Three Degrees Of Separation: Artes Américas Newest Exhibit

FRESNO — A new show opens this week at the museum, Arte Américas, located in the cultural arts district of downtown Fresno. It’s called Three Degrees Of Separation: An International Sisterhood of Women Artists.

Some of the women whose work is represented are foothill artists, so my friends and I were especially excited to see the newest installation at one of our favorite venues.

Click on images to enlarge.

“2017 marks the third year in the five year ‘Degrees of Separation’ project, an invitation-only exhibition that reinvents itself on an annual basis.

“The pilot exhibition, ‘One Degree of Separation’ began with an invitation to a project nucleus consisting of 12 women (Group A)  who had already shown their works in the Arte Américas gallery space. Each was asked to invite anther woman artist that they knew personally (Group B) to participate. The result was an exhibition featuring 24 impressive artists.”

The second year was titled, “Two Degrees of Separation.”

“Artists from Group B were given the same tast as those that had brought them into the fold: suggest the name of an artist that they knew personally — who would then make up Group C.”

This year, more than 40 women are included in the show, with nearly 100 works of art filling every space in the inclusive gallery.

“The goal is to continue the project over the course of five years, discovering new participants and uncovering true interconnecectdness between artists. When complete, more than 150 women will have participated in the project. Each one degree from Fresno, Arte Américas, and from each other.”

Among the foothill area artists participating in the show are Anja Albosta, Susan Bolen, Judy De Rosa, Franka Gabler, Sonia Jamison, Kathy Marks, Heidi Vetter, Monique Wales, and Rivka.

Frank Delgado is the Chief Curator and Executive Director at the museum. He points out that while the number of male and female artists are roughly the same, a large majority of artists whose work is displayed in museums are male.

According to the National Endowment for the Arts, 51 percent of visual artists working today are women.

Yet, just 27 percent of solo exhibitions went to women artists, according to Art Newspaper, out of 590 at 70 institutions over six years. Source: Gender Disparity in the Arts

Opening on Wednesday, Mar. 8, also known as International Women’s Day, Three Degrees of Separation is a complex assembly of work that’s overwhelmingly joyous, sometimes foreboding, always passionate, and impressive in its reach.

Come for the women, stay for the art. And don’t miss the gift shop.

Arte Américas – Casa De La Cultura is located at 1630 Van Ness Avenue in Fresno. For more information call (559) 266-2623