Groundbreaking Exhibition at the Kemper Art Museum

The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University is presenting Making Their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection, a bold and ambitious exhibition of pioneering women artists, showcasing more than 80 works by 70 artists across eight decades. Drawn from the Shah Garg Foundation, an organization dedicated to amplifying the voices of women artists and artists of color, this groundbreaking survey of contemporary abstraction represents the largest exhibition ever mounted at the museum. It offers a memorable opportunity to experience the work firsthand and to engage with the artistic narratives within the collection.

Spanning painting, sculpture, installation, textiles, beadwork, and ceramics, the exhibition highlights conversations among artists who challenge conventions in art-making. Their practices embrace craft traditions, new technologies, conceptual investigations, inventive processes, and unconventional materials.

Organized into six sections, the exhibition traces key thematic threads. Kira Hegeman, PhD, Head of Learning and Engagement at the Kemper Art Museum, will guide us through the sections and illuminate their significance.

Making Their Mark premiered in New York City in 2023, then traveled to Berkeley, California. St. Louis marks its third stop, before continuing to the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.

This is a remarkable exhibition in its scale, scope, and impact. We invite you to join us in discovering what makes it so important.

The group will meet inside the museum's front entrance.

ADMISSION: Reservation is encouraged for this free Art Collaborative event. Walk-ins are welcome based on availability.

PARKING: The Kemper Art Museum is located on WashU’s Danforth Campus, near the intersection of Skinker and Lindell boulevards. Paid visitor Parking is available in the university’s east end garage. Or, you may find free parking in Forest Park or on Skinker Boulevard, a short walk away from the Museum.

WHAT IS THE ART COLLABORATIVE? An interactive, dynamic forum designed to connect art to people and people with art. Facilitated by artist Judith Shaw, this initiative aims to draw together a diverse, creative community of artists and art enthusiasts interested in sharing ideas, inspiration, resources, and information about what drives their creative passion, process, and purpose. The group meets quarterly in art venues, including artists’ studios, for hands-on, immersive experiences. Our goal is to foster cross-pollination among innovative institutions, organizations, and neighborhoods to showcase the vibrant art landscape in our region.

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