The New York Times Claims Hollywood
Is "A Gender-Balanced Model"

On Sunday, April 24, 2005, The New York Times ran an article on the cover of its Arts and Leisure section with the title, Hollywood's New Old Girls' Network by Nancy Hass. 

The article pointed out that four of the six major movie studios in Hollywood have women in the top creative decision-making roles - Gail Berman as president at Paramount; Stacey Snider, chairman of Universal; Amy Pascal, chairman of Sony Pictures; and Nina Jacobson, president of Walt Disney Company's Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group.

 

This is wonderful news and we applaud the accomplishments of these women.  However, Hass goes on to generalize as follows:

"Though men still figure most prominently in the corporate echelons of the media companies that own the studios, and talent agencies like William Morris and Creative Artists Agency are still male dominated, these women, who over the years have fought and fostered one another as part of a loose sisterhood, have finally buried the notion that Hollywood is a man's world.

So striking is the change that some now see Hollywood as a gender-balanced model for the rest of corporate America."

No Way!

Martha Lauzen, a professor at San Diego State University, has been issuing annual studies of women's employment in Hollywood. Year after year, she has found evidence of substantial barriers to women's employment in big-budget films and prime-time television. In The Celluloid Ceiling 2003, she found the following:

"Men directed more than 90% of the 250 top-grossing films released in 2003, and 20% of the films employed no women directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers or editors."

To read letters that Professor Lauzen and other experts have written in response to The New York Times article, just click on their names below:

 

•  Martha Lauzen, Professor, School of Communication, San Diego State University
•  Terry Lawler, Executive Director, New York Women in Film and Television
•  Catherine Wyler, Artistic Director, High Falls Film Festival in Rochester, New York
•  Sarah Browning, Associate Director, The Fund for Women Artists

Also, you can read studies about job discrimination against women in film, television, theatre and other art forms in the Advocacy/Employment Issues section of our web site.  If you would like to express your opinion to The New York Times, you can email them at:  letters@nytimes.com

Our thanks to Tara Veneruso at www.MoviesByWomen.com for sending us copies of the letters by Martha Lauzen, Terry Lawler, and Catherine Wyler. 

Join The Fund for Women Artists

Imagine if The New York Times were right and half of Hollywood films were written and directed by women - now that would be a gender-balanced model for the rest of America!  The Fund for Women Artists is dedicated to that goal:  we want more art that tells the truth about women's lives - in film and every other art form.  

To bring women's voices and visions to larger audiences, we are starting two ambitious new programs this year, and we are inviting you to join us.

PROGRAM 1 - BUILD GRASSROOTS SUPPORT

We are using our web site to introduce people to wonderful women artists all over the world.  You can learn about almost 600 artists through the WomenArts Network section of our site, and more artists sign up every day.  Thanks to grants from the Valentine Foundation, the CDQ Charitable Trust, and the National Endowment for the Arts, we will be adding more features to this unique online network and sending out monthly newsletters featuring interviews with women whose art reflects a wide range of styles and perspectives.

During the coming year, we will create a membership organization designed to build bridges between women artists and the people who will love their work when they find out about it.  If you have signed up for any of our email newsletters or created a profile on the WomenArts Network, we will keep you posted as our plans develop.

PROGRAM 2 - MAKE BIG BOLD GRANTS

We want to honor exceptionally bold and talented women artists by giving them substantial cash fellowships of $25,000 - $50,000 each.

With the help of a pilot grant from the Women's Funding Network Venture Fund, we are in the process of raising $100,000 to distribute next year as our first fellowship awards. These awards will go to women artists who set new benchmarks of excellence and inspire us to see the world in fresh ways.

Your Gifts Will Make a Difference!

Since most of our services are free, we really need your help to keep doing this work.  Please consider sending us a contribution if you can.  

When you click on the Donate Now button below, you can use your credit card to make tax-deductible donations on a one-time basis or automatically every month.  Gifts of every size will be greatly appreciated!

 

 

You can also mail us a check at:

The Fund for Women Artists
P.O. Box 60637
Florence, MA 01062

Please contact us if you participate in an employee matching gifts program or you would like to donate stocks.

Email: info@WomenArts.org
Phone: (413) 585-5968

Thank you so much for supporting art by and about women!

                                   The Fund for Women Artists

                                   Martha Richards, Executive Director
                                   Sarah Browning, Associate Director

About The Fund for Women Artists

For more information about the goals and services of The Fund for Women Artists, please visit the the Share the Vision section of our web site at www.WomenArts.org.

The Fund for Women Artists is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Federal Employer I.D. #04-3257661. All contributions are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.