Project Description
NOT 30%, The Other Art Fair, London
To mark its 30th edition, The Other Art Fair, the leading artist-led fair, I curated a second site wholly dedicated to showcasing womenartists. Not 30% was part exhibition and part protest against the male dominated art world. A recent report showed women are at best represented 30% of the time in the art world. 60% of art graduates are women, yet in gallery representation, museum collections and exhibitions, the presence of women artists amounts to a maximum of 30%, often far less.
I am a huge fan of The Other Art Fair. I love its democratic ethos and the way it truly supports and gives a vital, fresh platform for artists. When I was asked to curate a special section at The College I knew we had a safe space for a noisy moment about women artists. Not 30% draws attention to the stark gender bias of the art world and actively positions these artists as a creative force not to be ignored. There are many changes underway in the art world to address gender imbalance and Not 30% is happily part of a larger and urgent dialogue.
Artists include Hattie Stewart, renowned for her tongue-in-cheek and vibrant doodlebombing style, Samira Addo, winner of the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2018, Sarah Maple, award-winning artist known for her bold, brave, mischievous and often controversial artworks which challenge notions of identity, religion and the status quo, amongst many others.
The Other Art Fair has always had a high number of participating female artists with over 50% of female artists taking part in most editions. Director of The Other Art Fair London, Jessica Chow, comments: “We’re thrilled to work with Kate Bryan, and highlight some of the fantastic women artists we work with in Not 30%. It’s an important, relevant topic and part of a larger discussion that I’m pleased to be involved in. It’s also the first time we’ve done something like this at the fair, so having Kate’s support is an amazing opportunity for our artists.”
The Other Art Fair founder Ryan Stanier says: “Kate’s selection represents the finest, freshest female talent in the art world, deserving of as much exposure and support as fairs like ours can give. If 60% of art school graduates are women and 30% are selling, then progress is urgently needed at an institutional level. Women must be able to seize the same opportunities as their male contemporaries.”
Not 30% took place from 4 – 7 October 2018 at The Old College, Old Central St Martins.
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PRESS & REVIEWS
Curated by arts broadcaster and curator, Kate Bryan, Not 30% is part exhibition and part protest against the male-dominated art world. A recent report showed women are at best represented 30% of the time in the art world.
“A 2013 report revealed that women are, at best, represented 30% of the time in the art world. Curated by arts broadcaster and curator Kate Bryan, Not 30% is part exhibition and part protest against a male-dominated art world….”
Kate Bryan features in October’s (2018) Grazia Magazine, with her top tips on where to look for art, and where to buy it. Pick up October’s magazine in stores now, or visit Grazia and order your subscription.
The number 30 has special significance for The Other Art Fair this year. To mark its 30th edition, the fair is hosting Not 30%, a second site dedicated to the work of 30 women artists.“By the time you get to the gallery stage, when you want to see or buy art by women, they’re just not there, so where are they going?” asks Kate Bryan, arts broadcaster and head of collections for Soho House & Co, who has curated the fair.
Kate Bryan is looking forward to a time when she doesn’t have to talk about the art world’s problem with women.“I hope the whole story of women being overshadowed by men is out of date in my lifetime,” she tells Stylist. “You know, I’d love to talk to someone in 50 years’ time who says: ‘Oh, when you were young you used to champion women artists!’, as if it’s this really archaic thing. I can’t wait to look like a complete dinosaur.”