Q&A with Women in the Arts, Inc.

Women in the Arts, Inc. will host its annual event, the Women in the Arts Expo, March 29 in the Melrose Center at Orlando Public Library. We spent some time with founder Maria Guerrero to talk about the organization, the Expo and the broad impact her organization has in the Central Florida arts community.

Tell us more about your organization’s beginnings and how it has changed through the years. What can we expect to see from WITA in the future?

Women in the Arts, Inc. was founded in 2007 in response to socioeconomic issues we cared about such as access to art education for children and creating visibility and opportunities for women artists. These goals have been the focus of our organization through the years. Even though our goals continue to be the same, we have not been a static organization; in partnership with the truly amazing people at the library we’ve kept evolving both programs, responding – in real time – to the changing needs of the community and having access to the latest tools and technology the library has to offer.

History and What is Next

We began as a ministry at St. Andrew Catholic Church which evolved into a partnership with the Orange County Library System and their branch libraries, extending the reach of our programs into the community and those who needed it the most. The women artists’ program began shortly after, with an inaugural exhibition at the Southwest Branch, organized by Sandy Mayer.

The journey after was beyond our expectations! The library at the time, was the only local cultural institution celebrating Women’s History Month and the first, with Women in the Arts, to present a public women’s art exhibition. This first show was held in 2010 at the Orlando Public Library and was coordinated by Sara Brown. Since then and for more than a decade, the exhibition kept growing in participants and attendance. The exhibition became a local, and then international competition, bringing artists from the United States and overseas to the awards event and reception at the library. Following, we held the 10-Year Retrospective Exhibition, and archived the exhibition digitally on the global platform, Google Arts & Culture. Our mission, rooted in social issues, expanded dramatically during the “#MeToo” movement, amplifying our voices and creating social awareness of the inequality and challenges women face in the arts environment. New leadership in the arts in Orlando infused energy, collaboration and support of our cause.

And here we are! Having accomplished our initial goal of visibility with the competition and exhibition, we, in partnership with the library, presented the first Women in the Arts Expo to focus on creating more opportunities and building consistent support for women artists through the length of their careers; sustainability through the ups and downs, and life changes. This is what we are digging into now with the community we have built in the past 15 years.

The Expo brings together art enthusiasts and notable members of the Central Florida arts community. What can guests look forward to at this year’s event and from the panel discussion?

Every year, it seems like this event comes at just the right moment – when artists most need space and time to gather in community. We have created the Expo with this intent, to uplift artists and affirm the valor and necessity of their work. This event has been successful because of both the generosity and vulnerability of spirit of the artists and art industry professionals who bring their wisdom, expertise and creativity to this gathering. The energy in the space is bold and joyful – a reunion, a summit, and a brainstorm, all merged into one.

Because Women in the Arts has been working in the Orlando region for a long time, our roots in the art community are broad and deep. We draw on that network to create a gathering that both deepens those relationships and expands them with new growth.

We have taken great care in crafting this event, in the organizations and institutions represented, and in the panel of speakers we have invited into conversation.

This year, the Expo event on March 29, presents a panel of industry leaders, top experts and professionals in their field: Jennifer Evins, CEO of United Arts, Elyse Jardine, Senior Director of Community Outreach at United Arts, Keidra Daniels Navaroli, Independent Curator and Adjunct Faculty at the University of Central Florida, and Visual Artist Gisela Romero. The panel moderator is Katherine Page, Curator of Art and Education at the Mennello Museum of American Art.

This panel is a rare opportunity to take part in a dialogue between artists and art institutions, in which each individual speaks from the depth of her own expertise to the emergent issues facing artists and art workers in the present moment.

There is much more to Women in the Arts, Inc. than the annual Expo. Can you tell us about other events and activities in the community?

After the Expo celebration in the spring, we turn to preparing the art summer program for kids and families. In partnership with the Eatonville, Hiawassee, and Southeast Branches, the Community School of the Arts program (CSA) offers a six-week art school experience – tuition free, supplies included – through take-home kits and online lessons for students in grades PK–12 and in-person awards at the Hiawassee Branch.

During the fall, older students participate in CSA at the Museum, a series of onsite classes in partnership with the Mennello Museum of American Art and centered thematically around their current museum exhibition.

In addition, our Instagram @womenintheartsinc, functions as our “everyday home,” where all artists, cultural organizations, students, and the public are welcome to engage as part of our community. Here, we feature both historic and living artists through features and interviews, as well as signal-boost opportunities for women artists.

There are many artists we have yet to meet in-person! The upcoming Expo is a great opportunity to meet and learn about the state-of-the-art creative resources available at the Melrose Center. This gathering brings together all the components which we have learned over the years are essential for artists to thrive: a supportive environment, new and long-term relationships with fellow artists, and venues that value their work. On behalf of Women in the Arts, I warmly invite you to join us on March 29.