San Francisco Women Artists facts for kids

San Francisco Women Artists (SFWA) is one of the oldest art groups in California! It started way back in 1887 as the Sketch Club. Local women artists in the San Francisco Bay Area created it to help and show off the amazing talents of women artists, both new and experienced. SFWA is a non-profit group located in San Francisco's Sunset District. While it especially helps women artists, everyone is welcome to join!

History of SFWA

The Sketch Club: How It Started

The group first called itself the Sketch Club. It was formed by independent women who wanted to share their art and give each other feedback. They also wanted to create their own art space, since there was an all-male group called the Bohemian Club.

The Sketch Club met every month and went on fun trips. In 1887, they held talks, had art shows twice a year, and went on weekly sketching trips to the East Bay. They also took summer trips to places like Aptos and Pacific Grove. The group even started a scholarship for art students at a university in 1887. In 1894, 28 members showed their art at a big event called the California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894.

Becoming the Society of San Francisco Women Artists

The group was very active until its main building in San Francisco was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. After the earthquake, the group started showing art by men too. In 1915, they joined with the San Francisco Art Association to become a group for both men and women.

But this partnership didn't last long. By 1925, the women decided to form their own group again, called the Society of San Francisco Women Artists (SSFWA). The SSFWA held its first art show just for its members in 1926. Their meetings took place at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, which was then on Van Ness Avenue.

In 1931, the SSFWA helped put on the first art show about native decorative arts at the De Young Museum. A year later, in 1932, the SSFWA showed Frida Kahlo's famous painting, "Frieda and Diego Rivera", at their 6th Annual Exhibition. This was the very first time Kahlo's work was shown to the public! In 1939, they helped with the Golden Gate International Exposition by creating murals and providing artists and landscape designers. During World War II, the SSFWA worked with the Red Cross to help soldiers recovering in hospitals.

San Francisco Women Artists: 1946 to Today

In 1946, the SSFWA changed its name to San Francisco Women Artists. They started a long partnership with Marchelle Labaudt and her Lucien Labaudt Art Gallery. In 1976, the SFWA and Labaudt were praised by the Senate for their "amazing contributions to the art and culture of San Francisco."

In 1983, SFWA got its own gallery space to show members' art. After moving a few times in the 1980s and 90s, the group held two important art shows: "Hands and Heart, the Art of Healing" in 1997 and "To Life" in 1998. These shows even received praise from First Lady Hillary Clinton!

In 2009, the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University included SFWA in a historical study about groups that support women and women artists. In 2014, a design company called Studio Hinrichs created a new logo for SFWA for free, as the group was updating its look. In July 2015, SFWA moved to the Inner Sunset area of San Francisco.

Most recently, in 2016, SFWA received a special grant called the Neighborhood Arts Collaborative grant. The group also runs a student intern program with the Mayor's Youth Education & Employment Program (MYEEP) and the Mercy High School "Women in Arts" Program. They also host educational talks and discussions that anyone can attend. These include "artist-in-action" demonstrations, where SFWA artists teach the community different art skills and techniques.

Famous Former Members

Many talented artists have been members of SFWA over the years. Some of them include:

• Amy D. Flemming
• M. Evelyn McCormick
• Helen Hyde
• Dorr Bothwell
• Claire Falkenstein
• Ruth Asawa
• Vera Allison
• Imogen Cunningham
• Emmy Lou Packard
• Matilda Lotz
• Clara Taggart MacChesney
• Mona Beaumont
• Billie Levy
• Elizabeth Quandt
• Beth van Hoesen
• Louise McGinley
• Leah Schwartz
• Stefanie Steinberg
• Jean Murray
• Mercedes Smith
• Sophie Van Bourg
• Michelle Wyler
• Ruth Bernhard

How SFWA Is Funded

San Francisco Women Artists gets its money from its member artists, from activities and programs at its gallery, from individual donations, and from grants. SFWA has received grants from the San Francisco Arts Commission, including the SF Grants for the Arts, the Neighborhood Arts Collaborative, and the Voluntary Arts Contribution Fund. It is currently a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, which means it's a charity and doesn't make money for private owners.