WASHINGTON 鈥� The next time you visit a museum, take note of the names on the artwork.
Chances are, most of what鈥檚 displayed is by a man.
, 51 percent of visual artists today are women, but female artists make up only 3 to 5 percent of major permanent collections in the U.S. and Europe.
鈥淧eople hear that and they鈥檙e like, 鈥楴o, that鈥檚 impossible. I know lots of women artists.鈥� Sure, but are they in these civil institutions that document our society and our culture?鈥� said Maggie O鈥橬eill, a D.C.-based artist.
鈥淲hat if half of the artwork in the world went missing? You know, it already is, kind of. It鈥檚 just not there, which is so weird.鈥�
But you鈥檇 never guess that if you walked into , an old church-turned-arts-space, just a few blocks from Nationals Park. Inside, murals, prints and interactive exhibits 鈥� all done by female artists 鈥� cover every inch of the 15,000-square-foot building.
鈥淚t鈥檚 uniquely feminine; it鈥檚 supposed to be bold. We are just making it known that there were a bunch of female artists here,鈥� O鈥橬eill said.
A quick peek inside the men鈥檚 room 鈥� just past a hall of nipples 鈥� makes that pretty apparent.
, a monthlong event headed by O鈥橬eill, is taking over Blind Whino through Nov. 4. In addition to gallery hours, the exhibit features panels, parties, retail and networking opportunities 鈥� all with the goal to grow and strengthen the female art community.
鈥淭he pendulum is so far in one direction, you can鈥檛 just scoot it slightly in order to make that change. You really have to make a big splash, and I think that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e doing here,鈥� O鈥橬eill said.
Pieces from well-known artists, including Anne Marchand and Ashley Longshore, hang alongside up-and-coming talent. Nearby, an orange- and yellow-painted room pays homage to Madame Clicquot of Veuve Clicquot, one of the event鈥檚 sponsors, and the 鈥淟yft lounge鈥� provides visitors with a space for collaboration.
Events on the calendar include a 鈥淗aute Halloween Bash,鈥� on Oct. 27, plus portfolio review days, business strategy planning panels and a #likeaboss party.
After its run in D.C., O鈥橬eill plans to take Superfierce on the road to other major cities, including New York, Miami and Los Angeles.
鈥淭he only way [the disparity] is changing is if we get organized,鈥� O鈥橬eill said.
鈥淵ou do have to have a sense of humor about being this bold, otherwise, you could really just fall on your face. You do have to be super fierce in order to keep plugging through a lot of the roadblocks that come up, particularly in this career path.鈥�
