An Interview with Christy Davis, Curator of “Shattered Glass: The Women Who Elevated American Art.”
I had the honor and rare opportunity to interview Christy Davis, Curator of Exhibitions at the Canton Museum of Art about the upcoming exhibit “Shattered Glass: The Women Who Elevated American Art.”
by Jeanine Surace
1. What was the inspiration for “Shattered Glass: The Women Who Elevated American Art”?
“In 2021, I was the President of the Ohio Local History Alliance. We had been actively advocating for Ohio to form a statewide group to commemorate America 250, in celebration of America’s 250th birthday in 2026. One of significant goals identified was to tell under told stories and focus on underrepresented groups in our country; American women artists are part of both of those categories. Kaleigh Pisani, Curator of Collections & Registrar at CMA and myself decided to create an original large-scale exhibition highlighting the contributions of American women artists. The title, Shattered Glass: The Women Who Elevated American Art, is in reference to the glass ceiling term first used by Marilyn Loden in 1978.”
2. How did you choose the artwork?
“I worked with Kaleigh and Kate Hatcher, Curatorial Assistant to determine which women we wanted to have in the exhibition and then institutions and collections where we could secure loaned work. We had many meetings about the art and wanted it to be a blend of artists people recognize like Georgia O’Keeffe but others, also, like Eunice Pinney, a watercolor artist from Connecticut, who was born in 1770 and more unknown by those who weren’t American art historians. Unfortunately, there were artists we had wanted to include but due to the fragility of their work, size and weight, or the small number of pieces that remain by the artist, travel was not possible.”
Some artists began creating art right out of school, others were married with children. Still others like Grandma Moses began her art career well into adulthood. Therefore, their window of actively producing artwork varies among the featured women, but can be long, compared to men.”
3. How long did it take you to put the show together?
“’Shattered Glass’ took over six years to complete and extensive research since many women signed their work only in initials, used pseudonyms or kept anonymous to have their work judged and viewed fairly and conceal their gender.”
4. What is the farthest location a piece is from?
“Included in the exhibition is a photograph by model turned Surrealist artist and later World War II photojournalist, then acclaimed gourmet chef, Lee Miller. She was an American artist who relocated to London. She was a photojournalist with the United States Army during World War II and one of the very few women granted access to the front lines where she was one of the first to photograph the liberation of Dachau and Buchenwald concentration camps Germany. The movie Lee starring Kate Winslet tells her story. Other pieces have traveled as far as from California and Arizona. It is interesting to note that many of the women artists have ties to Ohio.”
5. Do you have a favorite piece from the exhibit?
“There are so many pieces in this exhibit and the stories of the artists themselves are just as captivating. I am fond of Eunice Pinney and strongly feel like her life story could be a compelling tv show or movie. However, there’s something about every artist and piece in this exhibition that pulls you in and it’s hard to identify just one.”
6. It definitely looks like a ‘must see’ since the exhibit is the only one comprised solely of female artists. Is there anything you’d like to add about the show for visitors before they come to see “Shattered Glass”?
“The exhibition is comprised of over 120 pieces of artwork representing women from the past 250 years and from all over the country and a variety of backgrounds. It encompasses all four of our galleries and a variety of media, style, and technique is represented. There is a lot to read on the labels and make sure you give yourself some time when you come to visit! We also wrote a catalogue to accompany the exhibition that will be available for purchase in The CMA Shop”