Kate Millett, Sculptor: The First 38 Years

Abstract

Kate Millett (1934-2017) is widely known as a feminist scholar and activist. Indeed, she became one of the key initiators of the second round of 20th Century feminism when her doctoral dissertation-turned-book, titled Sexual Politics, was published in 1970, ultimately earning her a place on the cover of Time magazine in August of that year. She also led many a protest associated with civil, women’s, and gay rights through organizations ranging from the Congress of Racial Equality to the National Organization for Women, Redstockings, Radicalesbians, and more. But at the time that Kate Millett, Sculptor: The First 38 Years was mounted at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s Fine Arts Gallery (now the Center for Art, Design, and Visual Culture) in 1997, relatively little was known about Millett’s myriad accomplishments as a visual artist. The exhibition focused on her sculptural works, featuring installations focused on themes of violence against women, incarceration, and mental health, as well as more fanciful Fluxus-inspired works. The catalog features an introduction by Linda Nochlin; comprehensive essay by the exhibition’s curator Kathy O’Dell; reprint of an article Millett published about her own sculpture in 1988; timeline of events in the areas of Gender and Sexuality, Art and Culture, and Millett’s life, compiled by Maurice Berger; and over two dozen photographs of Millett’s works made across the 38-year period covered in the exhibition.