Author: Edited by Caitlin Strokosch

“Unless you hear from women, you’re only hearing half the story,” goes the saying at Hedgebrook, a retreat for women writers on Whidbey Island, Washington. Others, too, follow this principle, including Hopscotch House, the residency program of the Kentucky Foundation for Women, in Prospect, Kentucky; Soapstone, a residency for women writers on the Oregon coast; and Women’s Studio Workshop, a residency for women in the visual arts, focusing on the production of artists’ books, in Rosendale, New York. The stories of their beginnings are similar—one or a small handful of women working to increase opportunities for women artists and to create an environment that will be a catalyst for change.

The first question one asks is, why create a residency just for women? Beth Bradley, Hedgebrook’s Executive Director, explains that a women’s residency is often about feeling nurtured and safe—safety that is both psychological and physical. “Whether a woman comes to Hedgebrook from a background of sexual abuse or a life of prejudice from having been born a woman, all are looking for an oasis and place of refuge in which to do their work, uninterrupted and without concern,” she explains. The issue of personal safety is especially important in an isolated rural environment. Monique Truong, a former resident of Hedgebrook and author of The Book of Salt, writes of her experience: “One of the gifts of Hedgebrook for me was a nighttime walk through the woods. I had mentioned to the other residents that I was afraid of the dark and that the woods particularly made me apprehensive. We talked about how rare it was for women to feel ‘safe.’ We train ourselves to be apprehensive in the face of darkness. We forget that darkness means that we can better see the stars. The idea was proposed that we all go on a nighttime walk. I admit it. I screamed like, well, like a girl at the beginning of the walk, but then it became fun and remarkable and really an unforgettable experience.”

With this safety also comes freedom—freedom to create, to give voice to ideas, freedom from other pressures, from the doubts and judgments of the outside world. Sallie Bingham founded the Kentucky Foundation for Women at a time when she saw women’s causes as undervalued. The women of Kentucky were at a particular disadvantage, with limited resources and struggling with negative stereotypes. By providing grants to these women, the Foundation could help enact social change.

At Women’s Studio Workshop, the women’s collective created an environment that was in stark contrast to the academic forum from which the founding women came. For Soapstone, it wasn’t a question of leaving men out; with the many residency programs already available for both women and men, Soapstone wanted to “add a little boost to women writers, both in terms of encouragement and in terms of actual meaningful tangible support.” While many other organizations exist to support women artists, residencies have a unique opportunity to support women’s voices by bringing artists together in an environment that is removed from daily distractions and pressures, where women live and work in a community whose purpose is to nurture their creativity.

The oldest of these residency programs, Women’s Studio Workshop (WSW), was founded in 1974 when four women “simply wanted to produce art together.” There were philosophical motivations for joining together in this pursuit—to establish a creative environment somehow different than that of the then-male-dominated academia—and practical ones as well, such as the economy of sharing facilities and resources. This new environment was more collaborative, more lateral, and more exploratory than the competitive and hierarchical forum of their formal arts education, and as the organization further defined itself, WSW decided that the education and studio access programs would be open to the general public, while the residency would specifically serve women artists. In its 30 years, WSW has evolved from a grassroots collective to an established arts institution; however, providing a collaborative, exploratory creative environment remains at the heart of the organization’s mission.

In 1985, Sallie Bingham—a writer and, for many years, a single mother of three—felt the best use of her family money was to try to influence people’s attitudes on matters of sexism, racism and poverty. “It seems to me, having been a writer all my life, that the strongest way to deal with attitudes is through the arts, because the arts can come in underneath prejudices and have a tremendous effect,” says Sallie. Aware of the many hardships Kentucky women faced, she created the Kentucky Foundation for Women (KFW) as a vehicle for getting money into the hands of women, particularly those who were changing the way women were perceived. The original plan for KFW was to spend down the initial $10 million endowment through grantmaking; however, it soon became apparent that “the road to real social change in Kentucky would require a long-term commitment,” says Sherry Hurley, Hopscotch House manager. Hopscotch House was soon purchased, and used originally as a writer’s colony, and later as a place where female artists of many disciplines could come to create, away from the pressures of home and family. Hopscotch House has become an important corollary to the financial support provided through the Foundation’s grants program.

