Rise

Dec 17 2021 - Jan 13 2022

An all female Group Exhibition focused on gender inequality in Visual Arts
December 17 – January 13, 2021

Opening Reception – December 17, 2021 6 – 9 p.m.

According to the National Museum of Women (NMWA) in the arts, only 13.7% of living artists represented by galleries are women. This and other statistics about the unbalance in the art world was not completely unknown to Bitfactory Gallery’s curator Bill Thomason but recently he came to understand the large disparity in a new way. He decided that rather than simply host his annual all female exhibition, he would provide an opportunity to forward the conversation and raise more awareness about gender inequality in the arts. The new exhibition Rise runs December 17, 2021–January 13, 2022 and features work on this theme by Art by 13, Kathy Beekman, Lee LaBier, A. L. Lummus, Kirah Perle, Autumn Thomas, and Michelle Tomes. The public is invited to an Opening Reception, Friday December 17, 6-9 pm at 851 Santa Fe Drive and to view the show during regular gallery hours Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The Rise Exhibition will showcase the disciplines of painting, sculpture, soft pastel, digital art, and photography will be represented. Covering neo-expressionism, pop, realism, primitivism, figurative, conceptual, and abstract art styles. The feelings about the show and the work is best expressed by the curator and participating artists themselves.

“After working with A.L. Lummus on conceptualizing and developing the Mettle Martyr Exhibition it became painfully clear to me just how severe the inequality in the visual arts world really is. Quite honestly it infuriated me. From artists, to exhibitions, to curators, to museums, it is a predominately male controlled/exhibited/sold world.”
– Bill Thomason

“While women make up roughly 75% of people receiving advanced art degrees, art created by women only accounts for roughly 2% of the art market and same in acquisitions. If this inequity isn’t corrected in arts, what hope does humanity have for change and reform? To raise awareness about the inequalities that women artists face, our goal is to spark conversations about the inequalities and to ultimately inspire change and action to help women artists rise to their rightful equal positions in the art world.”
– AL Lummus

“Expanding on my process of exploring identity, my autobiographical, confessional self-portraits examine the forces that impact personhood, gender identity and self-acceptance in a world with ever-changing rules and norms. Ultimately, focusing on the profoundly complex condition of humanness.”
– Lee LaBier

“For the Rise Exhibition I have chosen to embrace mantras of fortitude and perseverance in times of adversity. My intention is to inspire a community focused on individuality and strength.”
– Michelle Tomes

“Gender can’t be binary because it is a personal identity and is socially constructed. We can see this play out in nature, particularly within flowers. Most plants are monoecious, meaning that they have both female and male structures. Many of the most iconic flowers: roses, lilies, and tulips, are bisexual. When we look at a flower, we don’t see its gender, we don’t feel judgement, we don’t see inequality, we simply admire its infinite beauty. Imagine if we admired one another the same way we do as flowers.”
– Perle Kirah

“Gender Inequality in the arts remains an international issue. Why does gender equality matter in the art world? Because for centuries the culture and ideology of the art industry has been devised disproportionately by men. It’s time that the industry makes room for the equal representation of women so that the art world finds reaches a gender balance.”
– Kathy Beekman

“My practice reflects my approach to life: cultivating meaning with a combination of structure and fluidity, gleaning from each process the leftover bits that get misunderstood and tossed aside. My practice consists of bending solid structures into curved forms, reflecting the myriad ways in which I navigate life as a member of multiple marginalized groups.”
– Autumn Thomas

Bitfactory Gallery, located at 851 Santa Fe Drive in the heart of Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe, exhibits work by the best emerging and up-and-coming local, national, and international visual artists. It strives to showcase art that may not be a good fit for other galleries. Additionally, they host one major or renowned artist a year, bringing new and exciting work to Denver. The Bitfactory building also houses artist studios, Bitfactory Studios, with the vision of providing a helpful, friendly atmosphere for artists to work solo or collaborate with others. As well as a pop-up space, the Garage at Bitfactory. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., and by appointment. For additional information please contact Bill Thomason at [email protected] or (303) 862-9367 or visit bitfactory.net. The gallery has an extensive social media presence and can be found on Ello, FB, IG, Pinterest, Tumblr @bitfactorygallery and on Twitter at @bitfactoryg