“This is our most ambitious show to date,” says gallery owner Megan Lange of the galleries upcoming “Women Painting Women” group invitational. Robert Lange Studios will be bringing together fifty female painters from around the globe, with an opening reception on Friday, November 5 from 5:30-8:30PM at the 2 Queen Street location during the Charleston Fine Art Dealers’ Association’s (CFADA) Charleston Fine Art Weekend.
The female form is one of the most painted subject matters of all time. Works like Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, Whistler’s Mother, Mona Lisa, Girl with a Pearl Earring, and Madame X, are all considered among the most recognized paintings in history, and were all created by men.
The November exhibit at RLS, featuring a variety of paintings depicting the female form, displays a shift in notoriety towards contemporary women painters. Starting in 1707, this historic shift began in the United Sates when Henrietta Johnston began to work as a portrait artist in Charles Town (now Charleston), South Carolina, making her the first known professional woman artist in America.
“Few people outside of the art world can name female painters, with the exception of perhaps Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’Keeffe, and even fewer can name a painting of a women created by a women,” says Lange. “However, there is a sensitivity to the female form that perhaps a woman can only truly understand.”
The artists chosen for this show are the ones that refuse to play it safe. Those who don’t adhere to traditional painting standards and are creating truly unique works include: Sharon Allicotti, Jennifer Balkan, Helen K Beacham, Mia Bergeron, Candice Bohannon, Linda 
Tracey Brandon, Kerry Brooks, Ali Cavanaugh, Rachel Constantine, Jessica Dunegan, Alia El-Bermani, Diane Feissel, Sandra Flood, Katherine Fraser, June Glasson, Lisa Gloria, Haley Hasler, Abby Heller-Burnham, Karen Kaapcke, Anna Killian, Sharon Knettell, Stanka Kordic, Francien Krieg, Hilarie Lambert, Lacey Lewis
Amy Lind, Francesca Marzorati, Suellen McCrary, Jazz-minh Moore, Kirsten Moran, Karen Ann Myers, Jennifer Nehrbass, Joyce Polance, Gail Potocki, Jennifer Presant, Catherine Prescott, Lee Price, Cindy Procious, Stephanie Rew, Elisa Rossi, Shannon Runquist, Tiffany Sage, Lique Schoot, Sara Scribner, Karen Silvestro, Adrienne Stein, Terry Strickland, Katherine Stone, Stefani Tewes, Sanna Tomac, Alexandra Tyng, and Sadie J Valeri.
Each painter has created one or two original works for the show. Ali Cavanaugh’s striking frescos show a woman with striped socks on her arms. Her face is hidden, presumably because of her shyness. Mia Bergeron provides impressionist portraits that pack a lot of emotion into their small frames.
Another example, Swedish painter Sanna Tomac’s “Invisible Bond” is a 35″ x 25″ work in oil and depicts a woman wearing a shall with a swan and a tiny fox tucked within it’s safety. This is symbolic of a woman’s nurturing nature.
Dementia by CandiceBohannon
The group show is part of the CFADA Fine Art weekend, with events including exhibits on Friday, plein air demonstrations in Washington Park during the day on Saturday with the Charleston Art Auction to follow Saturday night. Many of the artists will be painting in the park for charity on Saturday.
CFADA’s Fine Art Weekend is designed to raise money for art programs for local high schools. For eleven years the organization has been donating money and this year CFADA’s goal is to hit $200,000 in cumulative donations.
Digital images are available upon request. Contact Megan Lange at (843) 805-8052 or info@robertlangestudios.com.
