Essays & Interviews

The Women’s Art Collection has inspired academics, critics, artists and students. Here we collate texts, interviews and essays written about the Collection.

The Women’s Art Collection: Oral History Project

Professor Martin Roland, former Chair of the Art Committee, undertook an oral history project talking to those people who were influential in the creation of the Collection.

Bower of Bliss: An Improper Architecture by Linder

Cerys Whiles provides a response to Linder’s landmark performance that took place at Murray Edwards College on Saturday 14th March 2020.

We Are Here: Women in Art at Cambridge Colleges 

In 2020 the Collection lent work by Mary Kelly and Lubaina Himid to the ‘We are Here’ exhibition at the Heong Gallery, Downing College. In this essay Harriet Loffler writes about the Collection’s extraordinary history and highlights some of the key works in this story.

The Quickening by Christine Borland

An essay by Gill Hedley covering the background to this work in the Collection.

Looking Further Looking Harder

The first of a series of round table meetings aimed at generating conversation around areas of collecting; issues that arise both from the historical growth of a collection to the responsibility of representation going forward.

A small group of invited guests met at Murray Edwards College for a discussion about the Women’s Art Collection and representation of BAME artists, specifically women of colour, in Collections.

Women’s Voices – Feminism & Art in the Women’s Art Collection
Essay by Dr Genevieve Guetemme (2016)

Interview between Professor Mary Kelly & Dr Kathy Battista
Transcript of interview (2015)

Looking Back and Thinking Ahead
Essay by Ann Jones, Curator of Arts Council Collection (2015)

Reframing the Collection
Essay by Deana Petherbridge (2004)

If you would like to submit a piece of writing or if you are researching the collection, please let us know by contacting the Curator.