March is Women’s History Month—a month in which we celebrate the lasting impact women have had on the world and their successes in their fields. One of these fields is the arts, which includes visual art, literature, music, performance, film, photography, and architecture. It would take thousands of pages to appraise all the women who have contributed to the arts; these are just a few of those incredible women:
Visual Arts: Known as the mother of American modernism, Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) influenced the visual arts with her paintings of NYC skyscrapers, flowers, and New Mexico landscapes that experimented with abstraction. Despite setbacks such as nervous breakdowns and deteriorating eyesight, she never gave up creating art.
Literature: Kate Chopin (1850-1904) wrote about subjects such as marriage, female identity, and sexuality in her short stories and novels, attracting many critics at the time but also paving the way for future feminist writers. She used writing as a therapeutic and financial tool after the death of her husband and mother.
Music: Whitney Houston (1963-2012) was an American singer of gospel and pop and one of the best-selling artists of both. Her most iconic song is “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” released in 1987. She served as a role model for many aspiring African-American female artists.
Performance: Martha Graham (1894-1991) introduced a style of dance called the Graham technique that focuses less on fluid movement for the purpose of entertainment and more on personal experience and communicating to audiences. She performed at the White House and was the first dancer to do so.
Film: Known most for starring in the sitcom I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball (1911-1989) was an actress, executive, and producer of Desilu Productions. She was the first woman to run such a major studio. Among many awards and achievements, she received the Women’s International Center’s “Living Legacy Award” posthumously.
Photography: Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) was a photographer for the Farm Security Administration in the Depression-era. Her photography brought attention to the economic struggles of migrant families and the widespread issue of unemployment during the Great Depression. She pioneered documentary photography.
Architecture: Julia Morgan (1872-1957) was an architect who designed over 700 California buildings. She was the first woman to become a licensed architect in California. Among her designs were buildings for women and girls, such as YWCAs. Posthumously, she became the first woman to be awarded the American Institute of Architect’s Gold Medal.
Photo from https://www.economist.com/prospero/2016/08/09/the-pay-inequality-ruling-women-in-the-arts
By Nina Hahn
nkh003@marietta.edu
