Another topic brought up a valid point about female artists being someone unrecognized in the industry. I guess for agument's sake we can point out Yuyi Morales who has won many awards, although correct me if I'm wrong, I do think the Caldecott is an honor she has yet to receive. Carol Heyer renders exquisite art, is in high demand for book covers and her own picuture book Humphrey's Christmas is a lovely addition to any Christmas Book Collection.
I agreed when I read an anonymous post about male artists being sought after. After going to a conference and being in a room with 30 - 35 Portfolios, all but two of them were from women. And the one most swooned over by representation was presented by a male. His work was wonderful, however, there was other art on display that, in my opinion, was very noteworthy.
As for Art History, women still seem to be standing in the shadow. I wrote a Picture Book some time ago in which many male artists present their work to a grouch of a character. He is seeking artwork for his grande hall. In the end, a female artist walks in as a little girl,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofonisba_Anguissola . In critique, this story has been well received for the most part. But the one thing that stands out is that most people don't know who Sofonisba Anguissola is. Michelangelo mentored her. I was not taught about her in Art history. As a matter of fact, in the primary curriculum, I'd venture to say that female artists aren't covered at all. Some folks may be a bit disgruntled about me mentioning Barbie Movies, but to their credit, one of them teaches about female artists: Rapunzel. Other features of the film address the topic of Female Artists in History. This is where I had first heard of Sofonisba and did some research on my own.
I guess this may be construed as a rant, but I'd like to think of it as an opening for our non-fiction writers.
