Enrolments for this course have now closed.
Women have always made art, but for many, the formal recognition of their work has been suppressed by social, cultural and economic structures, and their leadership and legacies rendered invisible.
Learn about the powerful ways in which women have influenced, shaped and changed the course of art and design history, through a study of global historical and contemporary art and design from the NGV Collection.
Complete the course in your own time. Access to the course will be available from 10am on Friday 15 November.
ENROLMENT
$68 Members / $75 Non-Member / $72 Concession, Student & Educator
Includes 8-week access to learning materials from the course start date (Friday 15 November). Access will expire at midnight on Sunday 12 January.
Through analysis of works in the NGV Collection and related research, participants will form a broad understanding of:
- Common historical, social and institutional frameworks and legacies impacting the visibility and recognition of women artists and designers in history.
- Key works by women artists and designers, and the reasons they are considered important in historical, artistic and cultural contexts.
- Significant moments and movements in art and design history and the leadership of women.
- Contemporary practice, including achievements and challenges for women working in art and design now.
This is a self-guided course and can be completed at your own pace. Each module contains readings, videos, activities and other materials that will take approximately 1–1.5 hours to complete. We recommend completing one module per week over four weeks.
COURSE OUTLINE
Week One: Recovering Women’s Art History
Fifty years ago, American art historian Linda Nochlin posed a question that reverberated throughout the art world: ‘Why have there been no great women artists?’ Nochlin’s challenge sparked a wave of new research and exhibitions that centralised women in the story of art history. As the NGV actively builds its collection of historical and contemporary women artists, we begin the course by introducing how women’s experiences have been shaped by their class, sexuality or race as well as by their gender.
Week Two: Trend-setting and rule-breaking
Examine the significant contribution of women artists and designers to some of the world’s most influential art movements, through diverse mediums including painting, photography, fashion, textiles and more. Discover how artists and designers have boldly explored new ground through their creative practices.
Week 3: Feminisms
Learn about pioneers of Feminism in art and design, as well as the emergence of the Feminist art movement in the 1960s and 1970s. Through texts and videos, explore how feminist artists have reacted to social and cultural structures to embed a rich politic into their work.
Week 4: Contemporary voices
Through the work of leading figures in contemporary art and design, discover the ways that women artists and designers respond to and investigate historical challenges in their work and contemporary issues such as postcolonialism, gender politics and more.
INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS & EDUCATORS
Women in Art & Design offers an inspiring and creative professional learning opportunity for teachers of all levels and subjects. Women in Art & Design meets the following AITSL standards:
A certificate of professional learning is available on request.
This course is part of NGV Adult Learning, offering online courses, in-person courses, talks and livestreamed events to support avid learners of all ages to confidently embrace the world of art, design and ideas. Learn more