A Rich Tapestry of Art

In reflecting on their collections, the National Gallery recognises, that in a vast 2,300 paintings spanning the 13th to early 20th century, only 21 are by women. It’s a shocking figure, and one that they use to tell a story around the “gender gap in art history”, the representation of women, and the barriers and obstacles that women faced when engaging with the art world. Today, whilst gender in itself is not a direct barrier to participation, pervasive societal inequalities that predominantly disadvantage women, continue to mean that the conversation around art and gender is of critical importance, both in relation to how women access the art world, and the role that the art they create has on the conversation.

This October, Artizan Gallery will host its first ever “Women’s Open Exhibition”. Whilst historically we have had all-female line-ups frequently at the gallery, this will be the first time we have curated an exhibition with this intention at the outset, and beyond this, it will be a chance to have conversations about the history of women in art and the barriers and inequalities still present today.