’t use it either.

Worthy Organizations

Soroptimist International of Chicago

This organization was established in 1938 as the local Club of Soroptimist International of the Americas, part of the world’s largest classified service organization for executive and professional women. Since it was founded, Soroptimist International has grown to include nearly 100,000 women in more than 100 countries and territories throughout the world. Its mission, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR WOMEN, is fulfilled through local and community service that includes literacy programs, fighting domestic violence, and providing educational grants and programs. For example, grants from SI-Chicago are used to train volunteers who work in hospital emergency rooms to counsel survivors of sexual assaults. The organization works with children as well. They send homeless children to summer camp at the Chicago Park District, teach job skills to girls aged 10-17, who are state wards living in residential homes, and many Soroptimist members participate in a program to help low-income mothers be better parents. Internationally, the organization works through health care services, literacy campaigns, and disaster relief.

Soroptimist International of Chicago invites the interest and participation of Chicago’s women artists to learn more about SI-Chicago. Together we can make an even greater difference for the women of Chicago who need our help. To learn more about our programs, call Marion Gold at 312-616-4485, or sign onto the website at http://www.soroptimist.org.

Cow Girls

Those darn cows! They are everywhere. In front of Niketown. Hanging out on the corner of Clark and Monroe and at Wells and Ontario. Not to mention in front of DePaul University's downtown campus at #1 E Jackson. These are the four spots where you can see cows created by Woman Made Gallery members. Jenny Steinman created Construction Cow. Standing outside of Niketown, she reminds us who built Chicago before Michael Jordan. Nancy Hild’s cow, Be-bop a Re-bop, looks like she is ready to jackrabbit the stoplight at the corner of Clark and Monroe. You can almost hear her engine roar as she challenges the taxis to a drag race. No doubt she’s heading over to Wells and Ontario to listen to Muddy Holly ‘s rendition of "Great Balls of Fire" and to share a milkshake with Peggy Moo, both created by Kristen Neveu. Happily grazing in front of DePaul University’s downtown campus on Jackson Street is Proud Cow. Rexene Bertolino transformed this bucolic bovine into a phantasm of fantastic flowers. To get a preview of these fabulous cows you can check the "official" cow website at cowsonparade.net but it is more fun to track them down in their natural habitat!

Please and Thank You

We would like to thank all those who have renewed their membership or who have become new members since the last newsletter printing. We thank everyone who has donated money and/or resources and time to help us:

