5-10-100: Women Artists Forward

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courtesy James Watrous Gallery

Works by Katherine Steichen Rosing and Babette Wainwright are pictured at the "5-10-100: Women Artists Forward" exhibit.

Works by Katherine Steichen Rosing and Babette Wainwright are pictured at the "5-10-100: Women Artists Forward" exhibit.

The Women Artists Forward Fund was founded by Madison artists Brenda Baker and Bird Ross in 2019 as a way to directly assist artists in Dane County with unrestricted grants. The exhibit “5-10-100: Women Artists Forward,” on display at the Wisconsin Academy’s Watrous Gallery through Aug. 4, features work by the first 10 artists to receive the grants: Jennifer Angus, Adriana Barrios, Mary Bero, Yeonhee Cheong, Angelica Contreras, Lilada Gee, Dakota Mace, Katherine Steichen Rosing, Alice Traore and Babette Wainwright. Learn more about the program during the opening reception (5:30-7:30 p.m., June 6), which features remarks by Baker and Ross at 6 p.m. Regular gallery hours are noon-6 p.m. Thursday-Friday and noon-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, through Aug. 4.

media release: On View: May 24, 2024 to August 4, 2024; Artists' Reception: Thursday, June 6, 5:30-7:30pm.

5-10-100 is an exhibition celebrating the groundbreaking Women Artists Forward Fund and the fifth anniversary of the Forward Art Prize. Over its first 5 years, it has recognized 10 remarkable women artists, and awarded $100,000 in unrestricted grants to support their work. Co-founded by artists Brenda Baker and Bird Ross in 2019, the Women Artists Forward Fund was created to address gender disparity issues that affect women artists, providing them with financial resources to strengthen their work as well as recognition and community support. This exhibition celebrates the 2019-2024 Forward Art Prize recipients: Jennifer Angus, Adriana Barrios, Mary Bero, Yeonhee Cheong, Angelica Contreras, Lilada Gee, Dakota Mace, Katherine Steichen Rosing, Alice Traore, and Babette Wainwright.

The Forward Art Prize offers two annual, unrestricted $10,000 awards for women-identified artists living in Dane County who show exceptional creativity and compelling prospects for the future. It recognizes visual artists who are deeply engaged in practices that inspire new ways of thinking, new behaviors, or new ways of engaging communities, and is designed to provide the flexibility to pursue their work without specific obligations.

Guest curators Brenda Baker and Bird Ross are Madison-based socially engaged artists working in multiple media, including painting, sculpture, installation and textiles. The creation of the Women Artists Forward Fund and the Forward Art Prize is one of the largest of their many collaborations over the past two decades.  

Admission is free and the public is welcome. The James Watrous Gallery is located on the third floor of Overture Center for the Arts in downtown Madison. 

Gallery Hours: Thursday-Friday 12:00 - 6:00pm, Saturday 12:00 - 5:00pm, Sunday 12:00 - 5:00pm.

also: Artists’ Open Studio Tour! Sunday, June 16, 2024 11:00 am-3:00 pm.

Visit the artist studios of three Forward Art Prize Winners in Madison as part of the 5-10-100: Women Artists Forward exhibition.

Join the Wisconsin Academy and Watrous Gallery staff Sunday, June 16, 2024 anytime between 11:00am and 3:00pm for an exclusive artists' open studio tour in Madison. Visit one, two, or all three participating artists' studios where Adriana Barrios, Angelica Contreras, and Katherine Steichen Rosing create their amazing art.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to immerse yourself in art, support local talent, and be part of a creative community. The artists will be at their individual studios to answer questions and sell art. See and learn more about how and what they are creating these days.

Details and directions to the studios will be provided in the confirmation email upon registering for this event.

Registration for this event is on a pay-what-you-wish basis, with a suggested contribution of $5 to $15. Your donation helps keep the Academy's programs accessible to everyone. Visit the event link to register.

https://wisconsinacademy.org/evenings/5-10-100-women-artists-forward-artist-open-studios

The James Watrous Gallery is dedicated to celebrating Wisconsin artists. A program of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters, the Watrous Gallery focuses on solo exhibits by contemporary Wisconsin artists and curated shows that draw connections between art, other disciplines, and critical issues.