Happy Birthday, Judy Chicago!
When I was a young girl, I loved Art class. That should come to no surprise being that I grew up to be an artist. History class, however, was another story! I certainly appreciated all of the great men of the past who've contributed to our society. But what about the women? Sure, we read about a few incredible women here and there every year. I remember because that's when my ears perked up in class! But, unfortunately, those moments were few and far between. I craved to hear more about great people with whom I could better relate, people who were once little girls like me.
Judy Chicago, an American Feminist Artist, set out to teach both men and women about the achievements of women who've come before us, and to help us better understand the experiences women have had in history. Thank you, Judy Chicago!
JUDY CHICAGO
AMERICAN FEMINIST ARTSIT, EDUCATOR AND WRITER
BORN JULY 20, 1939
Judy Chicago was born Judith Sylvia Cohen in Chicago, Illinois. Great name! Great city! (We happen to be Chicago-natives as well!)
Judy Chicago is an American artist, author, feminist, and educator known for her collaborative installations which explore the role of women in history. Chicago's most well known masterpiece is a late 1970's collaborative, multimedia project called The Dinner Party, now part of the collection at the Brooklyn Museum. It is a symbolic history of women in Western Civilization. The piece is a large triangle with 39 place settings, each commemorating a historical or mythical female figure.
Under the influence of Gerda Lerner, Chicago was convinced that women who are oblivious to and ignorant of women's history would continue to struggle independently and as a whole.
Chicago's work can seen in Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The British Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Getty Trust, National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Hear Judy Chicago talk about her wonderful art piece The Dinner Party in this 2 minute video.
http://judychicago.arted.psu.edu/about-the-judy-chicago-art-education-collection/