Three regional galleries across the United Kingdom have joined forces to launch a groundbreaking exhibition aimed at redressing the historical underrepresentation of women in art collections. The project, titled Making Her Mark, brings together works by some of Britain's most celebrated female artists, including Tracey Emin, Barbara Hepworth, Laura Knight, Elizabeth Forbes, and Gillian Ayres.
Collaborative Effort to Address Gender Imbalance
The exhibition is a partnership between Penlee House in Penzance, Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum, and Kirkcaldy Galleries in Fife, Scotland. Each institution has contributed more than 20 works, creating a diverse showcase that highlights the barriers women have faced in the art world. Curator Katie Herbert of Penlee House described the collaboration as 'like speed dating,' with the galleries quickly bonding over a shared mission to spotlight female creators.
Key Works and Themes
At Penlee House, a prominent position above a marble fireplace is occupied by Tracey Emin's provocative piece I Loved My Innocence, lent by Worcester. Across the hallway, a vibrant work by Barbara Hepworth is on display, a rare treat for the Cornish gallery, which holds no Hepworth pieces in its own collection. Another highlight is Features, Fingers, Foot by Scottish artist Lys Hansen, which powerfully depicts the artist's frustration with domestic expectations.
A central theme of the exhibition is the historical exclusion of women from art education. For instance, Dod Procter's Portrait of Eileen Mayo reflects how female artists, barred from life drawing classes, often turned to each other as models. 'They used each other as models,' Herbert noted, underscoring the resourcefulness born from restriction.
Art Fund's Going Places Programme
Making Her Mark is the first exhibition to open under the Art Fund's £5 million Going Places programme, which unites 20 museums across the UK's four nations over five years. Gracie Divall, programme lead, emphasized the excitement of forging new relationships nationwide and prompting participating organizations to rethink their collecting policies.
Community Engagement and Future Themes
The project extends beyond gallery walls. Artist Kate Turner worked with young people from the care system in Penzance, who traveled to Worcester and Scotland—over 12 hours by train—to create a protest banner addressing themes of exclusion. This banner now hangs in the gallery.
Future exhibitions under the programme will explore themes such as endangered heritage crafts and refugee experiences. Divall noted that the initiative also encourages public art creation, fostering deeper community connections.
Relevance Today
Despite progress, challenges remain. Turner remarked, 'There's still a gender pay gap for women in the arts. Misogyny can still be very present in wider society. Representation of women artists has definitely improved, but I think there's still lots to talk about.'
Making Her Mark will be on display in Penzance until autumn, before traveling to Worcestershire and Fife in the following year.
