Welcome to our digital celebration of Women's History Month! The Library Ambassador Team at Cal State East Bay proudly presents a vibrant collection of art created by those who identify as femme and women from diverse backgrounds and cultures. This curated platform serves as a homage to the creative brilliance of women throughout history and today. Join us in honoring the resilience, vision and talent of artists as we explore their captivating works that inspire, provoke thought and illuminate the myriad experiences of womanhood. Embrace the power of art to amplify women's voices and commemorate their invaluable contributions to our shared cultural tapestry.
Adriana Camcho
"Born and raised in Colombia, South America, the seventh of nine children, Adriana´s favorite activity as a child was drawing. After attending college in Bogotá she had the opportunity to take painting workshops which put her again on the path towards art."
"Moving to San Francisco California, where she has lived since 1996, she had the privilege again to follow her path of self expression and healing. While attending City College ESL, Humanities, and Art Clases as well as workshops at Sharon Art Studio, Adriana was inspired to explore different mediums: film, ceramics, drawing and finally painting, which is now her focus."
"She has participated in collective exhibitions of ceramics and paintings throughout San Francisco and the Bay Area, with a solo exhibit in Bogotá, Colombia. Adriana has been influenced by indigenous cultures from around the world. Her work has been recognized and awarded."
Nimisha Doongarwal
"My art explores the dynamic between imagination and what is visible. These portraits challenge viewers to contemplate how gender and racial biases shape our society. Through mixed media, I create visually striking identities that encourage reflection on the ways biases impact individuals. These are imaginary people shaped by their stories, emphasizing the idea that we are unique individuals beyond appearances. I use diverse media to challenge conventional notions of identity by celebrating diversity and cultural heritage. I incorporate elements of my own cultural heritage into the work, seeking to reclaim and celebrate the rich and vibrant traditions and histories of colonized people”.
"As an artist, Nimisha aims to inspire viewers to work towards dismantling systems of inequality. Her art serves as a platform for change, amplifying marginalized voices and experiences. Ultimately, celebrating the resilience and triumphs of women and marginalized communities. Seeing people from the heart, not just the eyes, allowing us to appreciate their stories and experiences."
"Nimisha's works have been featured in publications and magazines such as Forbes, Maake magazine, Artmarket magazine and has exhibited in museums and galleries including the De Young Museum, UCSF Women's Hospital, Studio Shop Gallery, Gallery Route One, San Francisco International Airport, San Mateo City Hall, San Mateo Library, Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Museum of Northern California and Brown University."
Kathy Fujii-oka
"Fujii-Oka followed her ancestors footsteps in an inspirational environment of the botanical, working alongside her father growing beautiful plants and flowers. A self-taught artist, she began painting in her youth. Her career spanned decades as she was juggling family life, work, and school. In 2007, she proudly graduated with a Bachelor in Fine Arts with honors at UC Berkeley."
"As a Sansei, (third generation Japanese American), Fujii-Oka explores her Japanese heritage. Her work focuses on the Japanese incarceration and the injustice of all people of Japanese descent. Fujii-Oka honors and brings light into the lives of her family and those who were imprisoned during WWll. She expresses her sentiment and compassion through her art by sharing personal stories and how it relates to the present day. Through her research and work, she expands on her spiritual process and practice of meditation, which assists her to make art that heals. Her interdisciplinary artwork investigates themes of incarceration, immigration, culture, identity, and spirituality, which has become a birthplace of healing as her emotional voice and her ancestors find expression. As she researched her ancestors, so much pain was unearthed. She is on a mission to keep these stories alive, so that the atrocities of prejudice, inhumane treatment and deceit by our government cease to repeat itself."
"Now residing in the San Francisco bay, she continues her artistic journey. She thrives on walks in nature, spending time with her family and grandchildren, friends, and her beloved Pekingese dogs."
Jay Ramakrishnan
"Life is a journey, and mine has taken me across five different continents to Asia, North America, South America, Europe and Africa."
"Drawing, painting and experimenting with different mediums has long been a passion of mine. I breathe life into memories I have collected by playing with different colors, shapes, compositions, and textures, in order to evoke a message of energy, movement, stillness or balance."
"Sparked by my lifelong quest for peace my paintings reflect my journeys both inside and out. My paintings are not just about physical places, they are also a reflection of this lifelong quest of understanding myself and reflecting that back through my art."
