Collection: Women’s Art Collection

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  The Women’s Art Collection is a permanent collection of modern and contemporary art by women artists. Painting, prints, photography and sculpture are displayed throughout Murray Edwards College, which was founded in 1954, becoming the third college for women in the University of Cambridge (originally founded as ‘New Hall’). In 1960 the building of New Hall, designed by architects Chamberlin Powell and Bon, began. The distinct Grade II* listed building in Brutalist style with long wide brick corridors was a catalyst for the College to display art works on its walls.

  The College exists to provide the highest standards of education to young women and, more generally, to promote the place of women in society. In line with these broad aims, and led by Valerie Pearl, President of the College from 1981 to 1995, the College began a collection of contemporary art by women in 1986 with the acquisition of a key work by US conceptual artist Mary Kelly, part funded by the Eastern Arts Board, a subsidiary of the Arts Council. Kelly had been Artist in Residence at Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge and spent an academic year at New Hall. Thereafter donations from significant women artists were sought and in 1992 the Collection grew to over 100 works in a year. This collective giving is at the core of the Collection and a significant reflection of a moment in discourse about women artists in the early 1990s, an area that befits further research.

  Through the 1992 donations and subsequent gifts and loans, the Collection has an emphasis on late 20^thcentury and early 21^stcentury, telling a narrative of women artists over the decades. Works are mainly wall-based paintings and include many Royal Academicians including Eileen Cooper, Paula Rego and Maggi Hambling, sculpture by Elisabeth Frink, Nicola Hicks and Barbara Hepworth, as well as examples by the YBAs (Young British Artists), Fiona Banner & Tracey Emin. We have significant works of Feminist art from the US and UK from the 1970s-00s including Mary Kelly, Monica Sjoo, Judy Chicago, Miriam Schapiro, Jo Spence and Alexis Hunter.

  The two main experts in modern and contemporary art associated with the College at this moment in time were Sara Holdsworth (Pearl’s daughter), a curator at Manchester City Art Gallery and Ann Jones, now Curator of the Arts Council Collection. A catalogue was first produced in 1992 with a preface by Dr Valerie Pearl who thanks the eminent feminist academic Art Historian Griselda Pollock for opening the collection and Marina Warner for her essay titled ‘In the Fertile Bind: Making a Female Body of Art’. Jones is cited as a significant contact as well as the then Bursar, Christopher Stevenson. The Henry Moore Foundation and Esmee Fairburn Charitable Trusts are cited as supporters. The second catalogue titledWomen’s Art New Hallwas published in June 1996 under the Presidency of Anne Lonsdale due to at least 50 new works arriving over a couple of years. The third catalogue settles on the name Women’s Art Collection with the subtitle ‘catalogue of the Women’s Art at New Hall’, published in 2003. Here it thanks the ‘curators since 1992′ Jonathan Herring, Christopher Stevenson and Jenny Teichman, all Fellows within the College. In 2004 this catalogue and the re-opening of the Dome dining room instigated a ‘relaunch’ of the Collection overseen by Lonsdale and publicly declared open by Maggi Hambling who became an Honorary Fellow.

  Curatorial responsibility went to Dr Aya Soika, a History of Art Fellow, from 2001 until 2005. In 2008 the College was awarded £99,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to support a Curator and Outreach Manager. This was first taken on by Amy Jones and subsequently Amanda Rigler. The role ended in 2011 with the end of the grant. During the years that the College did not have a Fellow or designated Curator, Ms Sarah Greaves (MA History of Art) acted as Curator and programmer. In 2015 a new catalogue was launched at the Royal Academy and Sotheby’s New York which coincided with the decision to spend ring fenced art funds on a fixed term Curator post (0.6), with the aim to secure an endowment for the role, at which point Ms Eliza Gluckman joined the College. In 2018, Mrs Harriet Loffler replaced Eliza as Curator, and several generous donations from alumnae and supporters enabled this role to continue to May 2022. Strategies are in place to seek additional funding for this post. Ms Naomi Polonsky has been appointed in 2018 and 2021 as Assistant Curator, to cover maternity leave.

  The Collection is still acquiring work through gifts and donations to reflect contemporary practice today. There have been no significant disposals during the lifetime of the Collection, nor has there been any major change in the focus of the Collection other than a decision recently not to encourage unsolicited donations. The reason for this has been to maintain the quality of the Collection in the light of an increasing number of works being offered.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2021

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The Women’s Art Collection is the largest collection of modern and contemporary art by women in Europe, with over 600 works. It is open to the public daily allowing visitors to walk through the 1960 Grade II listed Chamberlin, Powell and Bon building, and gardens, and access significant works from the Collection as well as a programmed gallery space and display areas. Overall, 85% of the Collection is on show throughout the College complex creating a unique environment for our 600 students and staff.

  Areas of strength and significance & how these reflect the key aims of the College:Through the 1992 donations and subsequent gifts the Collection has an emphasis on late 20^thcentury and early 21^stcentury, telling a narrative of women artists over the decades and largely representing the generations of women who have attended the college since 1954. Works are mainly wall-based paintings, photographic and print works and include works by Royal Academicians Eileen Cooper, Paula Rego and Maggi Hambling, sculpture by Elisabeth Frink and Barbara Hepworth, as well as examples by the YBAs (Young British Artists), Fiona Banner & Tracey Emin. Donations of specifically feminist art practice by artists such as Miriam Shaprio, Monica Sjoo, Jo Spence, Alexis Hunter and Judy Chicago have been acquired since the original acquisition ofExtaseby the feminist, conceptual artist Mary Kelly. The broad range of work within the Collection reflects the diverse styles and themes of art by women. In this context the collection is a physical representation of the history, ideals and aims of the College.

  Specific areas of strength and interest within the Collection include:

  • Women Royal Academicians
  • Figurative painting by women artists
  • 20 works by celebrated Cambridge-based woodblock artist and writer Gwen Raverat (1885-1957)
  • Abstract modernist painting by women artists
  • Feminist art from the US and UK from the 1970s-00s
  • Women artists from Hong Kong

  The Collection is of international, national and regional interest as a base for the study of works by women, enabling viewers to trace movements in art in a variety of media over more than 50 years. A printed catalogue and biographical archive materials on works and artists are supported by a comprehensive website.

  Specific types of work in the collection (in terms of materials) and works that no longer fit with the collection: The fact that much of the Collection is displayed in spaces throughout the College’s extensive buildings and grounds, means that the majority of the works collected have been paintings or large sculpture. Wall-based works are more forgiving to a working environment and a busy building that is used for academic teaching, residential use and events (internal and external hires). The works in the Collection are mainly paintings on canvas or board but also include mixed media, watercolour, prints, photography, collage and sculptures in bronze, ceramic and wood as well as artists’ books.

  We aim to rotate works, specifically photography and watercolour and any light sensitive media. Works in storage come under a few categories including those awaiting conservation, those awaiting a new hang, those in need of new frames or re-mounting. These are dealt with in order of priority and within the limitations of budget.

  Material held by the College and cared for by the Collection that are not considered appropriate to accession are gifted works that are by male artists who were partners of women artists in the collection. The two examples of these are a painting by Jacques Raverat, the husband of Gwen Raverat, of whom we have a significant number of works and is a historically significant figure in Cambridge’s cultural history, and prints by Julian Trevelyan, who was the partner of Mary Fedden. In both cases the works were donated along with works by their wives.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2021

  Licence: CC BY-NC