The heart of the project is at American University\u2019s Katzen Arts Center, where 63 pieces are on display.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t even the largest one,\u201d he said. \u201cSome of these venues have over 100 artists in them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Campello hand selected each piece. Walking through the Women Artists of the DMV exhibition on American University on Wednesday, Campello laid out the detailed history of the artwork and the women behind it.<\/p>\n
Many of the artists, he told WTOP, follow a similar pattern of cranking out work followed by a gap \u2014 while raising children \u2014 before returning to their creative outlet.<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s widely accepted that female artists are underrepresented in art galleries and museums, Campello said the issue doesn\u2019t just have to do with their gender.<\/p>\n
From his perspective, artists from the D.C. region are generally underrepresented in professional galleries.<\/p>\n
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A painting by Teresa Oaxaca is seen in American University\u2019s Katzen Arts Center, where 63 pieces are on display as part of the Women Artists of the DMV<\/a> project. \n WTOP\/Jessica Kronzer <\/p>\n An oil painting by Sharon Moody is seen in the gallery at American University. \n WTOP\/Jessica Kronzer <\/p>\n A favorite by guests has been a portrait of a young girl, titled \u201cOlivia,\u201d by Wendy Jones Donahoe. \n WTOP\/Jessica Kronzer <\/p>\n An oil painting by Judith Peck, called \u201cCoastal Communities,\u201d hangs in the gallery at American University. \n WTOP\/Jessica Kronzer <\/p>\n How the survey developed into 18 galleries<\/p>\n Two years ago, Campello announced his plans for a survey of female artists at American University on his blog. The idea caught on with local galleries who reached out to him with the hope of joining.<\/p>\n He received nearly 4,000 inquires from artists in the D.C. region.<\/p>\n \u201cThat goes to show you the amount of women in this area that consider themselves artists,\u201d Campello said.<\/p>\n Over the next couple months, galleries around the D.C. region are taking part in the exhibition. Some of the venues include the Strathmore Galleries in Bethesda, Maryland, which will open its exhibit Oct. 4, and the Montpelier Arts Center in Laurel.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI challenge anyone to go to one show and not want to go see all the other ones,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Campello breaks down his exhibition into a three-part pyramid. At the top is well known artists; below that is artists who are well established but not quite as acclaimed. The bottom, and largest, tier of the gallery is new artists.<\/p>\n \u201cThe real powerful part is the base of the pyramid, where I try to have as many brand new artists who have never been in a museum,\u201d Campello said.<\/p>\n \nWhat\u2019s on display\n<\/p>\n One of Campello\u2019s favorite pieces in the exhibit at the Katzen is by Teresa Oaxaca.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a super busy painting, which is all anchored, if you know art history, on a tiny little corner of the painting,\u201d Campello said.<\/p>\n Oaxaca even painted the frame to match the vibrant piece. It depicts a scene within a famous renaissance painting, The Feast of the Gods.<\/p>\n Another standout is an oil painting by Sharon Moody that truly looks like a comic book.<\/p>\n \u201cShe focuses almost strictly on vintage comic books, and the way that she can depict each paper is beyond belief. It\u2019s incredible,\u201d Campello said.<\/p>\n A favorite by guests has been a portrait of a young girl, titled \u201cOlivia,\u201d by Wendy Jones Donahoe, who drew a child who was friends with her daughter.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has all the power of a real good portrait artist, which is not just to capture the likeness of the subject \u2014 which she does incredibly well \u2014 but also, even more important, a psychological signature of that person,\u201d Campello said.<\/p>\n Since the gallery\u2019s opening a few weeks ago, the artwork has resonated with visitors, including Grace Ashford, a sophomore at American University who works at the Katzen museum.<\/p>\n \u201cI also love the versatility of all the artworks in here and the way that it is a lot of human beings being represented,\u201d Ashford said. \u201cI feel like it ties into aspects of femininity and humanity and seeing people as they are.\u201d<\/p>\n Her favorite piece is an oil painting by Judith Peck called \u201cCoastal Communities.\u201d Ashford notes the artist\u2019s use of color with yellow, pink, black and blue hints throughout the depiction.<\/p>\n \u201cIt really draws you in, and it almost portrays her essence, as well as just her physical representation, it\u2019s also representing the complexity of her,\u201d Ashford said.<\/p>\n The exhibits wrap up on different dates; the one at American University is expected to end Dec. 7. But Campello hopes to keep his project going beyond the closure.<\/p>\n For a full list of the venues participating, head to Women Artists of the DMV\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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