New York Feminist Art Institute (NYFAI) was founded in 1979 (to 1990) by women artists, educators and professionals. NYFAI offered workshops and classes, held performances and exhibitions and special events that contributed to the political and cultural import of the women's movement at the time. The women's art school focused on self-development and discovery as well as art.

Nancy Azara Nancy J. Azara (born October 13, 1939) is an American Sculpture, sculptor. Her work involves sculpture using carved, assembled and highly painted wood with gold and silver leaf and encaustic. The wood, the paint and the layers that make up the s ...

introduced "visual diaries" to artists to draw and paint images that arose from consciousness-raising classes and their personal lives. In the first half of the 1980s the school was named the Women's Center for Learning and it expanded its artistic and academic programs. Ceres Gallery was opened in 1985 after the school moved to

TriBeCa Tribeca (), originally written as TriBeCa, is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City. Its name is a syllabic abbreviation of "Triangle Below Canal Street". The "triangle" (more accurately a quadrilateral) is bounded by Canal Stree ...

and, like the school, it catered to women artists. NYFAI participated in protests to increase women's art shown at the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

The Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is an art museum in the Meatpacking District and West Village neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875–1942), ...

and other museums. It held exhibitions and workshops and provided rental and studio space for women artists. Unable to secure sufficient funding to continue its operations, NYFAI closed in 1990. Ceres Gallery moved to

SoHo Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develo ...

and then to Chelsea and remained a gallery for women's art. However, a group continues to meet called (RE)PRESENT, a series of intergenerational dialogues at a NYC gallery to encourage discussion across generations about contemporary issues for women in the arts. It is open to all.

History

New York Feminist Art Institute opened in June 1979 at 325 Spring Street in the Port Authority Building. The founding members and the initial board of directors were

Miriam Schapiro Miriam Schapiro (also known as Mimi) (November 15, 1923 – June 20, 2015) was a Canadian-born artist based in the United States. She was a painter, sculptor, printmaker, and a pioneer of feminist art. She was also considered a leader of the Pa ...

, Selena Whitefeather, Lucille Lessane,

Irene Peslikis Irene Peslikis (October 7, 1943 – November 28, 2002) was an American feminist artist, activist, and educator. She was one of the early founders and organizers in the women's art movement, especially on the east coast. Life and career Irene Peslik ...

and Carol Stronghilos.Fernanda Perrone, Amy Dawson, and Caroline T. Caviness
Inventory to the Records of the New York Feminist Art Institute, 1976-1990.
Administrative History. Rutgers. July 2009. Retrieved January 15, 2014. A board of advisers was established of accomplished artists, educators and professional women. For instance, feminist writer and arts editor at ''Ms. Magazine'' Harriet Lyons was an adviser from its start.Barbara J. Love.
Feminists who Changed America, 1963-1975
'. University of Illinois Press; 2006. . Inspired by the actions of the

Feminist art movement The feminist art movement refers to the efforts and accomplishments of feminists internationally to produce feminist art, art that reflects women's lives and experiences, as well as to change the foundation for the production and perception of co ...

, the founders sought to create a community that would inspire women artists and help them assess how their art was created in the "social and psychological context of our identity as women." The Joint Foundation provided a grant that allowed the organization to operate initially. The

American Stock Exchange NYSE American, formerly known as the American Stock Exchange (AMEX), and more recently as NYSE MKT, is an American stock exchange situated in New York City. AMEX was previously a mutual organization, owned by its members. Until 1953, it was know ...

, The Eastman Fund, America the Beautiful Fund,

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

, the Ford Foundation and the NEA also provided grants to the organization. It held biannual open houses and annual benefits to raise funds. One of the earliest was very successful and had

Louise Nevelson Louise Nevelson (September 23, 1899 – April 17, 1988) was an American sculptor known for her monumental, monochromatic, wooden wall pieces and outdoor sculptures. Born in the Poltava Governorate of the Russian Empire (present-day Kyiv Oblast ...

as a guest of honor. Open house honorees were Alice Neel, Elaine DeKooning, Vivian Browne, Louise Bourgeois,

Lenore Tawney Lenore Tawney (born Leonora Agnes Gallagher; May 10, 1907 – September 24, 2007) was an American artist known for her drawings, personal collages, and sculptural assemblages, who became an influential figure in the development of fiber art. Ea ...

, Faith Ringgold, Nancy Spero, Elizabeth Murray and The Guerilla Girls among others. In April 1981 the organization held a weekend conference "Political Consciousness/ Political Action: Dialogues and Strategies for the 80s" to help women gain a greater sense of personal power and discover ways to engage in the political process. NYFAI also moved to a new location in 1984 in

on Franklin Street, which had gallery space for the cooperative Ceres Gallery, additional space for its school and had rental studio and storage space for artists. In 1984 they co-sponsored a

protest, " Women Artists Visibility Event" with the

Women's Interart Center The Women's Interart Center was a New York City–based multidisciplinary arts organization conceived as an artists' collective in 1969 and formally delineated in 1970 under the auspices of Women Artists in Revolution (WAR) and Feminists in the Ar ...

, the Heresies Collective, and the

Women's Caucus for Art The Women's Caucus for Art (WCA), founded in 1972, is a non-profit organization based in New York City, which supports women artists, art historians, students, educators, and museum professionals. The WCA holds exhibitions and conferences to promo ...

