PST with Pomona College Museum of Art
October 26, 2011 § 1 Comment
Our installation at Pomona is complete! After two days of preparation, we are ready to begin to greet guests and co-hosts today at Seaver House, a beautiful historic home on the college campus, right across the way from the museum.
October 15, 2011 § 5 Comments
A Feminist Tea Party invites you to attend Lady Parlour Games, with Mikki Halpin of Feminist Killjoy Quarterly and Jennifer Dalton, in conjunction with Jennifer Dalton’s exhibition Cool Guys Like You
Thursday October 20, 6-9pm, Winkleman Gallery, 621 W 27th St. NYC
Please join us for an evening of cocktails and games. No ladyparts required.
California Tour
October 15, 2011 § Leave a Comment
We’re looking forward to our fast approaching California tour. First, A Feminist Tea Party: At Home Tea will appear as part of Pacific Standard Time at Pomona College from October 24th to the 27th. We’ll visit Scripps on October 31st for A Feminist Tea Party: Low Tea. Then we’ll be traveling up to Santa Cruz to the Museum of Art and History for A Feminist Tea Party: The Tea Dance on November 4th. Finally, we’re back down to southern California at Cal State Northridge for A Feminist Tea Party: Masquerade Tea from November 7th to 9th.
Details on all events to follow.
“Female Gazing” in Bitch Magazine
June 3, 2011 § Leave a Comment
The summer issue of Bitch Magazine features an article, written by Katie Haegele on the Women’s Caucus for Art’s day-long series of events at the annual CAA Conference in New York this year.
We are long-time, ardent fans of Bitch Magazine; it is quite thrilling to see our names in print in its pages.
Many many thanks to Katie Haegele, Yulia Tikhonova, The Brainstormers, For the Birds Collective, The Women’s Caucus for Art, The Young Women’s Caucus and Bitch Magazine!
a PDF of the article can be found here but please support Bitch and go buy the magazine too!
Our Week in Residence at NYFA
April 28, 2011 § Leave a Comment
A Feminist Tea Party had a great week at The NYFA Gallery from April 11-15th. Here are some highlights:
On Monday Jenn Dierdorf led an animated discussion on “Feminist Swag : Bitches and Hoes in Contemporary Rap and Hip Hop.”
We talked about the grey areas between our beliefs and our choice of entertainment, the misogyny and homophobism in the lyrics of hip hop, and about the importance of parenting and education vs pop culture’s influence on children.
Check out some links she sent us, and let us know your thoughts.
Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All from the Jimmy Fallon show
Big Freedia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iTc2vtjxXk
Byron Hurt’s documentary Beyond the Beats and Rhymes Npr story:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7498468
On Tuesday we had another discussion on music, “Pop Music and Feminism” with damali abrams.
damli led a fascinating and in-depth discussion on popular music and the effect of its representation(s) of women on families and society.
photos courtesy of Sean “Shadagga” Ferdinand
That day we talked at length about Lady Gaga’s new video, “Born this Way.” The uber-popular pop singer’s lyrics address racism and homophobism directly, telling listeners that despite their religion, they should be proud of who they are:
Whether life’s disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied, or teased
Rejoice and love yourself today
’cause baby you were born this way
No matter gay, straight, or bi,
lesbian, transgendered life,
I’m on the right track baby,
I was born to survive.
No matter black, white or beige
Chola or orient made,
I’m on the right track baby,
I was born to be brave.
On Wednesday, Jennifer Dalton and William Powhida led the event, “Male / Female (Check One): A discussion of how our gender defines (and/or doesn’t) our everyday life.”
We talked about how our gender effects us in our daily lives, in and outside the art world, the work place, and our homes. Just over a year after our first tea party at Winkleman Gallery with #class, organized by Jen Dalton and William Powhida, it was special to invite them into our space. Full circle.
On Thursday we had three members of Young WCA lead conversation, “Activism in Performance: Representing Women” with Jaimianne Amicucci and two accompanying performance pieces, “Afghan Woman,” by Bonnie MacAllister and “Fight or Flight I: Grounded,” by Autumn Horne
performance by Bonnie MacAllister
On Friday, our last day at NYFA, two employees of NYFA were generous enough to take a few hours out of their day to lead an event in our space. They even dressed the part!
