Wanda Ewing Explained

Wanda Ewing
Birth Date:1970
Birth Place:Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Death Date:2013
Death Place:Omaha, Nebraska, United States

Wanda Ewing (1970–2013) was an artist born in Omaha, Nebraska.[1] She considered her art to be "provocative with a political edge." A common message of her art was “I’m a proud black woman, and I’m going to be hard to ignore.” Ewing studied printmaking at San Francisco Art Institute where she received her BFA in 1997. She received her MA and MFA in printmaking at the University of Iowa in 2001 and 2002, respectively. She was a tenured professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where she taught visual arts classes from 2004 to 2013.[2] [3] [4] Ewing exhibited nationally and won several awards for her work.

Art

Style and philosophy

Ewing was a self-described "latch hook maven."[5] She used collage, printmaking, latch hook, and other media to create her pieces. Her work explores issues of race, gender, sexuality, beauty, and identity.[6] Her latch hook tapestries utilize traditionally erotic poses and powerful gazes to refute common stereotypes of Black women in media. Ewing's feminism played a major role in her art. Her art uses feminist form and content to "subvert stereotypical images of women."[7] Mainstream media often shows Black women in a negative light by sexualizing and objectifying their bodies. It was Ewing's goal to transform those portrayals into positive ones. Her art depicts Black women as "self-assured" and confident.[8]

Notable exhibits

Shows and gallery affiliations

Ewing's work is included in several collections including Richard M. Ross Museum in Delaware, Tama Art University Museum in Tokyo, Japan, and San Francisco Art Institute among others.[12] Her work has been discussed and reviewed in various publications, most notably Maria Buszek's Pin-up Grrrls: Feminism, Sexuality and Popular Culture.[13] A selection of her printmaking was displayed at the International Print Center in New York in the mid-2000s.[14] Her work continues to be exhibited and collected.

Scholarships, grants, and awards

Death

In May 2013, Ewing was diagnosed with stage four, small cell lung cancer.[16] Wanda Ewing died December 8, 2013, at the age of 43 from complications with chemotherapy.[17]

Legacy

Ewing was an ambassador for the Omaha arts community.[18] She worked to create a space for artists of color in Omaha's visual arts scene. The presence of artists of color in Omaha grew under her care. The Union for Contemporary Arts in Omaha, Nebraska named a gallery in her memory.[19] Ewing was the first full-time professor of color to receive tenure in the art department of a major state university.[20] The University of Nebraska Foundation established an art scholarship in her name.

Wanda Ewing's work continues to inspire women artists to "find their voice."[21] Les Femmes Folles: Women in Art, an organization inspired by an exhibition she curated under the same name, continues to support women in art in her honor.[22]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Wanda Ewing . Wanda Ewing artist . March 7, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150303150603/http://www.wandaewing.com/about/wanda/ . March 3, 2015 .
  2. News: Truax. Sue. Unexpected death of Omaha artist, professor Wanda Ewing, 43, shocks UNO. March 10, 2015. Omaha World-Herald. November 19, 2014.
  3. News: Buszek. Maria. Wanda Ewing: In Memoriam. March 7, 2015. College Art Association. Dec 20, 2013.
  4. Web site: Barber. Hali. Wanda Ewing. UNO Women's Archive Project. University of Nebraska at Omaha. 31 March 2015.
  5. Web site: Home . Wanda Ewing . 6 May 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150503115637/http://www.wandaewing.com/ . May 3, 2015 .
  6. Web site: About Wanda Ewing . Wanda Ewing Artist .
  7. Book: Buszeck. Maria. Pin-up Grrrls: Feminism, Sexuality and Popular Culture. 2006. Duke University Press. Duke University.
  8. Web site: Silva. Patricia. Wanda Ewing: Pin-Ups and Wallflowers. Velvet Park: art, thought, and culture. 7 December 2010 . 1 May 2015.
  9. Web site: Solo exhibitions. Wanda Ewing. 6 May 2015.
  10. Web site: Next Exit: Arts in Nebraska: Wanda Ewing. 6 May 2015.
  11. Web site: Deskins. Sally. Wanda Ewing, Artist: "Video Grrrlzzz". Gender Across Borders. March 28, 2015.
  12. Web site: Wanda Ewing Collections . Wanda Ewing artist. March 7, 2015 .
  13. Book: Buszek. Maria. Pin-up Grrrls: Feminism, Sexuality and Popular Culture. 2006. Duke University Press. Duke University. 0822337460. 349–350. March 7, 2015. registration.
  14. Web site: Wanda Ewing. International Print Center New York. 2 May 2015.
  15. Web site: Ewing. Mona. Recognition. WandaEwing.com. March 28, 2015.
  16. Web site: Patricia. Silva. Tenacious as Hell, Vividly: Wanda Ewing. Flare Arts Journal. March 28, 2015.
  17. Web site: Ewing. Mona. About. WandaEwing.com. March 28, 2015.
  18. News: Krainak. Mike. No Little Death. March 7, 2015. The Reader. Dec 24, 2013.
  19. Web site: Union for Contemporary Art. u-ca.org. March 7, 2015.
  20. Web site: Silva. Patricia. Wanda Ewing: Pin-Ups and Wallflowers. Velvet Park: art. thought, and culture. 7 December 2010 . 1 May 2015.
  21. Web site: Wanda. Wanda Ewing. 9 May 2015.
  22. Web site: Deskins. Sally. Wanda Ewing. Les Femmes Folles: Women in Art. Les Femmes Folles. March 7, 2015.

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