What Are You Voting For? | A Virtual Exhibition

Woman Made Gallery (WMG) is pleased to present “What Are You Voting For?” a virtual exhibition with works by 37 artists from across the U.S. who are sharing their voices and visions in response to the November 2020 elections.

In their statement jurors Karen Gutfreund and Sherri Cornett comment: “In this crucial election year, WMG asked self-identified women artists to share what they are voting for. There is so much at stake in the November 2020 elections and there are so many issues that polarize and define us: racism, Black Lives Matter, women’s rights, abortion, the ERA, intersectionality, power, privilege, the Covid19 pandemic, masks, the climate crisis, unemployment, education, health care, jobs, the economy, voting, surveillance, privacy, constitutional rights…

We were thrilled to be a part of this important visual discussion. The artist responses were strong, pointed and had an underlying thread of tenacity, resilience, courage and hope—even in the face of so many calamities occurring right now in the USA. These 37 artists have displayed they will not go quietly into the good night…

Our democracy is being shredded and is held together by threads—the country is falling apart on so many fronts, with more chaos dished daily. From a woman-centric point of view, saving our democracy means scrutinizing and working towards what we, as a nation, still hold dear—lifting up girls and young women, protecting women and children from sexual predators, reuniting families who fled atrocities in their homelands, and making our voices heard above the patriarchal subjugation by lifting the disproportionate weight on women, who work more and earn less. The works in this exhibition are a call to action to get to the polls. Women will not be gaslighted or sidelined any longer on issues that matter to them, their families, communities, the country and the world at large. Our existence, and the quality of life for our future generations, depends on it.” -Sherri Cornett and Karen Gutfreund (read full statement here.)

Artist Karen Fiorito (top image) writes: “Art can be a powerful tool for change. I believe it is the responsibility of the artist to bear witness to injustice and to hold a mirror to and shape reality. Art can play a positive role in society by engaging the public and opening dialogue. My art enters the public domain through the use of billboards and murals to educate the public and to create debate and awareness about important issues concerning the future of our planet.”

Exhibiting Artists: Beth Costello, Alicia Decker, Jacqueline DesForges, Karen Fiorito, Lisa Freeman, Christine Giancola, Linda Gleitz, Leah Golberstein, Jae Green, Susan Hale, LucyJulia Hale, Edwina Jaques, Tulika Ladsariya, Beth Lakamp, Holly Ballard Martz, Sandy Mayo, Penny McElroy, Cristin Millett, Cherie M Redlinger, Sawyer Rose, Caren Helene Rudman, Gigi Salij, Sarah Schneiderman, Suzannah Schreckhise, Durba Sen, Sarah Sipling, Pauline Hudel Smith, Laurie Szujewska, Salma Taman, Millette Tapiador, Amy Usdin, Winnie van der Rijn, Mary Vaneecke, Michelle Victoria, Dominique Vitali, Kelsey Merreck Wagner, Maria Wolf.

Co-Jurors: Sherri Cornett + Karen Gutfreund | Gutfreund Cornett Art is a curatorial partnership that specializes in creating exhibitions in venues around the U.S. on themes of “art as activism” to stimulate dialog, raise consciousness and create social change. https://www.gutfreundcornettart.com/about-us.html

Sherri Cornett is a welded steel, video and mixed media artist, curator and writer living in Billings, MT. Influenced by her degrees in Political Science and Art as well as her advocacy around issues of human rights and the environment, her art and curatorial practices engage the psyche of viewers, and invite viewers into their woven layers of texture, material and thought, and to ask questions of themselves and the world. Her passion for community building and dialogue is integral to this work. She has exhibited and directed projects in China, South Korea, New York, California, Massachusetts, Chicago, Idaho and Montana. Her works can be found in both private and corporate collections. https://www.sherricornett.com/

Karen Gutfreund has lived in all four corners of the United States and splits her time between the Bay Area of CA and Syracuse, NY. She has worked in the Painting & Sculpture Department for MoMA, the Andre Emmerick Gallery, The Knoll Group, the John Berggruen Gallery, San Francisco and the Pacific Art League, Palo Alto and is an art consultant to both corporations and individuals. She served as the National Exhibitions Director for the Women’s Caucus for Art, is a member of ArtTable, the Northern California Representative for The Feminist Art Project, and Curator for UniteWomen.org and is a frequent juror for national exhibitions. She is co-partner in Gutfreund Cornett Art, an organization that creates art as activism exhibitions “changing the world through art” and actively promotes the work of artists with national touring exhibitions exhibiting the work in galleries. To date Gutfreund has created over thirty-five national exhibitions, managing all aspects from curation, artist management, budgets and contracts along with installation. Lastly, Gutfreund is also an exhibiting artist with a focus on “Art as Activism” to facilitate social change and exhibits extensively around the country. http://karengutfreund.com/

(Banner image: artwork by Karen Fiorito. Right image: Sherri Cornett and Karen Gutfreund)

Donations are always welcome and appreciated: http://womanmade.org/donate

Please note that the works in the What Are You Voting For exhibition are not displayed at Woman Made Gallery. 

Woman Made Gallery is supported in part by grants from The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The Illinois Arts Council Agency; a major anonymous donor; and the generosity of its members and contributors.