Presented by: The Joe Orgill Family Fund for Exhibitions

Organized by: The Johnson Collection

Spanning the decades between the late 1890s and early 1960s, this exhibition examines the particularly complex challenges female artists confronted in a traditionally conservative region during a period in which women’s social, cultural, and political roles were being redefined and reinterpreted. Whether working from dedicated studio spaces, in spare rooms at home, or on the world stage, the artists showcased made remarkable contributions by fostering future generations of artists through instruction, incorporating new aesthetics into the fine arts, and challenging the status quo.

Central to Their Lives: Southern Women Artists in the Johnson Collection features the works of forty-two women artists working in and inspired by the American South, including works by such diverse artists as Kate Freeman Clark, Loïs Mailou Jones, Ida Kohlmeyer, Adele Lemm, Augusta Savage, Alma Thomas, and Helen Turner. The exhibition encompasses a variety of media including painting, sculpture, and works on paper.

This comprehensive endeavor is drawn from the holdings of the Johnson Collection, located in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The Johnson Collection was founded in 2002 as a private collection for public good with the goal of illuminating the rich history and diverse cultures of the American South. Spanning the eighteenth century to the present day, the collection seeks to emphasize the dynamic role of the art of the South within the larger context of American art.

Sponsored by:
Kate and Michael Buttarazzi | Karen and Preston Dorsett | Andrea and Doug Edwards | Rose M. Johnston | Anne and Mike Keeney | Ellen and William Losch | Nancy and Steve Morrow | Irene Orgill | Gwen and Penn Owen | Irene and Fred Smith | Adele Wellford | Vance and Willis Willey | Barbara and Lewis Williamson