Cara Romero, 3 Sisters, 2022, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Museum Purchase: Peter T. Bohan Art Acquisition Fund, 2023.0060
This spring visitors to the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas in Lawrence can explore how women have pushed the boundaries of art and spurred social and cultural change across generations and geographies. The exhibition Bold Women showcases more than 75 works of art by 55 artists in a variety of mediums, including photography, video, painting, sculpture, textiles, and installations.
Susan Earle, the Spencer Museum’s curator for European and American art, said the exhibition investigates boldness in terms of artistic innovation and its essential relationship to changes in culture over time. The expansive exhibition presents works across four galleries organized by themes including the role of women in preserving and liberating communities and women as leaders and knowledge-keepers.
“Bold Women reveals and celebrates the depth and range of work produced by women of diverse cultural backgrounds, introducing audiences to their visionary practices and enriching our understanding of their distinct contributions to the global artistic landscape,” Earle said.
Earle organized Bold Women in collaboration with a group of advisers including Lawrence-based textile artist Marla A. Jackson, whose work is included in the show; Kansas City arts advocate Rose Bryant; Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Brooklyn Museum Kimberli Gant; Toronto-based curator and artist Wanda Nanibush; and KU students Lena Mose-Vargas, Sarah Dyer, Sara Johnson, and Maggie Vaughn.
The Spencer will host a variety of free public programs related to the exhibition, including talks and workshops with featured artists Kandace Creel Falcón, Marla A. Jackson, Rose B. Simpson, Mary Sibande, and Hong Chun Zhang.
Bold Women remains on view through July 6, 2025. Visitors can also explore a companion virtual exhibition that expands on the artwork and ideas presented in the galleries.
Admission to the Spencer Museum of Art and this exhibition is free for everyone. Free parking is available on the first level of the Mississippi Street garage across the street from the Museum. Check in at the Museum’s Welcome Desk with your license plate number for parking validation.