Crystal Vielula
"Crystal Vielula is a San Francisco based queer artist and art educator. In 2019 she was selected as a MUNI artist. Vielula has been involved as a muralist with Clarion Alley Mural Project for over 10 years and her current LGBTQ Pride mural is one of the most photographed in the city. Recently her work has been profiled in the San Francisco Chronicle and on KQED Arts and Broke Ass Stewart. She had a reoccurring column on the Bold Italic featuring interviews and illustrated portraits of interesting people in San Francisco called Drawn from the City that is currently being re-run on Broke Ass Stewart and she is the creator of 5 self-published coloring books. She works with a variety of mediums including but not limited to collage, painting, pen and ink, acrylic, textiles and is presently diving into the world of experimental film and performance."
In this third volume of the series Junctures: Case Studies in Women's Leadership, Judith K. Brodsky and Ferris Olin profile female leaders in music, theater, dance, and visual art. The diverse women included in Junctures in Women's Leadership: The Arts have made their mark by serving as executives or founders of art organizations, by working as activists to support the arts, or by challenging stereotypes about women in the arts. The contributors explore several important themes, such as the role of feminist leadership in changing cultural values regarding inclusivity and gender parity, as well as the feminization of the arts and the power of the arts as cultural institutions.
Michèle Cohen Hadria interviews Nicène Kossentini, Mouna Karray and Moufida Fedhila three women artists living and working in Tunisia today. The interviews discuss the work of these artists since the revolution and feature a discussion of artistic creation against the political backdrop of contemporary Tunisia. The interviews featured are accompanied by photographs of the artists’ work.
In Central to Their Lives, twenty-six noted art historians offer scholarly insight into the achievements of female artists working in and inspired by the American South. Spanning the decades between the late 1890s and early 1960s, this volume examines the complex challenges these artists faced in a traditionally conservative region during a period in which women's social, cultural, and political roles were being redefined and reinterpreted.
Including black and white illustrations, this book chronicles the challenges of women artists, who are in some cases unknown to the general public, and places their achievements in the artistic and cultural context of early twentieth-century America. Contributors to this first book on the women artists of the Harlem Renaissance proclaim the legacy of Edmonia Lewis, Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller, Augusta Savage, Selma Burke, Elizabeth Prophet, Lois Maillou Jones, Elizabeth Catlett, and many other painters, sculptors, and printmakers. In a time of more rigid gender roles, women artists faced the added struggle of raising families and attempting to gain support and encouragement from their often-reluctant spouses in order to pursue their art.
Panmela Castro: Focus Forward—Short Films, Big Ideas
Panmela Castro was born and raised in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is the president of Nami Network, a feminist organization that promotes women's rights through graffiti-art. A tireless activist and creative spirit, she has been honored with numerous international awards for her art and consciousness-raising.
Women, Arts, & Disability
This 2009 episode of No Limits, produced and directed by Serena Ryan, is a discussion with and about women in the arts with disabilities.
Image of Women In African Art
This program focuses on the representation of women in African art. Host Marita Rivero Rivero speaks with Barry Gaither, Director and Curator of the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists and Special Consultant to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, to discuss portrayals of women in African art; the earliest images of women in Africa, the implied societal roles in African sculpture, the reasons for certain portrayals in art, the religious utilization of art, the conservative nature of 'traditional' art, and the African art collection at the National Center of Afro-American Artists.
"Presented by art historian and curator, Katy Hessel, The Great Women Artists Podcast interviews artists on their career, or curators, writers, or general art lovers, on the female artist who means the most to them. Katy is also the presenter of Dior Talks."
"The Empowered Artist Collective Podcast will be a space in which we have insightful conversations with fellow artists about all sorts of topics that pertain to our personhood and our artistry."
"Is it possible for queer and trans artists of color to make a living off their creative and intellectual labor? Nia King interviews QTPOC cultural workers to find out."
"The Last Bohemians is an award-winning, critically acclaimed, independent podcast series that meets maverick and radical women in arts and culture and takes listeners on a vivid, hallucinatory trip through their extraordinary lives. From subversive musicians and style icons to game-changing artists, these are women who have lived life on the edge and who still refuse to play by the rules."