Women and Art. How do we define this relationship? The two have been wound up in one another for quite a while, yet it’s been no symbiotic partnership. Male artists have been portraying females in their work from the ancient period, yet it’s only recently that women have started to shape their own portrayal in Art. And the NAWA exhibition suggested that there’s only a small portion of the public that cares to see this art. I spent a good two hours there and saw four people come in; two were other Macaulay students (obliged to be there) and the other pair were the artists themselves. It was bittersweet seeing the looks of pride on these women’s faces. They glowed with the knowledge that their work was hanging in a Manhattan gallery, yet there was no one to see it. That really is a shame. There was a wide range of skill in the show. Some of the works were frankly terrible but others displayed great talent. I still can’t of any of the talented making it in the art world, though. Female art still seems to be very niche and has yet to disseminate itself the way male art has. If you Google “male artists”, hundred of results pop up and you’ll have heard of the most of the men. They’re scattered all throughout time and can even be said to have defined the times from which they hail (Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo, The Renaissance; Andy Warhol, The Sixties, etc.). Now do the same for female artists. The majority are modern and they’re not as easily recognized. Why is that? I’ve no definitive answer. Sexist attitudes, the lack of a tradition, and simple ignorance probably all combine to make a female’s breakthrough into the art world very hard. In the name of supporting true Art, though, I feel we have to be more willing to seek out this marginalized group and bring their work into the spotlight it deserves.