CFP: Women Art Dealers (1940-1990)

The session analyzes the central role played by women art dealers in the creation and development of art market between the 1940s and the 1980s. The panel examines the work of those women who promoted art between different countries and continents thus developing an international form of market that anticipated the current global model. Paula Cooper, Peggy Guggenheim, Beatrice Monti della Corte, Betty Parsons, Martha Jackson, Denise René, Lia Rumma, Ileana Sonnabend are just some of the protagonists of an intense period of artistic promotion characterised by renewed marketing strategies and new uses of gallery space. Without advocating an alternative history of market, the session aims to consider women art dealers’ diverse contributions to arts addressing the following topics:

• International networks of women art dealers in both the United States and Europe
• Women art dealers’ role in the birth of global art market
• History of exhibitions: new forms of exhibition design
• Gender solidarity in art promotion
• The importance of female economic autonomy and purchasing power in affirming feminist culture
• Mapping women art dealers’ archives
• Female editorial projects and graphics (catalogues, artist books, posters and invitations)
• Women art dealers and men colleagues
• Aspects of the role of women art dealers in art fairs and biennales
• Women art dealers and art collecting.

Paper proposals should be sent by email to Caterina Toschi (caterina.toschi@unicas.it) by December 22, 2017. Proposals should include:

Abstract (500 words) with short bibliography and a biography (250 words).

Authors will be notified of acceptance by January 12, 2018.
Speakers will be asked to submit an advanced draft of their final paper by April 27, 2018.

Photo: Beatrice Monti della Corte, Galleria dell’Ariete. Photo: Ugo Mulas.