Feminism in the Art Institution

Katy Deepwell (2006) argued that ‘who controls our institutions has feminist implications’. This panel will explore the impact of feminism on art institutions, including how work by women artists has been acquired and curated.

While feminist politics have often been positioned as critical of institutional neglect, in recent years the artworld seems to have become more welcoming to feminist artists, feminist practitioners and feminist ideas. These changes correspond with the growing interest in nascent feminist institution-building around histories of women’s liberation and women-centred practice. Despite this, as Griselda Pollock (2022) has acknowledged, the uptake of feminist thinking sometimes requires negotiation, often depending on who is in control.

We invite papers that explore the possibilities and pitfalls of feminism in the art institution. These may tackle transformations in forms of working, or in practices of collection and display. Alternatively, these may enquire into what constitutes a feminist collection and who it may include. We ask, how do feminist practices challenge gendered types or art historical canons, and what are the limits of this work, including where it has met resistance?

We encourage papers that focus on specific case studies. While these may be drawn from any context, this session emerges from research undertaken on The Women’s Art Collection (WAC) at Murray Edwards College (University of Cambridge), which holds the work of over 400 artists in the context of an educational institution.

Submit your Paper via this form. Please download, complete and send it directly to the Session Convenor(s) below by Sunday 2 November 2025:

Ella Nixon, The Women’s Art Collection (Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge),  Ella.nixon@murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk / ella.nixon@yahoo.co.uk