The Rema Hort Mann Foundation supports emerging visual artists and people in treatment for cancer through its grants programs. The Foundation raises all of its grant money through a lively program of events, including art crawls, auctions and fundraising parties where people who support and benefit from its work join together to build a strong community.

On Monday, June 28th at 6:30 pm, arts patron Linda Ginsberg is hosting a party in her Upper West Side apartment to raise "buzz and bucks" in support of women in the arts. The funds from this event will help sponsor Girls Just Want to Have Funds, a forthcoming public panel discussion and related benefit art auction that will be organized and curated by The RHM Foundation in November 2010. Food and drinks will be served.

Left and center: The 14th Annual RHMF Lower East Side Art Crawl. Right: Julia Kunin, Untitled (gorilla hand), earthenware ceramic, luster glaze, 11" x 6" x 5," will be on view at the party this Monday.

Linda says, in her invitation,
Despite so much social progress, women artists still have a tougher time than their male counterparts in making a living from their art. Exhibition opportunities, reviews, major awards, sales records, teaching posts, gallery representation and critical success still remain out of reach for many women artists.

There are notable examples that indicate real progress:  MoMA just launched a major exhibition entitled "Pictures by Women: A History of Modern Photography;" many women artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Marilyn Minter and Cindy Sherman have achieved commercial and critical successes, influencing a younger generation of artists across all backgrounds; and many of the artists in the 2010 Whitney Biennial and MoMA PS1 "Greater New York" show are women who are critically acclaimed to be equal to or better than their male peers.

And yet, not one of the top 100 highest prices paid for artwork at auction was produced by a woman artist. In fact, there does not appear to be ANY listing on the internet for "highest price paid for artwork by a woman." Women artists are doing better today than ever before but still only roughly 1/3 of the works in museums and galleries of contemporary art are by women.

Why aren't women visual artists more commercially successful and is there anything we can or should do to improve their standing?

For more information and to RSVP, please contact the Rema Hort Mann Foundation. If you can't attend, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support "GJWTHFunds" online at www.rhmfoundation.org. No gift is too modest or too much to support this ambitious project.

Editor's note: DART is an in-kind sponsor of the Rema Hort Mann Foundation and its programs. Stay tuned for information about the exciting events now being planned for its 15^th anniversary celebration in 2011. PR

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