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FotoFocus Shines a Spotlight on FemFour

Posted on August 30, 2017

Cincinnati will soon have the opportunity to hear from FemFour, the local creators and activists behind the traveling exhibition, “Still They Persist: Protest Art of the 2017 Women’s Marches”. The group will kick off the one-day Second Century: Photography, Feminism, Politics symposium at Memorial Hall on October 7, 2017 at 10am.

FemFour, a group of socially minded members of the Cincinnati arts community, has assembled a traveling archive of posters and placards, sculptures, textiles, and photo/video documentation from the Women’s March of 2017. This continually evolving archive attempts to keep alive a message of ongoing resistance.

How FemFour Began
Initially intended to fill a large wall space in her personal home gallery, art collector, philanthropist, board member of multiple non-profits, and museum docent volunteer, Sara M. Vance Waddell, began soliciting signs from artists as soon as she knew there would be a Women’s March on Washington. Two weeks before the march, Sara used Facebook to ask for protest signs and posters for her future exhibition. She had no idea how substantial the response would be.

According to FemFour’s website, Sara then enlisted the help of independent curator and art critic Maria Seda-Reeder, as well as Wave Pool Gallery’s Executive Director and social practice artist Calcagno Cullen. The group then brought on board the Contemporary Arts Center’s Curator of Education, Jaime Thompson to round out their mission: keeping the words and images of progressive activists and allies in the minds and hearts of the public.

The group turned its collection of posters, sculptures, photos and other pieces of art into a traveling exhibition for the public. The exhibit was previously featured this year at the Wave Pool Gallery during May and June, as well as at the Lexington Art League during July and August.

It will soon be on view at Cincinnati’s Contemporary Arts Center from October 9, 2017 – October 22, 2017, Salisbury University from February 5, 2018 – May 5, 2018, and Pro Arts in Oakland, California from January 4 -January 25, 2019.

FemFour at the Second Century: Photography, Feminism, Politics symposium
Kicking off the symposium, FemFour will be discussing their motivations and process for the project, as well as examining the nature of politically activated objects, their preservation and circulation.  

The panel will be moderated by Steven Matijcio, Curator, Contemporary Arts Center and will feature Cincinnati-based FemFour panelists: Sara M. Vance Waddell, FemFour Founder and Collector; Cal Cullen, Artist, Curator and Executive Director, Wave Pool; Jaime Thompson, Curator of Education, Contemporary Arts Center; and Maria Seda-Reeder, Writer, Curator, Educator.

For more information about FemFour, visit their website here.

We encourage you to visit the Still They Persist, with FemFour Facebook Event for more updates, and you can also find the complete schedule for the Second Century: Photography, Feminism, Politics symposium at FotoFocusSymposium.org/about.