Soapstone was formed in 1991 to offer women writers a stretch of uninterrupted time for their work and the experience of living in semi-solitude close to the natural world. Two writers at a time are in residence at Soapstone, and there is no staff on site—residents are sent a packet of information and keys in advance, and are encouraged to learn about the natural world and join Soapstone in conscious stewardship of the land.

Ecology provides a model for Soapstone’s mission, one of nurturing and sustaining women and their creation of new work. By providing artists with the opportunity to engage the environment, access to a quiet space away from jobs, children and other responsibilities, as well as the validation and encouragement necessary to embark upon or sustain a long or difficult writing project, Soapstone helps to “bring into the world the literature that can change lives, engender social change, and in important ways, sustain us all,” says Director Ruth Gundle. It’s a model that has worked for Soapstone for nearly 15 years, rejecting the notion that organizations should get bigger and bigger, and take on more and more. By staying small and manageable, Soapstone is able to fundraise for each year’s expenses without a significant endowment, and the only recent addition to their programming is a weekly email for writers in the Portland area—men and women—about related events and opportunities.

Managing growth and change is something with which Hedgebrook has become familiar in recent years. When Beth Bradley joined the staff a year ago, she was hired to help navigate Hedgebrook from a private, fully-funded foundation to a public nonprofit. The process has forced the 17-year-old organization to redefine itself, reconsider its image to the public, and recommit itself to its founding mission. Hedgebrook’s enduring pursuit is to “help the unheard be heard,” which means not only giving women the opportunity to discover or improve their voices, but to also play a role in bringing their voices into the world. While the residency program has always supported the first goal, the organization has made a more strategic decision of late to serve the second goal, especially through public programs off-site that connect writers with audiences. Part of Hedgebrook’s recent development has been the evaluation of its public face, with a new logo and website, and materials that highlight the diversity and quality of work being created at Hedgebrook. The materials also aim to show Hedgebrook as an organization that is welcoming to all; while the residency is only open to women, Hedgebrook’s public programs are not, and the organization would like to encourage people of different backgrounds, political leanings, and genders, to engage in the work of Hedgebrook.

The organization faces internal challenges as a women’s organization—such as the difficulty in recruiting male board members, some of whom assume they are not wanted or not liked, and others who assume that a female-dominated board won’t be able to get anything done; as well as external challenges—such as a presumption that the work of women writers is “precious” or based exclusively on left-wing ideology.

Like Women’s Studio Workshop, being a women’s organization is about more than serving women artists—it’s also part of the organization’s internal style. “I try to take a more so-called ‘female’ approach to leadership at Hedgebrook,” says Beth, “building consensus, listening to minority viewpoints, and being assertive but not aggressive. I feel like holding on to that is a way of honoring Hedgebrook’s roots.”

Others struggle with public misconceptions, as well. Women’s Studio Workshop addresses the assumptions that women’s organizations have a strong feminist agenda, or are associated with lesbianism. “Societal perceptions of ‘women’ fluctuate throughout time. The feminist movement, the soccer mom, and the woman business executive all stir up some notion of womanhood in society, but through it all, [WSW’s] identity and mission remains constant. From our point of view, we are primarily an arts organization, one that focuses on women’s art, and we work to gain that understanding from the public.”

For Soapstone, “the occasional resistance to a women-only writing retreat was and still is greatly offset by the additional enthusiasm we’ve experienced for Soapstone from both women and some men, too,” says Ruth Gundle. “We have never felt anything but appreciated by the larger literary community in the Northwest.” In 1998, Ruth Gundle and Soapstone’s President, Judith Barrington, were honored with the Stuart Holbrook Award for outstanding contributions to Oregon’s literary community, given by Literary Arts, Inc., the state’s largest literary organization.

For the Kentucky Foundation for Women, one of the greatest frustrations is not being able to address the many critical needs of Kentucky women that fall outside the organization’s mission, such as healthcare and employment. Another is turning women away whose applications are not chosen in the selection process. “It is very difficult when we have to turn down women,” says Sherry Hurley, “because women have historically not had equal opportunities and access to resources, which is why the Foundation was formed. So when we, as a women’s foundation, have to turn down women, it is really difficult for both the staff, reviewers and applicants. We are sometimes seen as the only possibility for support, and when that support is not granted, it an be very discouraging for the person making the request.”