's New York chapter. They protested the few numbers of women in MoMA's grand-reopening and "An International Survey of Recent Painting and Sculpture" exhibition; Of 165 exhibitors, only 14 of them were women. Buttons with the statement, "The Museum of Modern Art Opens but Not to Women," were worn by 400 protesters. The Institute, which had struggled with ensuring it had sufficient funding for some time, shut down its operations by 1991.

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

Libraries received its library and archives. The non-profit Ceres Gallery moved in 1992 to SoHo and then Chelsea at 547 West 27th Street.

Women's Center for Learning/ New York Feminist Art Institute

The Art Institute focused on self-discovery and art education. First years students participated in consciousness-raising classes developed by Nancy Azara where students created "visual diaries" by recording their feelings and thoughts by writing, painting or writing words into art journals. It taught the history of anthropology and art and feminist theory. Art studies included drawing, sculpture, and painting. It was a program that required inspiration and self-motivation, students did not have grades. Performance was measured by teachers assessments and student self-assessments. Students were offered the opportunity to work as apprentices with professional artists. Part-time students attended weekend workshops and evening courses. The school added the title the "Women's Center for Learning" in the early 1980s. Focused on personal development, it added writing and psychology classes. Its art program was expanded to include basketry, puppetry, printmaking, papermaking, poetry, filmmaking and much more.

Harmony Hammond Harmony Hammond (born February 8, 1944 in Hometown, Illinois) is an American artist, activist, curator, and writer. She was a prominent figure in the founding of the feminist art movement in 1970's New York. Early life and education Harmony ...

, Louise Fishman, Arlene Raven, Barbara Hammer, Elke Solomon, Sarah Draney and Zarina Hashmi were instructorsEdward E. Curtis.
Encyclopedia of Muslim-American History
'. Infobase Publishing; 2010. . p. 232. and Leila Daw, Faith Ringgold, May Stevens and Darla Bjork taught weekend workshops at the school. The school closed in 1990.Arlene Raven
"The Archaic Smile,"
in New Feminist Criticism: Art, Identity, Action, ed. Joanna Frueh, Cassandra L. Langer, and Arlene Raven (New York: Icon Editions, 1994), 8,

Ceres Gallery

Ceres Gallery is a feminist, not-for-profit, alternative gallery in New York City, dedicated to the promotion of contemporary women in the arts. Ceres provides an exhibition space that enhances public awareness and helps remediate women’s limited access to commercial galleries. It also serves as a supportive base for a diversity of artistic and political views. Over the years Ceres has encouraged not only artists but writers, musicians, dancers, poets and storytellers to perform in the gallery and take risks with their work that might not be possible in a commercial setting. The members of Ceres Gallery believe the arts provide an important social service - that art has the power to educate, enhance and enrich the quality and depth of people’s lives. Ceres provides a showcase for women artists regardless of age, artistic style or commercial viability to exhibit their work in New York City, many for the first time. All work meets professional standards of excellence but is not restricted in style, medium or theme. Through its progressive programing, the Gallery has become a gathering place for educational and community activities and in addition to providing the general public with a place to expand their knowledge of contemporary art is also a place for women artists to gather for support and friendship. Many artistic and political events are presented throughout the year with participation by gallery artists, artists not affiliated with the gallery and others from the larger arts community. The gallery operates as a cooperative which means members vote on all decisions including the review of possible new members and they participate in monthly meetings to plan the overall direction of the gallery. In addition, Ceres has a professional Director to facilitate the smooth running of all programs and exhibitions. Currently, Ceres has a roster of showing artists from the New York metropolitan area and from across the country with a small number from countries outside the U.S. Ceres Gallery was founded in 1984 by Rhonda Schaller, Polly Lai and Darla Bjork, in conversation with NYFAI director, artist Nancy Azara as a program of the New York Feminist Art Institute (NYFAI, 1979-1990). Early members included: Carol Goebel, Phyllis Rosser, Joan Arbeiter, Sandra Branch and Vivian Tsao. The gallery was first located at 91 Franklin Street in Tribeca on the ground floor of the building which housed the New York Feminist Art Institute (NYFAI). Large salon style shows, joint exhibitions and others were held yearly such as: “Reflections: Women in Their Own Image” and “Heroic Female: Images of Power.” In 1993 it moved to 584 Broadway in SoHo where it remained until 2003. Today, Ceres Gallery has 2000+ square feet in one of Chelsea’s premier art destination buildings, The Landmark Arts Building, 547 West 27th Street. Members still at Ceres include Carol Goebel, Phyllis Rosser and Vivian Tsao.

Exhibitions

* 1981 - "Transformations,"

New York Coliseum The New York Coliseum was a convention center that stood at Columbus Circle in Manhattan, New York City, from 1956 to 2000. It was designed by architects Leon Levy and Lionel Levy in a modified International Style, and included both a low bui ...

NYFAI curators: Judith Chiti, Catherine Allen and Linda Hill. * 1985 - "Reflection: Women in Their Own Image" * 1986 - "The Heroic Female: Images of Power" * 1987 - "The Political is Personal" * 1988 - "Work of the Spirit" * 1989 - "Beyond Survival: Old Frontiers, New Visions" * 1990 - "Memory/Reality"

References

External links

Official site

1979 WNYC interview
with

and Carol Stronghilos at th
WNYC Archives
{{Feminist art movement in the United States Feminist art organizations in the United States Women's occupational organizations Arts organizations based in New York City Arts organizations established in 1979 Arts organizations disestablished in the 20th century 1979 establishments in New York City 1990 disestablishments in New York (state) Non-profit organizations based in New York City History of women in New York City Feminism in New York City