Hera Gallery facts for kids
Hera Gallery is a special kind of art space in Wakefield, Rhode Island, USA. It's a small, non-profit place run by artists themselves.
Hera Gallery started in 1974 during a time when many women artists felt their work wasn't shown enough in regular art galleries. So, the gallery was created to give women artists a place to share their art. Over time, in the 1980s, Hera Gallery began to include artists of all genders. It also started showing art that explored important social and political topics. Today, Hera Gallery still gives artists a chance to show their work and talk about cultural, social, and political ideas, while keeping control over their art.
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History of Hera Gallery
Hera Gallery began in 1974. This was a time when many new, independent art galleries were opening up, even in smaller towns like Wakefield. The idea for Hera Gallery came from a group of people, mostly artists, who started meeting in 1969. They often talked about how hard it was for women to balance family life with a career as a professional artist.
These women also discussed how difficult it was to get their art shown in big city galleries. They felt that gallery owners sometimes ignored their work because they were women. So, Hera Gallery was created to build a supportive community for women artists. It was similar to other women-run art groups that had recently started, like the A.I.R. Gallery in New York City. A writer from a local newspaper once said that Hera Gallery was "New England's only art gallery completely owned and controlled by women."
The gallery continues to host exhibitions about current topics. For example, in 2022, their "Erosion" exhibition showed artists' emotional responses to important court decisions. 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." In this program, Hera Gallery worked with other groups to host monthly talks about the environment and related craft activities.
How Hera Gallery is Organized
When Hera Gallery first started, it was run by committees where everyone had an equal say. This was based on ideas about fairness and equality. As the gallery grew, its leadership changed a bit. From 1986 to 2000, they added a community Advisory Board to help guide the gallery.
After 2000, the main Board of Directors started including people from the community, not just artist-members. Since 1992, there has also been a part-time paid Gallery Director who helps manage things.
Hera Gallery offers its artist members many opportunities. They can have their own solo art shows and be part of group exhibitions. Members can also help choose which art to show and serve on the Board of Directors. The gallery also works to serve the wider community. It tries to encourage different cultures and backgrounds to be part of its audience and programs.
Recent Changes and Future Plans
Since it began, Hera Gallery has been in the same building. This building used to be a garage in the 1920s, then a laundromat, and later a flea market. The artists and their friends helped fix it up to become a gallery. For many years, the landlord was a professor who kept the rent very low for them.
After the landlord passed away, his family decided to sell the land. However, they waited for a buyer who would agree to keep the gallery there. In September 2007, it was announced that a buyer planned to build new homes and shops on the land, but they would also include the gallery in their plans.
In 2022, Hera Gallery opened its BackSpace Gallery. This new area is dedicated to showing experimental art, multi-media projects, and art installations.
Artists Who Have Shown Work
- Dale Chihuly
- Judy Gelles
- Ana Mendieta
- Italo Scanga
- Carolee Schneeman
- Susan Weil
- Roberta Richman, one of the gallery's founding members.
