The Soil You See by Wendy Red Star, 2023 (Photo: Elvert Barnes Photography / CC BY-SA 2.0)
In 2026 it is no longer surprising to see exhibitions of art made by women or books that focus on their lives and work. During the last few decades there has been a veritable explosion of interest in female painters, sculptors, and installation artists working in a wide variety of materials, techniques, and styles.
In a richly illustrated lecture, art historian Nancy G. Heller examines five exceptional women who have received MacArthur “genius” grants, had major museum retrospectives, and earned prizes from such prestigious international shows as the Venice Biennale.
Heller explores the lives and works of women artists from the urban Midwest, the Deep South, and an Indian reservation, plus a European artist and one born in Ethiopia. The artists are Simone Leigh, known for making massive, stylized clay and bronze images of Black women; Julie Mehretu, who produces multi-layered abstract paintings with subtle references to both landscapes and politics; the humorous and insightful work of Wendy Red Star (Apsáalooke/Crow) that explores her cultural history; Spanish sculptor Cristina Iglesias, who has produced work that can only be viewed while wearing scuba gear; and Amy Sherald, who has reinvigorated the venerable painted portrait.
Heller is emerita professor of art history at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
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