Les Femmes Folles: Voice, presents eleven “wild women’s” moving, provocative work that showcases the feelings and experiences of womanhood in our own worlds. Our work engages with a range of subjects, from sweet to seduction, from political to domestic. Addressing such complex matters in a variety of mediums, we aim to challenge the status quo and politics of power and give light and enhance positive communication about this ever-important subject of feminism to complement such worldwide feminist-inspired projects.

Feminism and feminist art is not a new idea, however it is now somewhat of an overlooked or derogatory area of discussion in popular and youth culture, perhaps especially in conservative places like Omaha. With VOICE, we eleven midwestern artists, hope to perhaps re-enlighten feminism and feminist art’s original intent, while also communicating the continued contemporary purpose to our Omaha community. Our female perspective and voice becomes the foundation for a fantastical, exotic extrapolation that could be appreciated across the globe.

Change begins with illumination — attention, pointing, identifying and generally shining lights in dark places. News organizations play a role in this. So, increasingly, does social technology communication. And so does art.

Artists of VOICE: …. Sally Deskins, Marcia Joffe-Bouska, Wanda Ewing, Kristin Lubbert, Amy Quinn, Jewel Noll, Melanie Pruitt, Megan Loudon Sanders, Trudie Teijink, Trilety Wade and Ella Weber

Les Femmes Folles: Voice is the third Les Femmes Folles visual exhibition; the original Les Femmes Folles was curated by Wanda Ewing in April 2011, featuring visual art by five regional artists who were women in conjunction with Lit Undressed Presents: The Spirit of the Female Beats at RNG Gallery with the focus on the use of female body in art. The show was nominated for an Omaha Arts and Entertainment Award for Best Group Show 2012. In July 2011, Peerless Gallery in Omaha hosted Les Femmes Folles Presents: A Curated Show Featuring Wanda Ewing and Kim Reid Kuhn, a pop-up exhibition featuring over a dozen regional visual artists who were women. The original show also inspired Les Femmes Folles: a blog celebrating women in art created and still maintained by Sally Deskins in April 2011 featuring interviews and stories with women doing creative work. Sally also hosts other events with her blog like panel discussions, filming, performances and readings celebrating women in art. She hopes to continue the now tradition of collaborating with women artists and coordinating events and exhibits celebrating women’s experience with VOICE and more.