In Her Own Right on exhibit at MMAA

What do Ada Wolfe, Alice Hugy, Clara Mairs, Frances Cranmer Greenman and Josephine Lutz Rollins have in common?

They are women. They are Minnesotans. They lived between 1876 and 1989. They are among Minnesota’s first generation of women artists. Their work is currently on exhibit at the Minnesota Museum of American Art (MMAA).

Marcus, a North Hennepin Community College student, describes the exhibit of oil portraits, still lifes, and landscape as, “A fine mixture of pre and post 19th century paintings. It’s great. From a distance, they are more realistic. Up close, the style is modern day with more texture detail.”

Progress of the women’s suffrage movement after the American Civil War led to an emergence of new career opportunities for women. Art became a viable profession for women, and these five pioneering women artists were among the first women in Minnesota to achieve success as artists.

The exhibit, In Her Own Right – Minnesota’s First Generation of Women Artists, runs through October 28. A special closing performance, In OUR Own Right, will feature singer/songwriter, JoAnna James, contemporary dance ensemble, SHE Collective, storyteller, Amy Salloway, and spoken word artist and musician, Madame Mimi at 8 p.m. on October 28.

MMAA is located on Kellogg Boulevard in downtown St. Paul. www.mmaa.org, 651-266-1030. MMAA has extended hours during the St. Paul Art Crawl October 12, 13 and 14. For more information about the Art Crawl, www.artcrawl.org, or call 651-292-4373.