Fuego: Women set their world on fire

On view 4/1/24 – 5/5/24 with opening reception and artist talks Friday, April 5, 2024 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

mosaicARTs and Debra Wright Studio have joined forces to commemorate the feminist art movement. These women artists ignited a spark that inspired them to create, build, and establish a supportive art community for others. The collaboration aims to acknowledge the significant contributions of female artists while promoting gender equality and empowerment for women.

In the United States, 51% of living visual artists are women, yet only 13.7% of them are represented in galleries. On average, they earn 81 cents for every dollar made by their male contemporaries.

Apropos to the exhibition title as well as the feminist art movement, Fuego is the Spanish word for “fire.”  Women artists have to kick down doors otherwise held wide open for men and, when we do, there is often backlash.  Yet these misogynistic efforts aimed at undermining us catalyze our solidarity, instead.

Curator Debra Wright incurred such wrath when an enraged male artist doused her artwork with lighter fluid and set it ablaze in retribution.  These actions intended to derail her backfired, generating an outpouring of support from women artists everywhere that compelled Wright to focus her future efforts furthering feminist art initiatives.  Fuego is a continuation of this commitment.

As we acknowledge feminist artists of today, we also pay testament to the perseverance of those who came before us.  These actions ensure our place in history.  We cannot allow ourselves to be absent from the cultural record.

Lighting the torch for each other, we find our way together and inspiration ignites in each of us.

Women set the world on fire.

Image: Debra Wright, Moneyshot, undergarment and currency, 6 x 6 x 4 inches