LOUISVILLE, KY.- The Speed Art Museum is presenting the acclaimed special exhibition, Women Artists in the Age of Impressionism, from February 17, 2018 through May 13, 2018. The exhibition is organized by the American Federation of the Arts, and is curated by Laurence Madeline, Chief Curator for French National Heritage. Women Artists in the Age of Impressionism celebrates the achievements of women artists working in late nineteenth century Paris, a vibrant cultural center where they found rich opportunities despite their restricted access to a male-dominated art world.

“This exhibition examines an important chapter in art history when an international group of women artists overcame gender-based restrictions to build careers for themselves,” said Erika Holmquist-Wall, Chief Curator, Speed Art Museum, and Mary and Barry Bingham, Sr. Curator of European and American Paintings and Sculpture. “Paris in the late nineteenth century was the epicenter of the art world, and scores of women artists traveled there to receive training, exhibit their work, and build their own professional networks. I think the show is going to be a revelation, and will inspire further study on this important topic.”

“This is a beautiful, timeless exhibition on a very timely topic,” said Stephen Reily, Director of the Speed Art Museum. “We invite everyone to the Speed to delight in the work of these amazing women artists while also considering the obstacles they overcame. At the Speed we will be celebrating women in 2018 with exhibits, programming, and recognition, starting with our museum Founder, Hattie Bishop Speed, who was also our first Director. It is more important than ever to appreciate the contributions that women bring us every day, and to consider how museums and their communities can support them.”

Women Artists in the Age of Impressionism features over 80 exceptional paintings by 37 women artists from 13 countries. Drawn from prominent collections across the United States and abroad, this groundbreaking exhibition showcases renowned artists including, Berthe Morisot (French), Mary Cassatt (American) and Rosa Bonheur (French), alongside lesser-known, but equally important peers including Anna Ancher (Danish), Lilla Cabot Perry (American) and Paula Modersohn-Becker (German).

Despite Paris’ cosmopolitan character, women were not allowed to attend the Ècole des Beaux-Arts, France’s most important art academy, until 1897. Instead, women artists attended private academies, exhibiting independently, and formed their own organizations, such as the Union des Femmes Peintres et Sculpteurs in 1881. Only later in the century did French women gain fundamental rights such as receiving a secondary education, opening a bank account and obtaining legal guardianship of their children.

“Moral and social stigmas also hindered women’s full participation in the arts,” added Holmquist-Wall. “Taboos against women being seen in public without a chaperone limited access to locations and narrowed the range of subjects available. These women pushed the envelope and made their way through a male-dominated art world, beginning a fight for equality that we are still familiar with today.”