Commemorating Women in the Visual Arts

Commemorating Women in the Visual Arts by artist Michelle Angela Ortiz comprised two murals located in the City Center neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The east mural depicted women of different ages, races and ethnicities as artists in different trades (weaving, textile design, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, painting). The women depicted were mothers, mentors, and teachers. To the left of the mural is a quote by contemporary artist Judy Chicago that reads: “Our destiny as artists is linked to the destiny of our gender, so joining together as women is the only way we can survive or advance.”

The west wall features a portrait of Dr. Ann Sutherland Harris, the first Woman’s Caucus for the Arts (WCA) President. Also listed are the names of the 126 woman artists honored by the WCA. Both murals celebrate the WCA’s 30th anniversary. WCA was created in Philadelphia and has grown as a national organization that supports and fights for the rights of woman in the visual arts.

Location Note: Mural no longer on view at this location (painted out in 2010 wall now occupied by The People’s Harvest).