It all started with a direct mail, where an artist wanted to highlight and amplify women’s voices in art. Hannah Horn, a local artist and award-winning illustrator, contacted Charla Grant from the Grateful Arts Club to run an idea for an exhibition which then grew into a much bigger thing.
Step forward, Women In Art, which is a brand new multi-venue event that celebrates the work and amplifies the voices of women-identifying artists. Created by local creatives Charla and Hannah, they wanted to bring a new wave of celebrating women in art to Portsmouth.
The Project Details
The series of events will happen from the 1st of March until the 10th of March and with art trails, TED-type talks, and a chance to support your local female artists, it looks set to bring a huge round of positivity to the city.
I caught up with Charla and Hannah, the creators of this project on the podcast to talk about the thought process of creating a multi-event like this and also ask the question of what they would say to their 17-year-old self going into the world of art and creativity. You can listen to this podcast from this week on any major platform.
Speaking to Charla, she said, “This project has created an energy
in the many women artists, creatives and makers living in and around our city. It feels like a real honour to host an event that celebrates the work and shares these women’s unseen challenges and experiences.”
Hosted in sync with International Women’s Day on 8th March, Women in Art offers the perfect opportunity to reflect on the massive impact women have had on the art world throughout history. Its mission is to create an innovative event that celebrates Artists, Makers, Creatives, Changemakers and Thought-leaders who identify as women and work in the creative industries that make Portsmouth such a vibrant place to be.
Hannah Horn, Co-Creator of Women in Art said, “We believe it’s vital for women in artistic industries to support one another as we all share unique struggles that often go unseen. As well as shine a light on the issues we must overcome, one of the main goals of Women In Art is to clear the way for future generations of women artists in Portsmouth to thrive.”
THE VENUES
Art fans will have the opportunity to absorb art created and curated by women at multiple Portsmouth-based venues starting with Art Space Portsmouth on 1st of March. Continuing to Hotwalls Studios culminating in a programme of events at the Learning Space inside Aspex Portsmouth.
Taking place from the 7th to the 10th of March, the Aspex Gallery in Gunwharf Quays will showcase a range of activities and exhibitions seeking to shine a light on the experiences of women artists and delve into the stories and experiences that have shaped them. This free event combines community workshops, a physical exhibition, live art and a speaking event hosted by Curator of Interpretation Nicola Waterman set to explore themes that women in art can face such as self-promotion, inequality, imposter syndrome and how to work in the creative industries.
This will include a City-wide ‘Women in Art’ trail taking place on 9th of March and will provide an opportunity to see all venues on the same day.
Women In Art Programme
1st March: Art Space: Exhibition Preview 6-8pm
2nd-10th March: Art Space Portsmouth Exhibition
6th March: Hotwalls Celebration Evening, 5.30pm-8.30pm
8th March: Art Space Portsmouth Celebration Evening, 5.30pm–7.30pm
7th-8th March: Aspex Portsmouth ‘Celebrate Yourself’ Community Workshops
7th-10th March: Hotwalls and Aspex Exhibition
7th March: Aspex Portsmouth Celebration Evening, 4-7pm
9th March: Women In Art Trail 11am (multiple venues)
9th March: Hotwalls Speaking Event, 12.30pm
9th March: Aspex Portsmouth Women In Art Exhibition Open, 1-4pm
9th March: Aspex Portsmouth Speaking Event, 6-9pm
10th March: Aspex Portsmouth Women In Art Exhibition and Community Workshops Open, 11am-4pm
Donna Poingestre
One of the key focuses at the Aspex Learning Space exhibition will be a performance by artist Donna Poingdestre called ‘Did I Work Today’ – a homage to the unseen work of women. Donna’s current interests are around the themes of liminality, transitory spaces and experiences, with particular attention to the unseen work or domesticity. Donna says, “As a woman artist my current artistic concerns explore themes of the
unseen work predominantly carried out by women. For me, the actions and physicality of cleaning and painting are one of the same. I explore this connection in my piece ‘Did I Work Today’ of which I very much look forward to performing at the Women In Art Project.”
Find out more about Donna’s work here. Women in Art is also offering creatives an exciting opportunity to collaborate with Art Space Portsmouth and Hotwalls Studios – who are both hosting their own exhibitions and speaking events open to the public across March as part of the Women In Art programme.
The Future
Looking at the project as a whole, you sense this needs to be more than a few days and that’s why the organisers aim to do much more than a one-off event. As part of their ongoing commitment to inspire and empower future generations, the WIA team have engaged Dr Helen Thompson-Whiteside to write a research paper on the project. An Associate Professor in Marketing and Society at the University of Portsmouth, Helen is a public speaking coach who has helped hundreds of women find their voice. Born and bred in Portsmouth, she is passionate about local initiatives to support and develop home-grown talent.
If you do attend any of the events and want to support the project on social media please use #wearewomeninart which will help spread the message.
