Up From the Archives #1
Big Brother is Watching

The first event in the series focused on the 1984 traveling group exhibition Big Brother is Watching, which featured photocopied works by 37 artists. Inspired by the acquisition of WSW’s first photocopier, the exhibition was motivated by a desire to connect with other women’s art organizations and offer a political commentary on the issues of the time. Each artist was asked to create a xerox edition inspired by the imagery and themes of George Orwell’s 1984, but many artists expanded their focus to address topical concerns such as nuclear war, toxic waste, unemployment, and social dialogue—each interpreted with varying tones of humor, anger, and defiance.

This 1984 exhibition also served as a networking tool between five women’s art organizations: Local 1734 (Washington, D.C.), the Women’s Graphic Center (Los Angeles), the Feminist Art Institute (New York City), and the Women’s Art Registry of Minnesota (Minneapolis). Each organization hosted the exhibit and curated its participants.

For this conversation, Faythe and I invited Kate Eichhorn author of Adjusted Margin: Xerography, Art and Activism in the Late Twentieth Century to join us in exploring the history and impact of xerography as a tool for networking, dissemination, replication, and transgressive artistic action.

You can watch here:
https://vimeo.com/680600653

Up From the Archives #3
Unusual Lady, Unlikely Life: Dawn Langley Simmons

In 1986, Women’s Studio Workshop presented FACELIFT, a video and installation project featuring three distinct living environments. Each gallery space represented a different facet of Dawn Langley Simmons' remarkable life: the Private, the Public, and the Professional. These environments focused on her daily life, her interactions with the media, and her work as a writer. The exhibition was curated by Ariel Dougherty and created by artists Dena Crane, Tana Kellner, and Jone Miller.

Born in Sussex, England, likely in 1922, Dawn Langley Simmons moved to the United States in her 20s, living in New York City, South Carolina, and the Hudson Valley. In her autobiography, Dawn: A Charleston Legend, she revised her birth year to 1937 to better align with key events in her life, including her gender-affirming care at Johns Hopkins in 1968, her 1969 marriage (which was the first legal interracial marriage in South Carolina), and the birth of her daughter. These milestones garnered significant attention from both her community and the media. A prolific writer and journalist, Simmons was known for her insightful commentary on the transgressions of society’s famous and unconventional women. She also maintained connections with literary figures like Vita Sackville-West, Virginia Woolf, and Carson McCullers, adding to the intrigue surrounding her personal narrative. As noted in her New York Times obituary, “Mrs. Simmons was a person around whom legends swirled.”

For this event, guests Susan Stryker and Chris Vargas joined Zona and Levine to explore the life of Dawn Langley Simmons, delving into untold trans histories, media portrayals, and the use of archives and periodicals to illuminate queer and trans narratives.

You can watch here:
https://vimeo.com/711668204

Up From the Archives #2
W.I.N.G.S: Women Invent New Gallery Spaces

Started by WSW in 1978, W.I.N.G.S. (Women Invent New Gallery Spaces) was a groundbreaking program that fostered a wide range of imaginative and experimental exhibitions and events. Designed to provide women artists with paid opportunities to create work for non-traditional gallery spaces, W.I.N.G.S. featured projects throughout Ulster County, New York, into the early 1980s.

One notable example from the series was Flying Objects, a celebrated event held on June 30, 1979, at the now defunct New Paltz Airport. Artists were invited to design objects that "flutter and somehow fly in the air.” A series of kite-making workshops were held across Ulster County in a lead up to event.

For this virtual event, Faythe and I were joined by four panelists who have cultivated contemporary exhibition spaces in unexpected and unusual spaces around the country. Their projects resonate with the values of WSW’s W.I.N.G.S. program, pushing the boundaries of where and how art can be experienced and shared.

Panelists included:

• Sage Dawson (STNDRD), a public art project exploring the power and potential of flags.

• Alex Lukas (CA53776V2.gallery), an experimental exhibition platform housed on the dashboard of a 2007 Ford Ranger.

• Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo (The Nook Gallery, 2015–2020), an intimate gallery space located in a built-in seating nook in their kitchen.

• Imin Yeh (The Dreamcabin), a 1:12 scale miniature house and exhibition space.

You can watch here:
https://vimeo.com/693271415