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Arlene Raven

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Arlene Raven was a very important person in the world of art. She was an art historian, a writer, and a teacher. She spent her life looking closely at art and its meaning. Arlene wanted to help women artists show their work to the world. She believed art should reflect the real lives of women. This was part of a large movement called Feminist Art.

Arlene worked hard to build new groups for artists. In 1973, she helped start the Feminist Studio Workshop in Los Angeles. She worked with Judy Chicago and Sheila Levrant de Bretteville to build it. This school was a place for women to work together. They focused on cooperation and sisterhood. She also helped start the Center for Feminist Art Historical Studies. This center used research to study women artists. They even made a large collection of slides to keep track of their work.

Arlene's journey in art began in Maryland. She was born in Baltimore on July 12, 1944. Her parents were Joseph and Annette Rubin. She went to Hood College and earned a degree there in 1965. Later, she studied at George Washington University to learn painting. She finished her PhD at Johns Hopkins University in 1975. These studies helped her become a great expert on art history.

Arlene was a leader in many different art circles. In 1976, she was a founding member of The Lesbian Art Project. This group explored art through the lives of lesbian women. She also helped start the Women's Caucus for Art. Arlene taught at many famous schools like UCLA and Parsons. She was the chief art critic for the Village Voice in the 1980s. She even organized ten big art shows at famous museums. In 2002, she won the Frank Jewett Mather Award for her writing.

Arlene left behind a great many things for others to study. She wrote nine books about art and identity. One book was titled Feminist Art Criticism: An Anthology. She also wrote about artists like Nancy Grossman and June Wayne. Arlene lived in Brooklyn, New York, for a long time. She passed away from cancer on August 1, 2006. She was 62 years old when she died. Her work still helps people understand women in art today.

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