New exhibit stirs controversy at Brooklyn Museum

A new exhibit dedicated to women?s liberation opened Friday in Brooklyn. The Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Arts made its debut as part of the Brooklyn Museum. From the cavewoman era to the

News 12 Staff

Mar 23, 2007, 10:43 PM

Updated 6,631 days ago

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A new exhibit dedicated to women?s liberation opened Friday in Brooklyn. The Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Arts made its debut as part of the Brooklyn Museum. From the cavewoman era to the ultra-modern, the artwork is meant to focus on the liberated woman. The highlight of the space is called ?The Dinner Party,? a 1979 work by Judy Chicago that represents thousands of women in history. The work consists of 39 separate place settings around a dinner table. Museum curator Maura Reilly says, ?For Judy Chicago, that's meant to be a metaphor for women?s liberation as you move toward the modern era.?Some say the exhibit and its messages are controversial, like many others in the museum?s history. However, museum staff members say the center?s mission is simply to raise awareness and create dialogue about feminism?s cultural contributions. Either way, organizers say visitors to the feminist arts exhibit can expect to see a wide variety of art forms.