An initiative to recover the almost forgotten
This is the record of how it began, what it does, and who is responsible for its work.
Marc Selwyn Fine Art
HOW AFWA began
Executive Director Scott Hobbs launched the AFWA initiative in response to an inquiry to the Cameron Parsons Foundation. This particular inquiry believed they uncovered a newfound drawing by Cameron; the inquiry brought the board’s attention to, like Cameron, another almost forgotten women artist, the Boston-based painter Betty Gross (1926-2016). Aligning the Foundation’s mission that ensures Cameron’s work would not be disregarded, neglected, and least of all forgotten, the Foundation began expanding its exploration of women artists who are contemporaries of Cameron soon after they uncovered Betty Gross’s paintings.
Having successfully safeguarded Cameron’s place in history with her work now in the permanent collections of MOCA, LACMA, the Whitney, and the Hammer Museums, the board has agreed to cultivate an inaugural exhibit of five women artists from the same era as Cameron utilizing Cameron and her work as a template to bring into focus the nearly forgotten.
a natural evolution of the Foundation’s mission
“The initiative is a natural evolution of the Foundation’s mission, very few women made it into the art world during Cameron’s era, it is no secret that there has been significant disparity in the art world regarding women artists of the 20th century. When you think of successful women artists who does one think of? Generally, only a few names are remembered. Why is it a de Kooning has sold for millions of dollars, yet women of equal talent have not? If AFWA does not seek to identify and consider women artists of the 20 th century, who is going to advocate for them?”
— Scott Hobbs
AFWA'S WORK IS twofold.
Identifying
Forgotten
Women Artists
AFWA selects artists who were contemporaries of Marjorie Cameron and whose work was undervalued or underrepresented during their lifetime.
Partnering with
Art Institutions
AFWA partners with museums, galleries, and cultural institutions to create new opportunities for these artists to be seen, studied, and exhibited.
Scott Hobbs
Founding director of the Cameron Parsons Foundation and founder of the AFWA initiative.
Maggygrace Howe
Leads AFWA’s written record and development efforts, from artist essays to donor stewardship.
Ilene Susan Fort
Provides curatorial guidance on artist research, provenance, and the development of exhibitions.