Pop quiz: what’s the best way to support women in art all year round? Undoubtedly, there’s more than one right answer, but we here at NOT REAL ART humbly offer our opinion for your consideration: buy their work. Luckily, digital shops, studios, and galleries now offer unprecedented access to groundbreaking work from women all over the world.
Sugar Press Art, an LA-based studio specializing in eco-friendly archival prints, is one such organization. Celebrating women in the visual arts, Sugar Press’ fourth annual POWHER collection runs through April 16, or until all works are sold.
Conceived and curated by Sugar Press founder Anne Martin, POWHER was inspired by the art world’s pervasive gender imbalance. Underrepresentation of female artists is a problem many institutions share, Martin says, citing a recent New York Times article that pins museum acquisition of women’s work at just 11 percent. “Museum collections lead the way of the art world, and these facts lead to less opportunities for women in all levels of the art market,” she tells NOT REAL ART.
POWHER is a step in the right direction. Featuring work from 10 diverse artists, the collection includes a gorgeous botanical portrait from muralist Amanda Lynn, stark black and white photography from Erin Naifeh, and a series of Greek goddess illustrations from Andrea LaHue, who also designed the promotional graphics for POWHER. Individually signed and hand numbered, most works are available as archival pigment prints on ecologically sustainable paper.
Scroll down to see a selection of work from POWHER, then head over to Sugar Press Art for the whole show. Time running short? No worries—POWHER will be back next year. “I plan to continue an annual POWHER indefinitely,” Martin says. “Or until the art world becomes a fair and equitable place for all.”
Celebrate women in art with Sugar Press Art’s curated collection of archival prints and original works.
Ilona Granet
Renowned for her feminist works, Ilona Granet pairs off with The New York City Department of Transportation to create a series of signs that address women’s safety in the streets. An experienced sign painter, Granet’s works are bold, graphic, and eye-catching.
IIona Granet on Sugar Press Art
Andrea LaHue
Andrea LaHue, also known as Random Act, contributes a series of goddess portraits for POWHER 2022. Featuring Demeter, Aphrodite, and Themis, her illustrative works explore different forms of feminine energy: life, love, and justice.
Andrea LaHue on Sugar Press Art
Erin Yoshi
LA-based muralist Erin Yoshi paints sage women, symbols, and solemn animals to get her message of biodiversity across. Her figurative storytelling vibrates with a mystical history that appears in public places all over the world.
Amanda Lynn
A collaborative artist to the core, Amanda Lynn has spent over two decades working alongside San Francisco’s graffiti community. Her work steeps the city in lush botanicals and feminine magic, providing a brief escape from crude, masculine architecture and urban anxiety.
Amanda Lynn on Sugar Press Art
Nani Chacon
With more than 20 years experience creating public art, Nani Chacon’s site-specific projects are masterfully planned, designed, and executed with help from the community. As a Diné (Navajo) and Chicana artist, her work often addresses Indigenous identity and seeks to empower those without visibility.
Nani Chacon on Sugar Press Art
Karen Fiorito
“Art can be a powerful tool for change,” says Karen Fiorito, whose large-scale murals encourage public discourse about the future of our planet. Incorporating printmaking into her work, the social justice artist uses a medium traditionally associated with grassroots activism.
Karen Fiorito on Sugar Press Art
Gloria Muriel
San Diego-based artist Gloria Muriel, also known as Glow, celebrates divine feminine power in her psychedelic pieces. Working with the concept of Mother Earth and the four elements, Muriel creates whimsical murals that encourage viewers to see the world through innocent eyes.
Gloria Muriel on Sugar Press Art
Beth Bowen
Beth Bowen fell in love with art when she was young. A keen observer of her grandmother’s painting sessions, Bowen developed an appreciation for the luxurious feel of oils sliding across canvas. Her paintings are immediate and joyful, reveling in the pure sensation of color and material.
Erin Naifeh
“I have always been a wanderer,” writes Erin Naifeh. Evident in her stark black and white photography, the artist’s wanderlust is unusually introverted, a journey into the mind rather than the world. Understated at first, Naifeh’s work is raw, wonderfully surreal, and a testament to the dark powers of imagination.
Erin Naifeh on Sugar Press Art
Franceska Gamez
Born in Manila and raised in the Bay Area, Franceska Gamez is known for her elegant blend of representational and abstract forms. Her signature works—whether mural, installation, or sculpture—are characterized by layered, luminescent colors and tender mysticism.
Franceska Gamez on Sugar Press Art
Now’s your chance to celebrate women in art with a gorgeous eco-friendly print or original work from Sugar Press Art’s POWHER collection.
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