Stephanie G. Mathis Art Students by Emanuel Phillips Fox is one of my favorite paintings at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The fact that all of the Melbourne Art School’s students are female makes this painting even more notable.
Women saw art school as a more ladylike alternative than other, more serious pursuits. This led to the dominance women have in the field of art.
Over a century after the first women were admitted to art school, the top leadership positions are still dominated by men. In 2012, 86 of the 98 graduate students in my university’s Art Administration program were women. In the past 20 years, I have never taught a class that had more than 25% men.
The outstanding graduates are Melissa Chiu, Louise Doyle, Wayne Tunnicliff, and John Kirkman.
It is instinctive to select equal numbers of each gender when describing successful students. When women are the overwhelming majority of students, it is discriminatory to divide the spoils based on gender. When there are two men in a class of 28 women and only two men, it is easier for the males to be remembered. Standing out is important in a group.
Opportunities and individual attention often boost confidence. Amy Cuddy, an American social psychologist, has demonstrated that the self-affirming physical posture taken by alpha males, baboons, and Wonder Woman can increase testosterone and confidence.
Women graduates more often apply for “realistic” secondary positions. Confidence is contagious. A young artist may find it difficult to approach a gallery to discuss an exhibition or for a recent graduate to consider becoming an assistant director rather than an administrative assistant. The bold are more likely to be successful than the timid.
In the first half of the 20th century, the artist She had to wait for her quieter colleague Grace Cossington Smith to reach the age of 80 before she could see a major public exhibition.
Women artists have a better chance of success today than they did in the past. Women are exhibiting their work in commercial galleries, and they have been selected to be included in public collections.
Men who are not assertive or come from a less privileged background do not achieve success as easily. Ralph Balson spent the majority of his life in relative anonymity. He was able to paint as a full-time artist only after he retired.
The birth of children is the biggest barrier for women to take leadership roles in any field. The arts are a major obstacle. Our work is often other people’s leisure time, so the most important part of the day can be between 6 pm to 8 pm. It is during this time that exhibitions open, where introductions are made, and when deals are quietly negotiated in front of a beautifully presented exhibition.
It is impossible for an employee to avoid this time if they want to be taken seriously, but the hour coincides with the busy hours of young families. People in the arts are often paid a salary that is comparable to genteel pauper unless they hold the highest positions. The majority of childcare centres close at six, and nannies can be expensive.
This barrier affects men who are responsible for young children, but despite the cultural shift in the last few decades, many arts organizations continue to base their employment policies on the most conservative male-dominated organisations. Family concerns simply do not factor into the equation.
Power politics and state-run art organisations have a close relationship. It is not surprising that their survival depends on support from the wealthy and powerful. There is a political component to every appointment of a senior arts person. When politics are involved, it’s safer to stick to the norm and make an appointment that is similar to the previous one.
In the past two decades, there have been several women appointed to second-in-command of state galleries. However, they have not progressed further. Recent appointments of directors at National Gallery of Victoria Art Gallery of New South Wales, and Queensland Art Gallery all involved men. Betty Churcher, who created a family-friendly space at the National Gallery of Australia in the 1990s, has been gone for many years.
It was common to see Andrew Sayers, the then curator of Australian Drawings at the time, push a stroller in the gallery when he returned a child from the daycare. Sayers, who is now the Director of the National Museum of Australia, announced his resign to move back to Melbourne, where his wife works.
Michael Brand, Director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, is known for his ability to delegate authority to staff. This is not only a good management strategy but also allows him to spend time with his family. This may seem paradoxical, but men who assert the importance of their spouses and their children in their lives can inspire their female colleagues.
