Visions of Self - Yosemite Sierra Artists Fourth Annual Women's Art Show

"The current environmental mix of climate change, wars, and other human threats of our own making can stir despair in me, but there is another part of me that sees a bigger picture where hope remains viable and worthwhile." -- Jane Zich, VOS Artist

OAKHURST, CA, March 8, 2024—During March (Women's History Month), Yosemite Sierra Artists will be hosting the Fourth Annual all-women show. The first of its kind in the Mountain Area, Visions of Self portrays both the internal and external landscapes of women's lives. Some of those works are literal self-portraits; some are imaginative representations of emotion, environment, and aspects of women's daily lives. This year's exhibit features 140 pieces by 98 artists from 6 countries. 

Visions of Self (VOS) has invited women from around the world to share their visions of self with us. How have the world events of the last 3+ years affected our individual lives? How have they changed our relationships, our hopes and dreams for the future? How have they encouraged and motivated us? 

Prominent themes in this year's show include identity, joy, hope, and nature. Resilience and thriving are also emerging. In the words of VOS artist Karmen Naccarato, 

"The darkness becomes a canvas for discovery, where we learn to transform pain into strength and dormant seeds into relieient blooms." 

The world of women artists is complex. On one hand, according to Bunny Michael, an American interdisciplinary visual artist, musician and rapper, 

"Never before have female-identified artists had a greater platform to showcase their work. With over 7 billion Internet users worldwide -- 400 million on Instagram alone -- gallery owners and record label executives are no longer the gatekeepers of the female artists' visibility." 

On the other hand, Bobbie Allen, "A Women Artist," New York Times, Feb 10, 2006, reminds us, 

"There is, and always has been, great professional difficulty for women artists. They aren't taken as seriously as men. Their Work is undervalued, under shown, under reviewed and underappreciated." 

Visions of Self is a virtual show that opened on March 1st, 2024, at MettaGallery.com. An in-person show, with works from 32 local women artists, also opened on March 1st, 2024 at The Gallery at Oakhurst Spirits. The in-person show at The Gallery at Oakhurst Spirits (40300 Greenwood Way, Oakhurst, CA, 93644) is open Friday and Saturday from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM and Sundays from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM from March 1st - April 7th.