Insurgent Muse: Life and Art at the Woman's Building

Beautifully observed; gracefully and powerfully written, "Insurgent Muse" is a very moving read. Part memoir, part herstory -- read the book to fully grasp this reference : ) -- Terry Wolverton recounts the coming together of individual passion, mutual support and collective endeavor in the making and exhibiting of art. Female art. Created by women.This book reminds us that our creative spirits are indomitable. There was a very specific moment in time which paved the way for all that has come after. We do stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us -- and this book lets us know exactly what those shoulders were up to. A warm, insightful, intelligent, dramatic, amusing, gripping, suspenseful, powerful, hilarious, universal and inspiring read.

One would think that a professional editor would be sure to get the right names of the people in this nonfiction book. Too bad she did not check her references.

Wolverton knows how to reach the reader's heart. She takes the reader's hand and says, Come with me inside the Woman's Building, let me show you what we were and wanted to do. This story of Feminism will break your heart and sew it back up again making you ready to take what the women before you have achieved and build a life and a world on their experience. After I finished Insurgent Muse, I just wanted to hug all these women of the Woman's Building and thank them for what they have done for us. :)

In a time when so many of us have forgotten that for women artists the path to being able to freely express their art and bring it to the wider public this book gives an important depth to understanding how far we have come. We see how these wonderful artistic souls came together to light the flame that illuminates women's art today. This book should be included in women's study curricula. So much attention is paid to the history of women's rise in politics, business and science that we often forget the struggles and triumphs of the women in art.

Part personal history, part feminist history, part art history and part nonprofit management guidebook--the result is a compelling portrait of one building's role in a revolution. I read Insurgent Muse when I took my first leadership position at an arts organization, and I gobbled it up with more gusto than I ever could have applied to any management text.

SUCH AN IMPORTANT BOOK! The Woman's Building was perhaps the single most important feminist art organization our country has ever produced--and here is its story from one of its creators. Poignant, hysterical, and deeply insightful, this is a must-tea for anyone interested n art, history, or the woman's movement.

Insurgent Muse is a rich and rewarding memoir that covers the Woman's Building and the Women's Movement from the 70's onward. Beautifully written, a must-read for any feminist, be she 20 or 120.

This book is indispensable for anyone who wants to know about the history of feminism, the art world, or lesbian rights post WWII. It's heartfelt and beautifully written, chock full of facts, and a great read.