NEW HAL L
probably having to supplement their work, their studio practice, with multiple jobs, a bit like now. At that time there were few opportunities for women artists, their work was rarely shown in exhibitions and there was very little being sold or promoted; the collection offered them a vital platform and a community to be part of.” Harriet stops suddenly, to make a note. “It’s for a PechaKucha (talk) this Thursday,” she explains, accompanying the launch of a book that’s just launched, Great Women Artists , published by Phaidon, exploring five centuries of female creativity. “We know things are changing for women. There’s a huge desire from the public to see these works now.” We walk past a collection of pieces donated by Cambridge artists for the Nasty Women exhibition at Artworks, Victoria Road, in 2017; part of a global movement of female-led protest. Wendy Cope’s poem Differences of Opinion has been turned into
“I think she thought they might get around 25 but in fact a whopping 75 women gave work. Those women were being invited to be part of something that gave them a voice. The act of giving became a radical act, being part of something,” explains Harriet. “This speaks of so many things. Not just an incredible act of collective giving, but also spoke of a moment when women wanted to be represented. They were
ABOVE Billie Piper (A Combo Painting) by Rose Wylie, on display as part of New Hall Art Collection at Murray Edwards College
a piece by local artist Sue Law: black type on bold yellow echoing classic Guerrilla Girls palettes, whose now iconic lithograph Do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum? , is hung opposite. This sense of community, links to activism and a push for change, is palpable throughout the collection. “It’s important to give women a space where you don’t have to fight to be heard,” says Harriet. Though men are of course a key audience for the collection, collaborators and supporters as well. Like women, they are inspired by great art, too. 2020 will see change, with Harriet planning a rehang of many works, making the narrative of the collection more fluent. “I really want to make it better known, foster collaborations that connect the academic community
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