The Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University will present "Dissident Sisters: Bev Grant and Feminist Activism, 1968-72," an original exhibition showcasing the documentary photography of Bev Grant, an American artist whose work captured the fervor and vitality of the feminist movement, anti-war protests and the Black liberation movement during a transformative period in American history. The exhibition will be on view from Wednesday, Sept. 18 to Sunday, Dec. 1.
"The Block Museum's exhibitions and collection are focused on activating art's power as a form of insight, research and knowledge creation that makes human experience visible and material. The lived American histories that Bev Grant brings to light in her work will find resonance and new meaning with our students and audiences at this moment," said Lisa Corrin, The Block Museum Ellen Philips Katz Executive Director.
During a pivotal period in American public life, Grant participated in and photographed political movements in and around New York City. Between 1968 and 1972, she documented the actions of the New York Radical Women (NYRW), the Black Panthers, the Young Lords Organization and protests against the Vietnam War. Featuring 17 photographs by Grant that were recently acquired by The Block, the exhibition tells stories of civil rights and social justice movements in the United States.
Within the exhibition, the fervent moment of the late 1960s is contextualized with ephemera - political posters, pins and newspapers - selected from the collections of the Northwestern Libraries. The exhibition includes items from the libraries' wide-ranging holdings in Women's History, Second-Wave Feminism and the Long 1960s. Alongside ephemera from these archives, the exhibition will also display contemporaneous work of Chicago artists Peggy Lipschutz, Pearl Hirshfield and the Chicago Women's Graphic Collective, underscoring the intersectional commitment of feminist practices of the era.
The exhibition is curated by Ruslana Lichtzier, the 2023-2024 Block art history graduate fellow, and Academic Curator Corinne Granof.
An exhibition keynote conversation with Grant in person is planned for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9. The museum's Block Cinema will host the artist in conversation for a special screening of "Activist Lens: Bev Grant & Newsreel Films," a look at two documentaries she contributed to as part of her work with the iconic Third World Newsreel collective, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10.
"Participant-based" photojournalism
In 1967, Grant attended a women's liberation workshop that forever altered her artistic direction and social consciousness. Describing this experience as an "awakening," Grant documented the intersecting struggles for justice through a practice she termed "participant-based photojournalism." Her work vividly captures the essence of the late 1960s and early 1970s, a time of significant social upheaval.
Grant's personal journey with the NYRW is a central theme of the exhibition. Known for their bold and theatrical protests, the group challenged societal norms and garnered national attention. Iconic moments, such as the 1968 Miss America Pageant protest, are brought to life through Grant's camera and accompanying archival material.
Photography as activism
Opposition to the Vietnam War was a unifying force for various social justice movements, and Grant's photography played a pivotal role in documenting these efforts. The exhibition will feature images from significant anti-war rallies, including the April 1968 event in New York's Central Park where GIs protested the war and young men burned their draft cards. These photographs reflect a fractured moment in U.S. history, emphasizing protest as both a form of dissent and a fundamental expression of democratic rights.
The exhibition includes Grant's documentation of social movements. Her photographs capture not only protest imagery but also everyday work, including community programs such as the Black Panther Party's Free Breakfast program. One image offers a rare glimpse into the attempt to form an alliance between the Black Panthers, the Young Lords and the Young Patriots in New York, showcasing their collective efforts to achieve social justice. "'Dissident Sisters: Bev Grant and Feminist Activism, 1968‒72'" is an invitation to engage with a pivotal era through the eyes of an artist who participated in the movements she documented," said exhibition co-curator Lichtzier. "We invite visitors to explore this resonant exhibition and to reflect on the enduring impact of feminist activism and social justice struggles."
About the artist
Bev Grant (born 1942) grew up in Portland, Oregon, and moved to New York City in the 1960s. She was inspired by the anti-war movement and became involved in the women's movement and the Civil Rights Movement as an activist, musician and photographer. Much of Grant's photography documents political activism and consciousness-raising events from 1968 until 1972. Grant's documentary photography continues to be widely licensed by the Associated Press. Although Grant's career as a photographer was brief, her contributions to the documentation of social movements are invaluable. Her work as a folksinger continued her activism, preserving the spirit of the era and inspiring future generations.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Grant's band Human Condition performed folk, rock and world music. In 1991, Grant joined the United Association of Labor Education Northeast Union Women's Summer School as cultural director. Since 1997, she has been founder and director of the Brooklyn Women's Chorus. From 2006 to 2008, Grant performed with other female musicians as part of a group called Bev Grant and the Dissident Daughters and later as WOOL&GRANT. She released a solo album, "It's Personal," in 2017.
The acquisition of works in "Dissident Sisters: Bev Grant and Feminist Activism, 1968-72," was made possible by the Irwin and Andra S. Press Collection Endowment Fund.
About The Block Museum of Art
