BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Museum of Art will add only artwork created by women to its permanent collection in 2020.
Museum director Christopher Bedford announced the policy Thursday, saying something radical must be done to rectify centuries of imbalance. The Maryland museum acquired its first work by a female artist in 1916, two years after it was founded and three years before women gained the right to vote in the U.S. Today, only 4% of the 95,000 pieces in its permanent collection were created by women.
News outlets report each of the museum’s exhibits will be strongly tied to women. Nineteen will showcase art solely by women, including at least one transgender artist. Bedford says the museum is working to “correct our own canon” and address historical blind spots.