Mixed Media Judy Chicago and Victory Grrrls at Form & Concept
Author, educator, and artist Judy Chicago is a pioneer of feminist art, best known for her late-1970s work The Dinner Party ,a mixed-media installation of 39 place settings made to honor famous historic and mythic women. In 1978 she founded the feminist organization Through the Flower, which sponsors exhibits and educational projects on ensuring women’s place in culture and history. Chicago is known for employing mediums traditionally seen as feminine, such as needlework, to make bold statements on contemporary issues affecting women’s rights. She appears at Form & Concept (435 S. Guadalupe St., 505-982-8111) for a presentation on her life by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art curator Chad Alligood. The talk is co-hosted by the gallery and the Women’s International Study Center, where Alligood is in residence and working on a monograph of Chicago. All available seats are reserved for the free event, which takes place on Friday, Feb. 10, at 5 p.m., and includes a Q&A with Chicago, but the gallery is broadcasting the talk live via Facebook; for more information, go to www.formandconcept.center.
The following day, Form & Concept hosts an event by feminist performance artists Victory Grrrls at 3 p.m. Victory Grrrls is an interdisciplinary collective that was founded by three local artists — Niomi Fawn, Thais Mather, and Lucy Madeline — in 2016. The group derived its name from combining a World War II-era campaign slogan with a reference to the feminist punk-rock riot grrrl movement, which began in the 1990s. Each member of Victory Grrrls will present a performance related to the issues explored in their respective art practices. The Saturday, Feb. 11, event is by admission on a sliding scale from $5 to $10 per person. — Michael Abatemarco