Cut paper works by Mary Goldthwaite-Gagne

Artist Statement:
Guided By (Female) Voices is a kind of self-portrait and acknowledgement of the women I most admire. This body of work began late in 2016 when I was feeling completely inundated with the constant onslaught of negativity that was being directed towards women. I started making cut paper portraits of creative women that I admire: Nancy Spero, Yoko Ono, Zadie Smith, Alma Thomas, The Guerilla Girls. I took 9 of these portraits and made an edition of 50 posters to sell at Broke:The Affordable Arts Fair, which I have been organizing since early 2008. I sold all 50 posters in a day and donated $500 to Planned Parenthood. At the end of the day, something that I made helped me to make a positive action that I could not have otherwise. I have spent 2017 dedicated to making portraits of women whom I admire, and the women who have helped to make me who I am today. As the project has worn on, I have expanded beyond looking solely at the famous artists and writers, and have focused more on celebrating the people in my life who embody qualities that I admire and inspire me.