The first was, “Sexual Relations/Violence on Campus: Why are Men seen as Violent and Women as Victims?” with Susan Ball.
Susan Ball, interim director of programs at the NYFA, led a fascinating and rousing discussion on sexual violence on college campuses in the US. Susan raised some important questions, including: Are men treated as criminals, and women as weak victims from the time they arrive on some college campuses? What happened to empowering events and programs such as Take Back the Night, and Women’s Self Defense, have these been replaced by programs that promote fear in women?
Finally, Eleanore Whitney led the conversation, “Is There Such a Thing As Feminist Aesthetics?”
Eleanor Whitney is the Program Officer for External Affairs at the New York Foundation for the Arts. Prior to NYFA she worked at the Rubin Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum, where she planned and implemented public programs for the Sackler Center for Feminist Art and taught university students in the museum’s galleries. We talked about canonical feminist art (such as Judy Chicago’s Dinner Party at the Sackler Center) and how, despite the stereotypes that come to mind, how varied the aesthetics of art made by feminist is, including abstraction, post-minimalism, design-based art, and, of course zines! In fact, we had a few riot grrrls in the space that day.
Thanks to everyone who came out to participate. We had wonderful guests, new and old, and fantastic conversation.
Do come in for a cup of tea.
March 24, 2011 § Leave a Comment
A Feminist Tea Party, a project that at its inception was meant to last only an afternoon, has continued now for over a year. After several shows in a variety of venues, we are very excited about our first solo exhibition, at the NYFA Gallery.
We will be serving tea, sweets, and joining guests in conversation every day from April 11th to April 15th in our installation, a recreation of a mid-century parlor.
Each day a different co-host or team of co-hosts will present a conversation or event, engaging guests in conversation surrounding a topic related to feminism that they have chosen for this time and space. Please see our schedule page for more details.
As always, everyone is welcome regardless of your gender, your political persuasion or whether you identify as feminist. Please join us, and make our collaboration your own.
We hope to see you there!
A Feminist Tea Party
The NYFA Gallery
New York Foundation for the Arts
20 Jay Street
Brooklyn, NY
April 11th-15th
12noon until 5pm daily
Intersecting Identities
March 19, 2011 § Leave a Comment
We’re excited to be included in Intersecting Identities, a group exhibition at The Campbell Soady Gallery, part of the LGBT Center of New York. The show opens tomorrow night, the reception is from 6:30-8:00pm at 208 West 13th Street. This is a new path for A Feminist Tea Party, as we will be exhibiting 2-dimensional documents (prints and photographs) of our previous events. Some of you may even see yourself or a friend in one of the photographs!
Established in 1983, the LGBT Center is the largest LBGT multi-service organization on the East Coast and the second largest in the world. In recognition of Women’s History Month, Intersecting Identities examines how women artist channel intersecting and often conflicting identities.
Intersecting Identities: Women Artists of New York
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center
208 W. 13th Street
New York, NY
Opening Reception, Saturday, March 19th, 6:30-8:00pm
Show runs March 19th until May 31st, 2011
The Intersecting Identities Show includes work by:
Damali Abrams, Marissa Bluestone, E.K. Buckley, Enid Crow, Julia Forrest, Coco Fusco, Kira Greene, Leah Harper, Clarity Haynes, Aubrey Hays, Simone Meltesen, Meghan McInnis, Coco Papy, Chloe Pinto, Jill Peters, Suzanne Stroebe & Caitlin Rueter, Ari Tabei, Julie Tolentino, Maria Watts, Eva Weiss, Emily Wexler and Tamara Wyndham.
Photograph by Artist Eva Weiss:
Lois Weaver in Beauty and the Beast
Cupcakes, Collectives and Collaboration
February 15, 2011 § 1 Comment
As we sat in front of a sea of friendly new acquaintances at the College Art Association conference on Thursday, we spotted a familiar face toward the back of the crowd. Long-time mentor Lenore Malen flashed us a big encouraging smile, holding up her fist in solidarity.
