Women to Watch 2010: Contemporary Figurative Painting by Five Vermont Artists

Women to Watch is a biennial exhibition program developed specifically for the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Featuring the work of Kate Longmaid, Adelaide Tyrol, Susan Abbott, Carrie Gelfan, and Aline Ordman, the program is designed to increase the visibility of—and critical response to—promising women artists who are deserving of national and international attention. Women to Watch provides an opportunity to highlight the range and vibrancy of female artists working throughout the country and world at large.

"There are so many women making compelling figurative art in Vermont, selecting five for this exhibition was an interesting challenge," said curator Idoline Duke. "While scanning the images of dozens of artists my eye went not only to the paintings that agreed with my personal tastes (would I hang it on my wall?), but also to those that exhibited a willingness to divert from the expected and create another reality. The result is a group of five women artists whom I believe deserve a spot on the national art scene for both their evolving talent and unusual vision."

"Through traditional portraiture, model studies and dynamic narrative works, as well as genre scenes from various locales, we are drawn in by the distinctive styles and sensibilities of the artists. In much of the work, the painter's presence is felt by the undeniable tension created between figure and artist, while in others, the subject is unaware of the artist and the work becomes a narrative. In both cases, we see mirrors of ourselves, of our relationships with others and our inevitable connection to nature and our surroundings."