Future of Feminist Art Panel Wrap Up

Thank you to everyone who came out last weekend, as well to the panelists Jaishri Abichaidani, Sheila Pepe, Em 16 and Erica Cho, and moderators LO and Felix Gato, for making it such an interesting and successful event. At the panel, I hung back and acted as logistical support and took photos. It was so great to see the Forum space in the Sackler Center for Feminist Art was packed! From the panel I can see that dialogues around the direction that feminisms and feminist art is going is extremely important. Of course one panel on a Saturday afternoon isn't going to solve the many big questions surrounding race, class, culture and the gaps between generations in feminism. But something I noticed is how we need to create these spaces that are truly diverse (and I am proud to say I think this one was) more often in order to stop congratulating ourselves for being diverse and really talk about these issues. Critique is not complaining and I think we need to really open our ears and listen to each other when critiques are raised. It seems basic to say "open your ears" to other feminists, but I think this goes a long way to actually implementing the politics we profess to believe.