f r o m t h e e d i t o r
&
politics and artistic expression
I ’ m grateful 2016 is coming to an end . It was a year filled with challenges both personally and politically . There is a part of me that feels like everyone should revisit the feminist perspective of Judy Chicago ’ s The Dinner Party . In fact , I think most of us could stand to have a powerful feminist perspective permeate our lives . For me , I feel like the acknowledgement of women in history is still spoken about in feminist circles but neither taught nor acknowledged as mainstream . And , even when a movie such as Hidden Figures emerges that sheds light on amazing women in recent history , I wonder how many men and boys will see the movie in comparison to women and girls .
Is the word “ feminist ” still a dirty word ? Is it still synonymous with “ man hating ” or an excuse to blame societal failures on a woman ’ s “ failure ” to uphold her “ responsibility and duty ” to the household ? Are men allowed to idolize women the way women permitted to idolize men ?
I recently finished watching a series on Amazon called Good Girls Revolt . The series offers personal insight to womanhood in the 1970s and is based on the gender-based workplace-discrimination lawsuit filed by women working at Newsweek magazine . The women who filed the suit were paid less , relegated to titles such as researchers , weren ’ t allowed to write articles and so on . I think the necessity of art and political expression is that it creates space where we can discuss relevant issues . And that ’ s what leads me to censorship or , in the case of Good Girls Revolt , a cancelation .
The successful season was canceled . Dana Calvo , the creator of the show , publicly said that no women were involved in the decision . How many other decisions about women have been made that don ’ t include women in the decision-making process ?
Why is empowerment and equality so scary ? Why is educating women so scary ? Why is shared responsibility of households so scary ? When will trailblazing women be met with the same reverence that we offer men who achieve greatness ? Why aren ’ t more women at the table when decisions are made .
The Dinner Party had women at the table . We need more women at the table . We need to acknowledge more women who have achieve , women who have fought for equality in the workplace , education , the right to drive , to vote , to run for political office , to have the ability to have solo art exhibits that are sold out .
I want to see and hear about more women achieving in 2017 . I want to see more emerging women in the arts . I want to hear about more women artists selling pieces at higher prices . I want to hear about more solo art shows for women .
I encourage everyone to contact us about their art shows or about art shows worth attending around the globe . It ’ s through visibility and discussion that we can influence the dialogue surrounding women , the arts , our value , and so on .
If women aren ’ t at the table , let us all do our part by extending invitations to women .
Let ’ s make 2017 phenomenal like the phenomenal women that we are and hope to be .
LMarelli
Liesl Marelli Editor-in-Chief page 7
ART women