Feminism and Art: Judy Chicago's Dinner Party

Let’s romp through women’s art history. We live in a visual world, and we respond to what we see around us. Happily, we no longer have to suffer through art history texts written by men, which do not mention even one woman artist between cave painting and today.

TODAY’S PROGRAM
Welcome to The Dinner Party! We will explore the plates and runners of Judy Chicago's large, ground-breaking installation. Through an unprecedented world-wide grassroots movement, The Dinner Party was exhibited in 16 venues in six countries on three continents to a viewing audience of over one million people. It has found a permanent home at the Brooklyn Museum. In addition, today we will look at the critical reception it received, both negative as well as positive, and discuss its importance both for artists and for viewers. NOTE: This is a big topic and we may have another program to continue the discussion.

THE DINNER PARTYThe Dinner Party is a monumental work of art, triangular in configuration, that employs numerous media, including ceramics, china-painting, and an array of needle and fiber techniques, to honor the history of women in Western Civilization. An immense open table covered with fine white cloths is set with 39 place settings (13 per side), each commemorating a goddess, historical figure, or important woman. The table rests upon an immense porcelain floor comprised of 2304 hand-cast, gilded and lustred tiles on which are inscribed the names of 999 other important women. These names are grouped around the place settings to symbolize the long traditions of women’s achievements: http://www.judychicago.com/gallery.php?name=The+Dinner+Party+Gallery

COST: Free

WHAT TO BRING
Whatever you want to drink and a small amount of light snacks to share.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Harriet Rothauser has been thinking about women and art since 1972, when she created the first history of photography course for Queens College in New York. One of the first attendees of the New York Feminist Art Institute, she counts among her colleagues such artists as Elke Solomon, Nancy Azara, Harmony Hammond and Faith Wilding. She has exhibited with them in group shows at Artists in Residence, the first all-women's art collective gallery in New York City. NYFAI is archived at Rutgers, in New Jersey. Rothauser's own works include drawings, paintings, collage and mixed-media images. Presently, she teaches art history and art appreciation at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth. She has been a BLAST member since 2010.

DIRECTIONS FROM I-95
• Glades Rd. exit west to Powerline
• Left onto Verde Trail
• Last entrance of L'Ambience on right, across from Regents Park Nursing Home
• Right turn onto Via Tierra
• Harriet’s house (6420) is first on right

PARKING
Ungated community. Plenty of parking on the street, which will be apparent when entering.

PETS
Two small dogs live here.

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY
Ground floor, private house, no problem with wheelchair access.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ART HISTORY SERIES?
Harriet: 561-667-3291 or 561-883-5387 or harrietrothauser@gmail.com

QUESTIONS ABOUT BLAST IN GENERAL?
Toni Jr.: toniajr@earthlink.net

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