Hera Gallery facts for kids
Hera Gallery is a small art space in Wakefield, Rhode Island, USA. It is run by artists and does not aim to make a profit. It started in 1974 during a time when many women artists wanted their voices heard. Hera Gallery was one of the first places where artists could run their own gallery.
Its main goal was to show art by women artists. At that time, women often found it hard to get their art shown in regular galleries. As years passed, the gallery welcomed artists of all genders. It also began to feature exhibitions about important social topics. Today, Hera Gallery still lets artists show their work and talk about cultural, social, and political issues. Artists keep full control over their creative ideas.
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History of Hera Gallery
Hera Gallery began in 1974. This was when new types of art galleries started appearing outside big cities. A group of artists, many from the nearby University of Rhode Island, started meeting in 1969. They often talked about how hard it was to be a wife and mother while also being a professional artist.
They also discussed how difficult it was to get their art shown in galleries in New York City. They felt that gallery owners often ignored their work because they were women. So, Hera Gallery was created to build a community for women artists. It was similar to other women-run art groups, like A.I.R. Gallery in New York City. A writer once said it was "New England's only art gallery completely owned and controlled by women." The gallery was named after Hera, a powerful Greek goddess.
The gallery continues to host exhibitions about important topics. For example, their 2022 exhibition, "Erosion," showed artists' feelings about important social issues affecting women. The gallery also runs programs for the community. From September 2020 to June 2021, they had a program called "The Green Stitch: Knitting Community Together." Hera Gallery, along with other groups, hosted monthly talks about the environment. They also had craft activities related to these topics.
How Hera Gallery is Organized
When Hera Gallery first started, it was run by committees. Everyone had an equal say, following feminist ideas. As the gallery grew, its way of organizing changed.
From 1986 to 2000, a community Advisory Board joined the Board of Directors. This board used to only have artist-members. After 2000, the Board of Directors started including people from the wider community. Since 1992, the gallery has also had a part-time paid Gallery Director.
Hera Gallery offers many things to its members. They can have their own solo art show each year. They can also be part of group shows and help choose art for exhibitions. Members can even serve on the Board of Directors. The gallery also helps the community by "encouraging different cultures and backgrounds in its audience and programs."
Recent Changes and Future Plans
Since it opened, Hera Gallery has been in the same building. This building used to be a garage in the 1920s. Later, it was a laundromat and then a flea market. The artists who started the gallery fixed it up with help from friends and family.
The building's owner was a professor who supported the gallery. He kept the rent very low for them. After he passed away, his family decided to sell the land. However, they waited for a buyer who would keep the gallery. In September 2007, it was announced that a buyer plans to build new homes and shops on the land. The good news is that the plan includes keeping the gallery as part of the new development.
In 2022, the gallery opened its BackSpace Gallery. This new area is for showing experimental art. It features multi-media art and art installations.
Artists Shown at Hera Gallery
- Dale Chihuly
- Judy Gelles
- Ana Mendieta
- Italo Scanga
- Carolee Schneeman
- Susan Weil
- Roberta Richman, one of the gallery's founders.
