Decade by Decade: Women Artists of California

In 2020, the Long Beach Museum of Art celebrates 70 years of art programs in the community. Since its inception, the Museum—at first as the Municipal Art Center—collected and exhibited contemporary art in all media. Women artists were included in group and solo exhibitions and their artworks were added to the Museum’s collection through the years. Seventy years later, 20 percent of the Museum’s permanent collection is comprised of photography, painting, sculpture, prints, drawing, works on paper, artist books, fiber, ceramics, enamels, glass, and much more by women from Long Beach, the region, the State, and across the nation, resulting in a percentage that exceeds the average of most museums.

This exhibition, Decade by Decade, ranges beyond Long Beach and is a small selection of the art by California women in the collection. The artworks are presented chronologically by the dates they were created, rather than the dates that they were acquired by the Museum. Each artwork tells a story about the Museum’s history, the history of our time and place, and the artists’ personal visions.

This exhibition is generously supported by the Port of Long Beach and made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Learn more here