Why do we focus on women artists?
Statistics demonstrate the rarity of the opportunity to see art made by women and positive representations of women (see East London Fawcett Group Art Audit 2013 & Guardian expose 6 Feb 2017). While the situation for women in the art world is gaining visibility, especially in light of #MeToo, women from ethnic minorities often are left out still. We will so reflect on the lack of black women referents in society with artists, partners and participants. 15 artists will exhibit.
For Sheroes to be as inclusive as possible, we are partnering with different community leaders: The Colour of Madness, Black Blossoms, Forward, the IARS International Institute, Rich Mix, Ugly Duck, Housmans Books, Studio 73.
Sheroes has already proved its potential to build strong relationships across communities. BSM is a unique opportunity to continue working with artists and gender now focusing on the black community. More importantly we are partnering with schools, which is crucial for our mission since, as research shows indicates, schools that establish high expectations for all youth – and give them the support necessary to achieve them – have high rates of academic success. They also have lower rates of problem behaviors such as dropping out, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, and delinquency than other schools (Rutter et al., 1979).
