Museum Will Exclusively Buy Works by Women in 2020
By Allegra Tenenbaum
On Monday, The Baltimore Museum of Art in Maryland announced that it had made the decision to exclusively purchase artworks created by female artists in 2020. This initiative was started as a response to the museum only having four percent of their artworks made by female artists. Unfortunately, this low number is not limited to Baltimore and is commonly found in museums across the world. A study found that in the United States 87% of artists within museum collections are male and 85% are white. As a result of these statistics, The Baltimore Museum of Art is working to change the overwhelmingly male dominated museum.
Photograph of The Baltimore Museum of Art. Courtesy of The Baltimore Museum of Art.
The leadership director, Christopher Bedford, explained that, “You don’t just purchase one painting by a female artist of color and hang it on the wall next to a painting by Mark Rothko, To rectify centuries of imbalance, you have to do something radical.” Bedford is explaining how in order to change the practice of the museum, it is necessary to do something more noticeable than simply adding in a painting. Therefore, the museum made the decision to partake in a series of exhibits that they are calling “2020 Vision,” which began in October. The exhibits will focus on and celebrate solely female artists in order to make a statement. It includes a total of thirteen solo exhibitions and seven thematic shows. In total, the museum will be spending approximately 2 million dollars on purchasing art by female artists.
The incoming director of the National Association of Women Artists in New York Bianca Kovic, stated that she believed “all museums should do this.” She explained the exhibition series and decision to only buy works by female artists will inspire women to produce art. She also stated that the exhibition will emphasise how the public should be informed on the presence and significance of women in art history. In addition, the year 2020 marks one century since the 19th amendment was passed in the United States, allowing women to vote.
Mary Cassatt, In the Garden (1893), pastel on paper, 73 x 65 cm. Courtesy of The Baltimore Museum of Art.
The Baltimore Museum of Art is setting an example for other museums by attempting to create more diversity in art galleries and taking action on an issue that has unfortunately gone unnoticed. The discussion of The Baltimore Museum of Art’s decision has raised more conversations about female representation in the art world. Statistics from the National Museum of Women in the Arts declared that only 22% of solo shows were done by female artists according to a report of London art institutions. In a study in the US, the results presented that women in arts professions generally earn 20,000 dollars less per year than men. The Baltimore Museum is raising awareness of the lack of female representation in museums globally and encouraging change.
Bibliography
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Kinsella, Eileen. "The Baltimore Museum Will Exclusively Acquire Work by Women Artists in 2020 in an Effort to 'Rectify Centuries of Imbalance.'" Artnet, November 18, 2019. https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/baltimore-museum-women-artists-2020-1707510.
Reneau, Annie. "In 2020, The Baltimore Museum of Art Will Only Obtain Art Made by Women." Good. Last modified November 19, 2019. https://www.good.is/baltimore-museum-will-only-obtain-art-made-by-women.
Wamsley, Laurel. "Baltimore Museum Of Art Will Only Buy Works By Women Next Year." NPR. Last modified November 19, 2019. https://www.npr.org/2019/11/19/780935457/baltimore-museum-of-art-will-only-buy-works-by-women-next-year.