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Simmons To Be Site of Powerful "Women of the World" Global Art Exhibit, Oct. 7-30

Exhibit Shows Perspectives of "Woman" by Female Artists Around the World

BOSTON (September 23, 2005) — When asked what visual image they think represents "woman," nearly 200 women artists from around the world—some famous, many of them not— replied with a moving and powerful array of artwork that is coming to Boston for the first time, Oct.7-30, as part of a global art exhibit.

The internationally acclaimed exhibit, "Women of the World: A Global Collection of Art," will appear, beginning Oct. 7, at the Trustman Art Gallery at Simmons College, in the Main College Building, fourth floor, 300 The Fenway. There is a public reception Oct.19, 4:30-6:30 p.m. during which exhibit curator Claudia DeMonte will deliver a gallery talk at 5 p.m.

Sponsored by Merrill Lynch, the exhibit is free and open to the public.

"Women of the World is a rare and moving collection of art that Merrill Lynch is proud to sponsor," said Caroline Gundeck, director of Women's Business Development at Merrill Lynch. "Merrill Lynch is a long-time supporter of the arts and we felt this exhibition - with its focus on women and their ability to create uniquely powerful works of art, sometimes against incredible odds - was critically important and needed to be experienced."

DeMonte asked female artists from around the world to send her their artistic representation of "woman." Her only requirement was that the piece be small enough to fit into a standard mailing envelope. She received 176 responses: a variety of compelling, sometimes haunting images that include paintings, drawings, photographs, textiles, and three-dimensional collages. The images include many from the Western Hemisphere, and some radically different ones from beyond the Western Hemisphere, offering a window into the universal aspects of women's lives.

Each work is specific to the artist's native country and her experiences as a woman, including laboring in fields, carrying bundles on their heads, and living in refugee camps. A woman artist in England hand-crocheted a metal fiber bulletproof baby's vest; a woman artist in Thailand appliquéd a red high-heeled shoe to a ball and chain; and a woman artist in Namibia hand-stitched a multicolored eland. Techniques vary, ranging from traditional embroidery and appliqué, to new digital technology.

While coming to Boston for the first time, the exhibit has been shown internationally, including Sweden, Estonia, and Iceland. Most recently it has appeared in New York, Dallas, and New Orleans. In 2000, Pomegranate published a full color book in conjunction with the exhibit also entitled Women of the World: A Global Collection of Art.

Exhibit hours at the Trustman Art Gallery are from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The gallery is wheelchair accessible. For more information, contact Marcia Lomedico at 617-521-2268, or visit the Trustman Art Gallery web site at www.simmons.edu/trustman .