Repository

ULS Archives & Special Collections

Title

Women of Visions, Inc. Records

Creator

Women of Visions, Inc.

Collection Number

AIS.2022.01

Extent

9.46 Linear Feet (13 document cases and 2 oversized folders)

Extent

5.25 Megabytes

Date

1981-2021

Abstract

Women of Visions, Inc. is widely regarded as the longest running art collective of Black women artists in the United States. As a staple in Pittsburgh's arts, culture, and history, the collective aims to support Black women artists through community, promotion, and accessible exhibition of their myriad artworks. The records contain publicity materials, planning and budget documents, photographs, albums, journals, and exhibit programs.

Language

The material in this collection is in English.

Author

Hope Matyas

Publisher

ULS Archives & Special Collections

Address

University of Pittsburgh Library System
Archives & Special Collections
Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Business Number: 412-648-3232 (Thomas) | 412-648-8190 (Hillman)
Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist
URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Hope Matyas in the Fall of 2022. A digital accession was processed by Silvan Elliot Maxwell in the Fall of 2025.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Christine McCray Bethea, President of the Women of Vision, Inc. on February 17, 2022.

Historical Note

Founded in 1981, Women of Visions (WOV), began as a small collective of Black women visual artists in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The group's focus was to create space for Black women artists to be exposed to opportunities they were rarely afforded. Women of Visions secured incorporation status as a non-profit in 1990, formally changing their name to Women of Visions, Inc. Their stated goal is: "To promote the arts, culture, and history of women of African descent, by helping each other to excel as artists and to grow professionally through exhibitions, community collaboration, educational programming, and other progressive opportunities." Likewise, their vision statement is: "To seek and support and expand the artistic endeavors of African-Americans, and other diverse voices and expressions in visual arts as a part of the greater American art canon."

In 2022, Women of Visions, Inc was recognized as a Culture Treasure by the Ford Foundation and Heinz Endowments. Black women visual artists in Pittsburgh are invited into the collective, with a total of thirty-seven past and present members: Christine Bethea (President), LaVerne Kemp (Vice President), Lynne b. (Recording Secretary), Janet Watkins (Treasurer), Ashley A. Jones (Financial Secretary), Ruth Bedeian (Historian), Altha Pittrell, Annette Jackson, Ashante Josey, Brenda Brown, Charlotte Ka, Colette Funches, Cynthia Kenderson, Dominique Scaife, Edie Smith, Elizabeth Douglas, Emmanuelle Wambach, Harriet Buckley, Jameelah Platt, Janel Young, Jessica Moss, Jo Anne Bates, Junyetta Seale, Marce Nixon, Marlana Vassar, Mary Martin, Milli Mickle, Morgan Overton, N.E. Brown, Naomi Chambers, Pam Cooper, Richena Brockinson, Ruth Ward, Sandy Simon, Sharell Rushin, Tina Brewer, and Zeal Eva. Women of Visions, Inc is known to be the longest running collective of Black women visual artists in the United States.

Women of Visions promotes Black women visual artists through collaboration, self-promotion, and exposure. Hosting lectures with fellow artists was a tool commonly used in the group's early years. Exhibits and showcases continue as Women of Visions, Inc celebrated their fortieth anniversary in 2021 with an exhibit spanning multiple Pittsburgh arts venues, such as: the Carnegie Museum of Art and the University Art Gallery at the Henry Clay Frick Arts Building, located at the University of Pittsburgh. Other exhibits include "Creatives in the Era of Covid 19," where Women of Visions artists reflected on being an artist in the dawn of a global pandemic, and "Sankofa Legacy," which puts into conversation how the past influences the productivity of the future through the lens of the African Symbol. The collective of Black women artists create intimate works that are deeply rooted in personal and social histories, cultures, and identities. Art styles include painting, collage, quilting, ceramics, and others.

Arrangement

Records are arranged in the following Series:

I. Administration

II. Financials

III. Members and Affiliated Artists

IV. Exhibits and Affiliated Exhibits

V. Topical Materials

Preferred Citation

Women of Visions, Inc, Records, 1981-2021, AIS.2022.01, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Copyright

The University of Pittsburgh holds the property rights to the material in this collection, but the copyright may still be held by the original creator/author. Researchers are therefore advised to follow the regulations set forth in the U.S. Copyright Code when publishing, quoting, or reproducing material from this collection without the consent of the creator/author or that go beyond what is allowed by fair use.

Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

Scope and Contents

The Women of Visions, Inc. records document the organization's administration and internal governing frameworks, as well as deep case studies on members and other affiliated artists. The records encompass an intimate look into the making, creation, and science behind the works of art its members have made and shared through exhibition and other programing. Records include: correspondence, minutes, exhibition records and planning, financial records, biographical files, and publicity.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

A portion of the material in this collection must be accessed through the Archives & Special Collections Digital Reading Room. Materials accessible in the Digital Reading Room can be accessed on the researcher's personal computer. Researchers may request access through the Aeon Research Portal by clicking on "View in Reading Room" for the desired folder in this finding aid.

Container List