Westport, CT - The Westport Arts Center presents Handmade: Women Reshaping Contemporary Art on view from March 23 – June 2, 2018.
The exhibition is curated by Elizabeth Gorayeb, the Executive Director of the Wildenstein Plattner Institute, Inc., a non-profit art historical research foundation based in New York. For nearly two decades, Gorayeb has specialized in art historical research on the provenance and attribution of works of art.
Handmade: Women Reshaping Contemporary Art includes artwork by a diverse range of over 15 female artists with a focus on fiber and textile arts. Artists of note include Lesley Dill, Faith Ringgold, Miriam Schapiro, Judith Scott, and Beverly Semmes. It is the first time that this assemblage of artists has appeared together in Connecticut.
The opening reception for the exhibition will be held on Friday, March 23 from 6 – 8 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
Gorayeb states, “As visitors to a gallery or museum, we are expected to engage with works of art though the act of looking. We consider the final product of the artist’s creation, but rarely do we think of the tactile experience of the artist’s process. Fiber art — works of art created from wool, silk, cotton, flax and other forms of textiles — present us with a dynamic, multi-sensory experience.”
“The medium of fiber is also weighted with gendered, socio-political signifiers that are imparted onto the final work of art. To put it plainly, fiber is feminine. Weaving, embroidery, knitting and sewing are thought to be the domain of women, whose productions in these areas have long been relegated to the status of ‘decoration,’” added Gorayeb.
Amanda Innes, Executive Director of the Westport Arts Center, stated, “There is an unexpected timeliness to this exhibition that resonates within the community at large. These established artists, working in non-traditional media, are clearly making an impact within the conversation of Contemporary Art. Their work unapologetically embraces the sensory aspects of fiber, and defies any attempt to diminish the work as craft.”
The works in the exhibition are courtesy of several prominent private collections, browngrotta arts, Eric Firestone Gallery, Forum Gallery, Susan Inglett Gallery, Nohra Haime Gallery and Pierogi Gallery, NYC.
The exhibition is aligned with the Westport Arts Center’s annual gala, taking place on May 19. 2018 at the Fairfield County Hunt Club. The 2018 Gala, Hall of Femme, will highlight and celebrate legendary women in art. Tickets for the gala are available by calling 203/222-7070 or visiting westportartscenter.org/gala.
The High School Student Art exhibition, featuring selected works by high school students in the region, will be on view simultaneous with Handmade: Women Reshaping Contemporary Art.
The Arts Center will announce integrated programming at a later date. To learn more about the upcoming exhibition and supporting events, please visit westportartscenter.org or call 203/222-7070.
About Elizabeth Gorayeb
Elizabeth Gorayeb is Executive Director of the Wildenstein Plattner Institute, Inc., a non-profit art historical research foundation based in New York. For nearly two decades, Elizabeth has specialized in art historical research on the provenance and attribution of works of art. As the senior vice president and senior specialist in the Impressionist and Modern Art department at Sotheby’s and as director of research, Elizabeth led provenance research and restitution projects in London, Paris, and New York.
Elizabeth’s research has facilitated the reattribution of major works of art, including an important sculpture by Gauguin, and led to the rediscovery of a painting by Venezuelan artist Arturo Michelena lost for 70 years. Elizabeth has lectured internationally about attribution and provenance research, including presentations at the Columbia Law School, New York; Museum of Fine Arts, Buenos Aires; Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal; and National Gallery of Ontario, Toronto. Elizabeth is a graduate of Wellesley College and New York University's Institute of Fine Arts.
About the Westport Arts Center
The Westport Arts Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting community through the arts, reaches more than 11,000 people annually through outstanding programs in visual arts, arts education, and the performance arts of Chamber music and jazz.
The Westport Arts Center receives philanthropic support from the Katherine and Howard Aibel Foundation; Anthropologie & Co.; Artur and Heida Hermanns Holde Foundation, Inc.; Bernstein Private Wealth Management; Cohen and Wolf, P.C.; Critical Mix; Delamar Southport; Design Within Reach; Dragone Motor Cars; Fairfield County Bank; Fairfield County's Community Foundation; Fairfield County Hunt Club; 4th Row Films; First County Bank Foundation; GWAY Print Solutions; Hal Prince Music; the Hall Art Foundation; The Hofstetter Baron Group; Hotel Zero Degrees; J.P. Morgan; Land Rover/Jaguar of Fairfield; Moffly Media; Newman’s Own Foundation; Northeast Tent; Serena & Lily; Shack Sackler Foundation; Sontag Advisory LLC; Steven Mancini Salon; Success Printing & Mailing; Teich Gardens; Tito's Handmade Vodka; Verde Energy USA, Inc.; Wells Fargo Advisors; Westport Now; Westport Resources, a division of United Capital; WPKN and WSHU Public Radio Group. The Westport Arts Center operates with the support of the Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts, which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
For more information:
Contact the Westport Arts Center at (203) 222-7070 or www.westportartscenter.org. The Westport Arts Center gallery is open Monday - Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 51 Riverside Avenue, Westport, CT.