Happy Women’s History Month!
March took the “UN/MASKED” tour to Flagstaff Arizona and the
annual Women’s Conference at Northern Arizona University where I presented “ActLike a Feminist Artist – A Guerrilla Girl Unmasks.”
This checks Arizona off Guerrilla Girls On Tour’s US State
list – we have now been to every state except Mississippi and Alaska. (Head ups, all Mississippians and
Alaskan feminists out there.)
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| San Francisco Peaks |
If you have never done it, drive from Phoenix to Flagstaff. The drive takes about two hours and is
a gradual gain of 6000 feet of elevation. The saguaro cacti of Phoenix give way
as you come over a steep rise and the Bradshaw Mountains appear in the west. On
the descent into Verde Valley the snow capped San Francisco peaks come into
sight as well as the red rocks of Sedona. Gorgeous.
The NAU Women’s Conference is coordinated by the Associated
Students for Women’s Issues and is well attended by the diverse and curious
make up of NAU’s faculty and students. Over 100 people assembled in the auditorium
of NAU’s Cline Library (one of the largest campus libraries I have ever been in).
The stage was set with the traditional Guerrilla Girls On Tour props – water
and bananas. Since I was
contractually not allowed to throw the bananas, one savvy theatre major in the
third row offered to throw them for me. Thanks a bunch.
My talk, “Act Like a Feminist Artist” has been morphing into
a motivational lecture and the response to this new version was suburb. Kudos to that same theatre major for
asking about how to “queer up” the theatre world. Answer: Look for theatre companies that are already queering
it up and go work with them. Example:
Oregon Shakespeare Festival which for the first time in their herstory
will present 6 plays by women and a same sex couples version of “Oklahoma.”
Then, continue to make the theatre you make and be prepared to endure for the
long haul.
How does one act like a feminist artist, you might ask?
Well, begin by embracing the truth. The Truth is the heart of good art and good
activism. Artists are truth tellers.
We live in a world that is made up of facts and reality. These days,
facts and reality are constantly challenged. So accept that there is a long
road ahead. Be physically, mentally and emotionally strong. Workout, read, do yoga,
drink tea, eat bananas, pour yourself a glass of wine - whatever it takes. Then,
make sure you gather evidence. Do the GGOT 10-minute research technique – when
you go to a gallery or museum count how
many works by women they are presenting. This evidence is your weapon. Use it in your art.
For more tips
on how to act like a feminist artist sign up for this blog.
Thank you to all
the fabulous feminists of Arizona who came to hear me speak. Until we meet again.
LOVE,
