Women Interrupted
Women Interrupted: An Exploration of the Lives of Selected Women Artists Represented in The University of Winnipeg Art Collection
In the fall of 2021, Gallery 1C03 hosted University of Winnipeg graduate student Katryna Barske in a curatorial practicum which she completed as part of her MA in Cultural Studies (Curatorial Practices). The result of her research project is an essay entitled “Women Interrupted: An Exploration of the Lives of Selected Women Artists Represented in The University of Winnipeg Art Collection”. For this text, Barske considered life and work of thirteen women artists whose art is included in the University’s art collection. Leading up to International Women’s Day, we are pleased to publish Katryna’s essay. Below are two excerpts from her text.
Throughout the Western canon of art history, women artists have often been overshadowed by their male counterparts. Women artists have faced several barriers or interruptions to their careers that may account for this oversight . . . marriage, motherhood, war, life obligations, and even racism. . . . [This essay examines] how these interruptions impacted their careers, how their artistic styles shifted, and what opportunities were gained and lost.
The artists highlighted each have their own unique stories and life experiences to share through their art, which stand out from male artists of the time. It is through these works of art that a more complete story can be told of historic events, art history, and women’s rights, simply by including the distinctive perspectives of their female-identifying creators. . . . As much as these interruptions may have impacted their careers, the influence of these interruptions on their art is just as noteworthy.