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founded in response to the constant comment that "there are no women working in kinetics, or light, or conceptual or....even sculpture; or WEB (West East Bag), an international network of women artists' groups. These and others like them are beginning to indicate the tip of the iceberg, or volcano, that is women's art; they are providing ways for women outside the major art centers to keep in touch with each other and with their new female audience.

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I became involved in the women's movement for endless reasons, but the most public one is the fact that as a working critic for five years, I had been guilty of the same lack of seriousness towards women's work as the museums and galleries. Although I had once been an artist's wife, serving tea and smoothing the way for visitors and had had my own infuriating experiences in that anonymous role, I continued to go to men's studios and either disregard or patronize the women artists who workd in corners of their husband's spaces, or in the bedroom, even in the kitchen. I was, I think now, unconsciously responding to her sense of inferiority and insecurity as well as to my own (my "reputation" supposedly depended on male support and respect....) [[strikethrough]] And I was swallowing that ridiculous notion that most women are part-time artists, whether they were self-supporting, or married, or mothers. [[/strikethrough]]

Now, three years later, a lot has changed, but there is still an immense amount of changing yet to be done. One no loger s hears as a matter of course comments from dealers like "I can't have a woman in the gallery, they're too difficlut", or "collectors won't buy women's work". Nor does the art press dare use the term feminine in a value-judgemental context, something that once caused many women to be literally afraid of using delicate line, sewn materials, household imagery, or pastel colors --especially pink. One well-known stain painter was accused in a review of "painting her monthlies". This won't happen any more, or