W.A.R.S.
It was independence.
It is thanks to it that individuals were able to become
what they are,
unique and free to create.
Clayton Patterson
From Then to Now,
The artists of W.A.R.S. embody the resilience and power of creation
in the face of social upheavals,
offering works that combine personal depth
and political commitment.
March 8, 2024 – May 8, 2025
Mémoire de l'Avenir (MDA) | Humanities, Arts, and Society (HAS)
For two months, in two parts, Mémoire de l'Avenir brings together 18 women artists
from diverse backgrounds,
working across various mediums of expression,
to highlight their invaluable contributions
to society.
Visitors will be invited into an immersive experience,
weaving connections between past events,
their historical documentation,
and their contemporary resonance.
An informal collective of like-minded creators,
the W.A.R.S. (Women Artists Reshaping Society),
emerged during the vibrant 1980s,
one of the most transformative periods in New York's cultural history.
At that time, the Lower East Side was a true laboratory of artistic innovation,
an environment where hundreds of abandoned buildings and vacant urban spaces
became grounds for radical experimentation.
These women challenged the realities of their time, including the devastating pandemic (AIDS),
and the mainstream art world.
The revolutionary work of these artists blossomed in alternative cultural centers
such as ABC No Rio, the Sculpture Garden, the Salon d’A on Broome Street, Shalom Neuman’s studio,
The Fusion Arts, Jim C, Freddy the Dreamer, No Se No, among others…
These artists continue to work today,
responding to current social challenges.
From Then to Now
Tobey Crockett
PhD Paso Robles, CA