Guerrilla Girls: Rattling Cages Since 1985

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

Two weeks ago I attended the opening of “Guerrilla Girls: Rattling Cages Since 1985” at the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery on the campus of Florida Southwestern State College in Ft. Myers, FL.  I had to see this exhibition with my own eyes because I could not believe a radical and progressive art activist group like the Guerrilla Girls would be celebrated in Ft. Myers, FL.  Lee County, located in southwest Florida, is wildly conservative and not especially known for its cultural offerings.  I should know because I lived there for a time and still have family in the area.

I was so pleasantly surprised!

The pre-opening lecture, provided by the brilliant Dr. Wendy Chase, was nearly at capacity in the small auditorium near the gallery.  The lecture included background on the formation of the Guerrilla Girls, a brief survey of a few women artists from art history and an explanation for the continued need for the Guerrilla Girls’ activism in 2019.  The lecture ended with a surprise Skype session with original Guerrilla Girl, “Frida Kahlo,” in which she answered questions from the audience.

The exhibit itself is a testament to the Guerrilla Girls’ massive activist billboards since their creation in 1985.  It is truly overwhelming to be surrounded by such images and to know that the work – to bring equality to the art world – is not yet done.

The exhibit is on view through March 23rd and I highly recommend it!

For more information on this exhibit, please visit…

http://www.rauschenberggallery.com/

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I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.