Women's History Month celebrated through art

MU students showed their work at the MSA/GPC Craft Studio.

By Trevor Eischen

Published March 17, 2009

Female artists get a special opportunity to exhibit their art in the 16th annual Women in the Arts gallery show during Women's History Month at MU.

The event, sponsored by the MSA/GPC Craft Studio and the Women's Center, exhibits works by female MU students wanting to express and showcase their art in a collegiate atmosphere.

The artists involved in the exhibition attended the gallery's opening reception Wednesday, interacting with fellow artists and community members.

"The purpose is to give women artists the chance to exhibit their artwork," said Amy Engelkenjohn, assistant staff coordinator at the Craft Studio. "That's not always possible in the art community. Sometimes we don't get a good chance to show that work, so we're providing that opportunity here."

A guitarist played while artists and community members mingled and talked about the art on display. The event allowed women artists to share ideas and support each other's artistic endeavors.

The exhibit's sculptures, photographs, paintings and other artistic presentations define prominent themes like femininity, sexuality, beauty, nature and equality.

The art was not limited to subjects encompassing femininity and gender-specific topics. Juror Christine Holtz focused on the artists' impact on contemporary art.

"Instead of focusing solely on women's issues, I chose to focus on women who are making outstanding art involving contemporary art," Holtz stated in her juror's statement.

"Jesus Panties," by Mary Sandborthe -- who also goes by Mary Margaret -- consists of a long thorn branch attached to the ceiling by invisible wire. Attached to the thorn branch are clothespins, holding up a pair of worn-down underwear. On the underwear is the face of Jesus.

"It's kind of like hanging your dirty laundry to let everyone see," Sandborthe said. "That's not seen as ladylike."

Sandborthe explained her piece as a representation of the oppressive nature of abstinence-only education on girls. Her conservative family does not always agree with her expression of sexuality.

"As a teenager in a very conservative Baptist household, I was conditioned to wire sex as an unthinkable sin," Sandborthe said.

On the opposing wall, artist Tricia Johnson's untitled piece conveys feminine sexual imagery with her embroidered characters and silk vale, which nearly conceals the entire scene.

"It's a comment on femininity," Johnson said. "It started out as a private moment, an intimate moment. I guess daring is a good word."

Johnson revealed what she hopes her art will provoke an observer to think.

"It's not vulgar in any way, but it's one of those things like when stumbling onto something," Johnson said. "It's daring the viewer. Do you look further in? Do you get closer? Do you step into this private moment?"

Through events and exhibitions such as this, Sandborthe and Johnson said female students and women in the community are able to express themselves with support of their peers. With events like these, self-discovery through art becomes a promising distinction for these artists, the artists said.

"Personally for me it became a study on femininity and the nature of why it's feminine, what it is to be feminine, what it is to be a woman and feminine and my own way of dissecting gender and femininity," Johnson said.

The gallery runs until April 3. The Craft Studio is located in N12 Memorial Union.