True Grit:
Seven Female Visionaries Before Feminism
Curated by Katherine B. Crum
Organized by Mills College Art Museum
Nancy Spero, Nightmare Figures II, 1961, Oil on Canvas, 43 x 65 inches
Lee Bontecou, Untitled, c.1960, Welded metal and canvas assemblage, 55.75 x 45 x 21 inches.
Claire Falkenstein, Untitled, c. 1958, Welded metal, 15.5 x 17.5 x 16.5 inches
True Grit: Seven Female Visionaries Before Feminism is an exhibition showcasing the powerful work of seven pioneering female artists active between 1951 and 1975. Their art, marked by raw intensity and fearless experimentation, predates the feminist art movement but embodies its spirit.
With a nod to the rugged title of the 1969 John Wayne film, the exhibition highlights artists who boldly asserted their creative voices in a male-dominated art world. Featured are Lee Bontecou, Louise Bourgeois, Jay DeFeo, Claire Falkenstein, Nancy Grossman, Louise Nevelson, and Nancy Spero—each known for distinct, groundbreaking contributions in painting, sculpture, and mixed media.
The exhibition avoids gender-based assumptions, instead emphasizing the individuality and lasting impact of their work. Organized originally by Halley K. Harrisburg and expanded by Katherine B. Crum at Mills College Art Museum, True Grit reframes these artists as seminal figures whose influence helped shape the future of contemporary art.
WORKS
30
DIMENSIONS
20 x 24 to 76 x 29 (inches)
SPACE REQUIREMENTS
Aprox. 2500 square feet
INQUIRIES
exhibitions@curatorial.org
626.577.0044