Judith Godwin (B.F.A. ’52) was mentioned in the New York Times article, “Female Artists Are (Finally) Getting Their Turn,” which ran on March 29, 2016. The article brings together and highlights amazingly talented female artists, and also references an upcoming exhibition featuring Godwin and other female abstract expressionist artists.
Judith Godwin in 1959: “I had so many guys tell me in the ’50s that women just could not paint.”
The historical exhibitions have revived careers, helping women artists take their place within the context of larger movements. To counter the “male-centric view of what Abstract Expressionism is,” Gwen Chanzit, the curator of modern art at the Denver Art Museum, said she discovered a cache of women artists who had exhibited in major shows during the 1950s. Starting on June 12, “Women of Abstract Expressionism” will spotlight virtual unknowns like Judith Godwin and Perle Fine, alongside the handful who broke through, including Joan Mitchell and Helen Frankenthaler. Ms. Chanzit’s research convinced the museum to acquire seven canvases in the show.
Ms. Godwin, 85, one of three living artists in the exhibition, said of the attention, “I never thought it was going to happen,” adding she had no qualms about being included in a “women’s show.”
“I had so many guys tell me in the ’50s that women just could not paint,” she said.
Ms. Godwin’s auction record is $26,000, set in 2006. The auction high for her friend Franz Kline topped $40 million in 2012.
“I am a woman and I’ve always struggled in that capacity. I don’t want to deny it,” she said. “I’m honored to be in any show — especially a show of women.”
Images and text from the New York Times
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