The Art of Selling Women Short
Following my visit to the Evelyn De Morgan exhibition (which I’ll talk about more a little later) and the frustrating lack of any merchandise in the gift shop, I’ve found myself increasingly aware of how often this happens. Just this weekend in Liverpool, I visited a museum showing four major exhibitions: two by men, two by women. A good balance on the surface. But step into the gift shop afterwards and it tells a different story, postcards and prints available from both male artists, and absolutely nothing from the women. Not a single thing to take home.
We live in a capitalist society. Money talks, and funding for art institutions can only stretch so far. I’ve even heard institutions say they programme more shows by men because they “bring in more income.” But how can we expect exhibitions by women artists to generate the same support when visitors aren’t given the chance to put their money where their mouth is? How can we take the work home, back it publicly, give it lasting presence, if we’re offered nothing to buy?
The last time I was at the National Gallery in London, I noticed that every individual postcard for sale featured work by a male artist. The only exception was a pre-packaged book of ten postcards, titled something like Postcards by Women Artists. Of course I bought one. But it shouldn’t be like that. Meanwhile, Yayoi Kusama has just become the biggest-ever sell-out exhibition in Australian history. A woman.
Representation on the walls is a start, but without catalogues, prints, tote bags, magnets, and postcards, women artists are still being denied the full weight of cultural and commercial recognition. We need more than equal wall space; we need equal shelf space.
On a related note, Michelle Kang and the London City Lionesses have just made history by becoming the first independently owned (not affiliated with any men’s team) women’s football club to reach the WSL. Kang’s mission is crystal clear: women’s sport is not a charity case, it’s a smart investment. I believe the same goes for art. It’s time institutions stopped treating exhibitions by women as token gestures and started backing them — financially, culturally, and visibly.
There are two new additions on Women Making Art:
The Evelyn De Morgan exhibit at the Wolverhampton Art Gallery, which I absolutely loved. It was a recreation of an exhibition that took place in the very same gallery in 1907. I was blown away by De Morgan’s work and then bitterly disappointed that I couldn’t take anything home with me.
If you want to see De Morgan’s work and I highly suggest that you do, there are two opportunities right now. The Guildhall Art Gallery in London has a exhibition of her work on display until January 2026 and there is always the De Morgan Foundation based in Barnsley which has just reopened.
Unravelling is the new solo show by Samantha Cary, currently on display at the Granary Gallery in Berwick-upon-Tweed. Each piece on display was intricately detailed, her etchings in particular. If you can make it to Berwick on May 17th, Cary is giving a tour of the show. You can purchase tickets here.