Portraiture from the Collection of Northwest Art - PAM

Katherine Ace’s 9 Portraits

“They have tenacity, have lived through sexist decades, told they couldn’t be artists…expected to subvert themselves to male artist machismo. “

-Kathering Ace

In March I went on a field trip with fellow Oregon Portrait Society members to the Portland Art Museum. It was our last chance to see the Portraiture exhibit. I love all styles of portraiture and I never get bored of PAM. I used to volunteer there when I was in high school, so its like another home for me, a cherished one. I stumbled upon the painting above and at first it moved me because it was visually interesting. It was a portrait of 9 women artists standing in front of a painting of renowned male artists: Henri Fantis-Latuour’s A Studio at Les Batignolles (1870). Reading the caption, the artist, Katherine Ace painted 9 women artist, herself included, she is the one sitting down with the flip phone. They are all Portland legendary artists. Among them is Phyllis Yes who was my painting professor when I studied art at Lewis & Clark College. It was nostalgic and inspiring. These artist mothers helped pave a path for me and other women artists since emerging.