Party with women artists to celebrate the final weeks of Know My Name
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From a special after-dark event to a Wikipedia Edit-a-thon, you’re invited to celebrate the artists of Know My Name: Australian Women Artists 1900 to Now ahead of the final weeks of the exhibition.
An exhibition in two parts, and on display for more than 18 months since November 2020, Know My Name has been a showcase of art made by women, drawn from the National Gallery’s collection and loans from across Australia. It is one of the most comprehensive presentations of art by women assembled in this country to date.
Highlighting women artists leading the way in modern art movements, as well as the influence of social changes, such as feminism, Know My Name highlights creative and intellectual relationships between artists across time. The exhibition is part of the National Gallery’s broader Know My Name initiative, which includes gender equity principles to increase the representation of all women in its artistic program, collection development and organisational structures.
Natasha Bullock, Assistant Director, Artistic Programs said the original concept behind the exhibition influenced the Know My Name initiative which has “led the National Gallery into an extraordinary era of collecting, exhibiting and presenting the work of women artists to the wider Australian public”.
“Elevating women artists now and into the future is being embedded into the culture of the National Gallery. While art and artists are fundamental to this initiative, our aim is to ultimately lead the conversation to transform the cultural landscape of Australia.”
Jo Lloyd, Archive the archive , 2020, National Gallery of Australia, Kanberri /Canberra, performance commission generously supported by Phillip Keir and Sarah Benjamin (The Keir Foundation) and the SUBSTATION. Image courtesy and © the artist. Photograph: Peter Rosetzky
Elspeth Pitt, Curator, Australian Art said “Despite the upheavals caused by Covid, it was an honour and a joy to co-curate this exhibition, which brought together 500 works of art by 350 artists from public and private collections across Australia.”
“By focussing on the work of women artists, which has too often been excluded from public gallery collections and cultural histories, we were able to suggest a different history of First Nations and Australian Art.”
To celebrate the significant impact of the Know My Name initiative and Australian women artists, the National Gallery is hosting the Know My Name Artist Party, on Friday 3 June.
Experience the live premiere of Jo Lloyd’s Archive the archive performance, inspired by the life and work of Australian artist, dancer and choreographer Philippa Cullen (1950-1975). Dance to tunes by iconic Club Kooky music maker, DJ Gemma, and enjoy cocktails by Archie Rose. Drink and are food available for purchase.
Want to learn more about Philippa Cullen? On Saturday 4 June, you can learn about the work of this pioneering performance artist with contemporary artists Diana Baker Smith, Brooke Stamp and Jo Lloyd. Philippa Cullen used the movement of the body to generate sound, notably with a theremin, a musical instrument controlled without physical contact. Despite the originality of her art, Cullen is little known having died prematurely at the age of 25. Almost 50 years since her death, Cullen’s work continues to inspire Australian performance practice.
Other events include a Know My Name: Wikipedia Edit-a-thon on Saturday 4 June where guests will learn how to create and edit Wikipedia entries and help increase information about Australian women artists on the world’s largest and most popular research tool. Just over 19 per cent of biographies on Wikipedia are about women. When it comes to women artists and creators, that number is even lower. Join Caddie Brain, Executive Officer, Wikimedia Australia and the National Gallery’s Research Library staff for a free interactive workshop where you will have the opportunity to work on Wikipedia entries of artists featured in Know My Name.
To coincide with Reconciliation Week, learn how artists Judy Watson, Waanyi people, and Helen Johnson have forged a dialogue on the roles of women in contemporary and colonial Australia. For their current exhibition Judy Watson & Helen Johnson: the red thread of history, loose ends, Watson and Johnson have each developed new works that explore complex and varied perspectives on colonisation, with an emphasis on the experience of women. Hosted by the National Gallery’s Head of First Nations Engagement, Cara Kirkwood, the artists will be joined in conversation with Curator, Australian Art, Elspeth Pitt on Thursday 2 June.
For the full list of events, visit nga.gov.au