Dora Aalbregtse, Karen Abbott, Gina Alicea, Ulla Anobile, Maria Arango, Laura Arbrador, Christina Armin, Carole Augustine, Mariona Barcus, Ruby Barnes, Susan Bartman, Elizabeth Baum, Barbara Becker, Ina Beierle, Kyra Belan, Marian Berg, Kathy Bergold, Sylvia Betts, Stephanie Bird, Barbara Blade, Mary-Glynn Boies, Lucille Bram, Kim Brenner, Monica Brown, Maureen Burdock, Jessica Burke, Karen Burnett, Catherine Burris, Katherine Skyba Byrne, Jo Anne Cairo, Patricia Callahan, Ginger Carr, Janina Ciezadlo, Patricia Lee Cody, Virda-Jean Collins, Gigi Colson, Lois Coren, Nina Corwin, Bess Cravy, Mary Ellen Croteau, Dana Daydodge, Patricia Di Naso, Amy Dreyfus, Constance Dugan, Linda Sorkin Eisenberg, Mary Fabri, Jan Favia, Marcia Fensin, Amy Fenton, Stephanie Ferrara and Women Leadership Institute, Renee Feuerstein, Claire Foreman, Julie Foreman, Susan Frolichstein, Yvonne Gajewski, Holly Garbott, Margaret Gautier, Antje Gehrken, Natalie Gillian, Andrea Ginsburg, Andrea Greenfield and Lake View Art Supply, Barbara Grevengoed, Pam Grout, Meredith Grover, Jennifer Haack, Elizabeth Harbor, Sharon Harper, Nancy Elaine Harvey, Therese Hesler, Nancy Hild, Judith A. Hladik, Lisa Hohlfeld and family, Deborah Hughes, Annalee Hultgren, Sharon Hyson, Leigh Janes, Nina Jones, Kristine Kadlec, Ghita Khadraoui, Stefanie Kiihn, Jennifer La Civita Kimbrough, Mary King, Kathleen Kirk, Claudia Kleefeld, Anna Kolacny, Elyse Koren-Camarra, Brian Kuhr, Barbara Kunz, Mary Kuster, Stephanie Lancaster, Helen Larrimore, Ke Sook Lee, Roberta Levin, Gillian Lindahl Design, Kershin Lindgren, Josephine Lipuma, Beverly A. Love, Margaret B. Lube, Dr. Georgia D. Lubben, Amy Madden, Marilyn Madden, Nancy Maguire, John Martin-Eatinger, Peggy Mason, Zenia McBride, Roberta Mezinskas, Susan Michaela McMillem, Gillian Meyer, Ruth Migdal, Carol Milby, Jillian Miles, Roberta Miles, Beth Miller, Renny Mills, Vessy Minkovski, Linda Mitchell, Barbara Mittman, Cybele Moon, MaryKay Moore, Michelle Marie Morrissey, Cindy Muth, Rose Myria, Betty Neubauer, Andrea Ondish, Colleen O’Rourke, Joyce Owens, Joan L. Pantsios, Andy Pappas, Jill Parisi, Cheri Pendergrass, Gisèle Perreault, Mimi Peterson, Stephanie Petrusic, Bonne and Rich Pobgee, Ruth Praser, Linda Price, Marjorie Durko Puryear, Carole C. Quam, Mary Louise Quinn, Lori Jae Reich, Ann Regan, Lora Rudman, Donna Sands, Sheila Farley Scacco, Sandra L. Sheagren, Kim C. Schoel, Zeva Schub, Karen Schuman, Pamela Shields, Kyoko Shimizu, Tiffany York and Lori Pastuszak from Signs Now, Toni Simeonova, Rebecca Sive, Margie Skelly, Melinda Snyder, Jeanine Soldner, Diane Sourelis, Suzanne Stafford, Gail Stevens, Alexandra Stevenson, Donald Strayhorn, Mary Street, Ginny Sykes, Laurie Tanenbaum, Irene Ternes, Albert Trock, Denise Turner, Elli Vitkus, Alicia M. Walsh, Arlene Wanetick, Maureen Warren, Kathleen Waterloo, Marsha Banas Welcome, Barbara Wieland, Frankie F. Woolf

Please check our next issue if your name has not been included yet.

A Special Thanks to

Our Board members for all of their hard work and board pledges Dan Fensin from Blackman Kallick Bartelstein, 300 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago 60606 for free tax and audit services.
Yvonne and Mason Galganov from Galganov & Associates in Cambridge, Ontario for donation of the design and upkeep of our webpage.
George Gehrken from Telpoint Communications for donations of computer equipment and maintenance.
Kathy Greenholdt for designing the 9/9/99 collaborative Strange Beauty flyer.
Amy Madden for designing our newsletter and Michael for type-setting.
Regina Maniaci for donation of Woman Made mugs for our fundraising efforts.
Jim Maurer of Sir Speedy at 226 East Ontario, Chicago, IL 60611 for donating part of our newsletter printing cost.
Gisèle Perreault for donating Woman Made hand magnets.
The Sara Lee Foundation for general operating funds.
Rebecca Targ for designing our exhibition invitations

Note

Woman Made Gallery is closed from December 24 to January 12, 2000.

If you have a disability and need any accommodation in order to be part of any of our events, please call 312-328-0038 one week prior to selected program.

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