Description
The Woman's Building was a feminist community space that served as an educational facility and central icon in the feminist
art and larger political movements. During its eighteen year lifespan, it housed conferences, performances, exhibitions and
community events in downtown Los Angeles. This collection contains materials produced at the Woman's Building, exhibition
catalogs, newsletters and calendars as well as information about different internal and external affiliated groups.
Background
The Woman's Building was a non-profit arts and education center located in Los Angeles, California. It focused on feminist
art and served as a venue for the women's movement. The Woman's Building began as the Feminist Studio Workshop (FSW), founded
in 1973 by art critic and historian Arlene Raven, designer Sheila Levant de Bretteville, and artist Judy Chicago. This was
one of the first schools for women artists. At the core of the FSW's mission was the centrality of art practice to the larger
women's movement. A rented space in downtown Los Angeles became the home of the FSW and was eventually named the Woman's Building
(the name was taken from the structure created for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893). The Woman's Building
was a shared space for the FSW along with Womanspace Gallery, the Women's Liberation Union, and the National Organization
of Women.
Extent
3 Linear Feet
(5 boxes and 1 oversized flat box)
Restrictions
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright,
are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright
and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Availability
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library Special
Collections Reference Desk for paging information.