Last week we brought A Feminist Tea Party to the annual CAA conference, hosting Ask Me, I will Tell.
We had a much larger audience at this event than our usual intimate gatherings of twenty-or-so. This event was also different as it took place within the context of a panel discussion, moderated by Yulia Tikhonova, on the topic of activist collectives. We joined Elaine Kaufmann and Danielle Mysliwiec of The Brainstormers, Lauren Denitzio of For the Birds and Petruska Bazin of The Laundromat Project. Panelists discussed their projects, how their activism manifests in their collectives, the impact that these projects have on community and how they reconcile their collaborative art making/political art making with their sometimes less political individual practices.
Sponsored by Women’s Caucus for Art’s LIVEspace, this event was the first time that A Feminist Tea Party has found itself before an audience that was so overwhelmingly supportive of a feminist agenda. We were warmly welcomed by a group that ranged from early second-wavers to fresh-faced college students, who have recently established their own YWC chapter.
On Friday morning we were excited to find Mira Schor’s thoughtful and encouraging review of our event in the Huffington Post. We’re looking forward to seeing how increased exposure to our project in new and diverse venues will shape events to come. Thanks to all of you who joined us this week. See you all at The NYFA Gallery in April.
Ask Me, I will Tell
January 27, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Please join us for a cup of tea and a rousing discussion on gender, art, collaboration and activism during Ask Me, I will Tell, an event hosted by A Feminist Tea Party at the CAA conference in New York on February 10th, from 10am-12pm.
As always, we will be serving up steaming pots of tea, pink cupcakes, and lively conversation at the Women’s Caucus for Art’s LIVEspace. Critic and curator Yulia Tikhonova will be moderating this panel/event/discussion. Please see here for more information on LIVEspace, including the projects of other participants, all focused on women, art, and activism.
Joining us will be a few of our favorite New York-based feminists:
Brainstormers is an art collective that, through public performance, exhibition, publication, internet, and video, has forced discussion on a topic that most would rather avoid: gross gender inequities in the contemporary New York Art World.
For the Birds is a New York City-based feminist collective working towards establishing alternative spaces that promote the creative interests of women-identified community members. Through DIY feminist cultural activism, For The Birds aims to empower and support radical women of action.
Petrushka Bazin is an independent curator and arts administrator committed to finding new ways of making art more accessible. As Program Manager of The Laundromat Project, she works closely with the organization’s teaching artists and public artists in residence to present engaging art programs in unconventional spaces throughout the Greater New York Area.
This event is free and open to the public. Please join the conversation regardless of your gender, your political persuasion or whether you identify as feminist. Bring friends and wear a costume if you would like!
A Feminist Tea Party at SEVEN Art Fair in Miami
October 25, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Would you like to play a game and win a prize?
On December 3rd at SEVEN Miami, A Feminist Tea Party had an exciting change of scenery. Instead of our usual mid-century parlor, we recreated a pre-suffrage era carnival/county fair. Imagine Miami circa 1919. Leaving the creature comforts and niceties of the domestic space behind, we dressed as carnival barkers—corsets and all— and asked visitors to play a simple game. The game involved answering one or more of a series of questions:
Is the art fair a carnival or county fair?
Can feminist art reshape hierarchy?
Are women an underclass at the art fair?
Words or deeds?
People who played got prizes; those who didn’t, didn’t. Conversations at the carnival/county fair were a bit more brief and a little less nourishing than those typical of our tea parlor. But mini apple tarts sweetened the deal. Short and sweet…
As participants in Jennifer Dalton and William Powhida’s #rank, we were in especially good company. #rank set out to question the hierarchies of the art fair at one of its most status-conscious events. We (and our guests) played our part, making sure that women stay a part of this conversation.
#rank is a continuation of #class, by Jen Dalton and William Powhida of Winkleman Gallery. #rank aims to explore what is the matter with the art fair and the art market, and to question how it might be improved, tweaked or overthrown.
Please read more about #rank, including a list of participants here and here.
