The Return of A Woman’s Perspective

By Krista Thom
Contributing Writer

Sometime around September of last year, Vicky Jo Bogart settled on the theme for A Woman’s Perspective Multimedia Arts Exhibition and Events. She chose an idea that had been floating around for some time, but which seemed particularly relevant at the time: The Elements—earth, air, fire, and water—had been in the news after incidents like the 2006 tsunami and the earthquake in Haiti. Now that the exhibit is up and running, events like the disaster in Japan and the impending flood here in Fargo make the subject seem even more relevant.

“Maybe I have special powers,” Bogart joked, when I mentioned the connection.

“A Woman’s Perspective on the Elements” is a broad program. At its center is an art exhibit of 60-70 pieces that migrates around Fargo from January to April. But there are also numerous other events that are tied together because they are about women and the arts. Events this year have included a lecture on creativity, a literary and performing arts presentation and a drumming circle. At this point, the program is starting to wind down, but you can still catch upcoming events, including a second drumming circle and a Spring Fever Workshop presented by the Quilters’ Guild of North Dakota.

When “A Woman’s Perspective” was created in 2000, Bogart wanted to give women a place where they could showcase their work in a nurturing, non-competitive environment. She thought that female artists could use an extra leg up, since there is still a lingering pay gap in America and artists on the whole are not known for getting rich.

Artists are allowed to submit one piece of visual art and one five-minute performance piece. Every piece that is submitted is represented in the show. If I were in charge of organizing it, I’d be afraid that such an open policy would result in a certain lack of, shall we say, quality assurance. But walking through the exhibit, I realized the open submission environment really fosters variety.

There were works in almost every medium you can imagine, from traditional drawings and acrylics, to jewelry and textiles. One sculpture was composed primarily of a tree branch, another was made of, well, I don’t really know what, but it was meant to simulate water and it turned out beautifully.

I was often impressed by how many ways artists found to play off the theme of the elements. Some focused only one element, others included them all. Once piece, a sculpture of a skull, played off the phrase “ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” Several pieces prominently featured compost, which caused me to rethink the artistic value of what we discard.

The artists were diverse. Both high school kids and senior citizens were represented. One photo was taken in Africa and several pieces showed a clear Asian influence. I had assumed that men, at least, would be excluded from the “Woman’s Perspective” exhibit. I was wrong; several men participated in this year’s show.

The exhibit features both established and emerging artists, and both groups have something to gain by participating. Many established artists enjoy the challenge of working with the theme. They also have a unique opportunity to uncover and nurture new talent. For emerging artists, the show is often a springboard to forming a show of their own. They can take advantage of the wisdom offered by the established artists.

At least one part of the event is a holdover from last year. The Art Aprons exhibit, which is currently at Nichole’s Fine Pastry and the Creative Arts Studio, began as a challenge show. As part of last year’s event, artists were asked to create aprons dealing with the theme Work and Play. The challenge got such a positive reaction that the aprons have been on tour ever since.

For more information about “A Woman’s Perspective on the Elements,” including a complete schedule of events, visit http://awp.handworks.org.

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