Author Archives: Martha Richards

Martha Richards Consults the Oracles for her Birthday!

Sarah Greenman

I usually take time during my birthday week to reflect on the past year, but so much has happened in 2020 that I can’t sort it out with my usual logic, and I have been longing for better ways to access my intuition and other kinds of wisdom. Fortunately I have discovered Sarah Greenman’s beautiful new oracle cards.

Dame Rosemary Squire Will Present VintAge Award to Martha Richards

Dame Rosemary Squire

The Women in the Arts and Media Coalition will honor Martha Richards, the Founder and President of WomenArts, with its 2020 Elsa Rael VintAge Award in an online ceremony on Saturday, November 14 from 12 noon- 2 p.m. Pacific Time (3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Eastern Time). The award will celebrate Richards’ advocacy for women […]

Black Lives Matter/Black Women Artists Matter

Jane Sapp Book

WomenArts stands in solidarity with the many individuals and organizations calling for racial justice in these troubled times.  Many women artists of color have been addressing racial issues through their art for decades, and we feel their voices are more important than ever now.  Today we are sharing some wisdom from three of our favorite […]

Have a Safe and Happy SWAN Day 2020!

Have a safe and happy SWAN Day 2020.

Today is Support Women Artists Now Day/SWAN Day 2020, and although we can’t meet in person this year, I hope you will take time to contact your favorite women artists and show them how much you appreciate them.  Call them up, send them a card, or give them a gift.  We need to do everything […]

Get Ready for Support Women Artists Now Day 2020!

T. Swan & Martha Richards

Support Women Artists Now Day/SWAN Day 2020 is coming next month! People all over the world are creating events celebrating women artists and posting them on the official SWAN Calendar.  We hope that you will join the fun too! Support Women Artists Now Day/SWAN Day is an annual international celebration of women’s creativity and gender parity […]

Bay Area Women’s Theatre Festival Launches March 2

Bay Area Women's Theatre Festival Logo

WomenArts is a proud supporter of the Bay Area Women’s Theatre Festival,  a thrilling collaboration of 40 of the best theatre companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. A producing team of 20 “instigators” headed by Michaela Goldhaber (Lead Instigator) and Susan Shay (Festival Producer) has been working for the past year to organize this ambitious festival which will […]

Martha Richards Talks About Her Mom & Music in A Special Birthday Video

A Special Note from Martha Richards, Executive Director of WomenArts – Since I am turning 70 this week, I have been thinking a lot about the values and people that have shaped my life over the past seven decades. A central part of my journey has been the deep connection I feel between my feminism […]

Still Not Even: Valerie Weak’s Latest Gender Parity Study

Valerie Weak

WomenArts has just released Valerie Weak’s latest report, STILL NOT EVEN:  A Gender Analysis of 600 San Francisco/Bay Area Theatrical Productions 2014-2018 from The Counting Actors Project.  Weak’s findings are summarized in the infographic below.  You can read the full report and download a full-page version of this infographic at:  WomenArts.org/still-not-even Valerie Weak has been diligently counting the gender of actors, directors […]

Revolutionary Love: Elizabeth Vega & the Tornillo Occupation

Special Guest Blog by Amelia Parenteau. Elizabeth Vega is an “artivist” – an artist and activist who understands that art is its own form of powerful resistance. She has dedicated her life to harnessing that power and teaching others how to do the same. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, she works constantly on projects that combine […]

WomenArts Writes to Santa

Dear Santa, First of all, thanks so much for all that you do for the world.  It is wonderful to have an international leader who is such an inspiring symbol of kindness and generosity. I know that this is your busy season, but I wanted to put in a couple of special requests for women […]

Get Ready for SWAN Day 2019!

Sophie Dowllar, Martha Richards, Lydiah Dola

We hope you are enjoying the holiday season, and we wanted to remind you that Support Women Artists Now Day/SWAN Day is only a few months away.  We hope you will make a New Year’s resolution to join us in making SWAN Day 2019 the biggest and best celebration of women artists yet! New Leadership – […]

Feeling Grateful – Martha Richards’ Birthday Blog

Martha Richards passes SWAN Day to Melinda Pfundstein, StateraArts

Since this is my birthday week, I have been taking some time to reflect on my past.  As usual, I feel blessed that I have been able to work with so many talented women artists over the years.  Thanks to all of you!  You make me happy on my birthday and every day. I have […]