The Johnson Collection, located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, is embarking on an innovative study of the achievements and legacies of women artists working in and inspired by the American South. This comprehensive endeavor will encompass a publication and a traveling exhibition drawn from the Johnson Collection and other sources. In so doing, the collection intends to draw awareness to the contributions women artists of the South made in fostering future generations of artists through instruction, incorporating new aesthetics into the fine arts, and challenging the status quo in American art. The scope of this project spans the late 1890s to the early 1950s, a period during which women’s social, cultural, and political roles were frequently being redefined and reinterpreted. This proposed book is to be published by the University of South Carolina Press in 2018, contingent upon peer-review and final approval from the press’ editorial board. Current contributors include: Martha R. Severens, Erin R. Corrales-Diaz, Evie Terrono, Deborah Pollack, and Karen Klacsmann.
The collection is seeking submissions on feminist scholarship and/or theory from a wide variety of disciplines, including but not limited to art history, literature, history, and women and gender studies. Selected authors will be given an honorarium upon receipt of their manuscript.
Potential topics can include:
- Feminism, modernism, and the American South
- Southern women, arts, and activism
- The WPA, Great Depression, and women artists working in the South
- Southern women as collectors and patrons of the arts
- The Cult of True Womanhood, the New Woman, and the Southern Lady
- Nostalgia and the New South
- Professionalism and amateurism
- Race, identity, and the American South
Additional information about this scholarly initiative, along with a list of artists that authors are encouraged to consider and incorporate, may be found at: http://thejohnsoncollection.org/publications/
Interested scholars are invited to submit abstracts of 500 words and a current CV to Erin R. Corrales-Diaz, Curator of the Johnson Collection, at ecorrales-diaz@johnsondevelopment.net by February 1, 2016. Proposals accepted for inclusion should be developed into finished essays ranging in length from 3,000-5,000 words and must be submitted by May 30, 2016.
The Johnson Collection offers an extensive survey of artistic activity in the American South from the late eighteenth century to the present day. The Johnson family is committed to creating a collection which captures and illuminates the rich history and diverse cultures of the region. By making masterworks from its holdings available for critical exhibitions and academic research, the collection hopes to advance interest in the dynamic role that the art of the South plays in the larger context of American art and to contribute to the canon of art historical literature. The collection also seeks to enrich its local community by inviting the public to interact with these inspiring works of art. See http://thejohnsoncollection.org/ for more information.