Global Feminisms

So for those of you in the Boston area, or who are traveling to the Boston area in the next few months, this looks pretty fucking cool: an art exhibition at Wellesley College called “Global Feminisms.”

Organized at the Brooklyn Museum, where it was on view last year, the exhibition was curated by Maura Reilly, curator of feminist art at that museum, and Linda Nochlin, author of the groundbreaking 1971 essay “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” It presents works created since 1990 by more than 60 women, most under the age of 40, representing about 40 countries.

Elaine Mehalakes, curator of academic programs at the Davis, acknowledges that feminism is not a label many young women eagerly embrace these days. But, she says, “Despite the controversy surrounding the word itself, it will be easy to recognize that the issues the exhibition raises have relevance for young women everywhere. It shows how far we’ve come and how far we have yet to go.”

The thesis of “Global Feminisms” is summed up by its title. Unlike old-school ’70s-style feminism, which was preoccupied mainly with the concerns of white, middle-class, North American and Western European women, the show speaks to the situations of women from all parts of the world, including Africa, Asia, and South America, and it presents works by women of many different races and ethnicities.

As the pluralized word “feminisms” suggests, the show also recognizes that feminism is not just one monolithic movement; it can have different meanings for women living in different geographical, political, social contexts.

Sounds sweet, huh?

The exhibition runs from September 19 through December 9. And of course, if someone wanted to put together a “Send The Curvature to Boston Fund,” I’d be more than happy to blog about the experience . . . hehehe.