Hedgebrook serves, simply, “women authoring change.” Beth Bradley is quick to point out that the organization supports women writing, not just writing about women’s issues. “We support ‘women authoring change,’ but that can be change in their own personal lives, change in their communities, or in the world.” While the organization does not dictate the content of the work of its applicants for residency, there is a natural tendency for women writing about topics that address gender to seek out an all-women residency program.

Soapstone doesn’t judge its applicants with respect to the social or political content of their work, but the organization believes strongly that writers are necessary in all social change movements, and that the perspective of women writers is crucial in such movements. Women’s Studio Workshop offers a space where women can feel comfortable creating work that reflects their own social activism. The organization’s agenda is to promote the cultural richness of women’s perspectives, their experiences, expressions and worldviews, in order to aid in getting women’s viewpoints included in the cultural dialogue. As such, the projects funded through WSW’s residencies have a story to tell, and while some address gender specifically, others do not. Some recent examples include Alphabet Trix, an artists’ book by Diane Jacobs, which examines the disparaging words for women in common usage in America today; Im-ped-e-ment by Cherri Gaulke, which investigates historic abuses of women’s feet and footwear through the ages; and Tatana Kellner’s B-11226: Fifty Years of Silence, which preserves her parents’ memories of internment in concentration and extermination camps during World War II.

Social change and activism have always played a critical role in the mission, vision, and values of Kentucky Foundation for Women and Hopscotch House, and those values are reflected in the work of their artists-in-residence. For example, Amanda Johnston developed performance poetry that focuses on multicultural women’s encounters with violence; Cheryl Anne Walton worked on a watercolor series whose theme is the strength of the women of Eastern Kentucky, in an effort to rebuke stereotypes and honor the contributions of these women.

Hedgebrook maintains a fiercely independent position when it comes to political agendas, which allows the organization to produce bold programming that can challenge and surprise people. In a recent project that brought Arab women writers to Hedgebrook, the organization focused on its commitment to letting the women’s voices be heard, rather than promoting any particular political viewpoint. The residency included a series of public events held in Seattle where the women gave readings and talked about their work. “All of the women who were in residence live in or grew up in countries where political struggle is an everyday event, so politics, religion and culture are part of their history, and are generally fairly overt in their work,” explains Beth Bradley. Hedgebrook’s passion for the project was not in the political statements themselves, but rather in being a conduit for those voices which wouldn’t have been heard otherwise. Maintaining independence “was pretty courageous,” says Beth, in spite of urging from some influential outside groups for the organization to take a political stance.

The impact on the women who have participated in women’s residencies is measured in their own words and actions. Alumni of Hedgebrook have asked to build international chapters, presenting work created at Hedgebrook around the world in order to share women’s voices with audiences and also to raise funds for the organization. Many of Soapstone’s alumni have become valued donors and volunteers as well. Artists often share how the experience of being in residence made a significant impact. “Receiving the residency was an indescribable boost to my confidence as a writer,” writes Linda Blackwell Billingsley. “Since all my writing deals with women and women’s issues from a feminist perspective, it made me feel that someone cares about my work.” Hopscotch House is pleased with the impact they’ve had in Kentucky, as well as nationally and internationally. Many of the works created at Hopscotch House have received national recognition, which helps improve the image of women and women artists from the state, as well as share the organization’s goal of positive social change for women and girls in general. Says Sherry Hurley, “I think Kentucky Foundation for Women and Hopscotch House have made women proud and grateful to be feminist artists in Kentucky. I think we make our constituents feel supported and validated. I think we provide a sense of community for women all over the state.”

Women’s Studio Workshop is encouraged by the progress they have made in the field. “Thirty years isn’t a long time when affecting deep cultural change,” explain the directors, “but our artists’ books are being integrated into college curricula and former interns have become professors of art in the university system, which is all challenging the past structure of academia. We are working to consistently elevate general perceptions of women’s art and artists’ books as a contemporary art form. After publishing 150 books, and housing books in over 160 collections worldwide, we are beginning to have a societal impact in reference to the understanding of artists’ books and the content of women’s art.”

While all acknowledge that opportunities for women have improved since their organizations were founded, each express the continuing need for women’s residencies. “I guess I don’t think I’ll live to be old enough to see a time when women writers will no longer need what women’s writing residency programs offer them, but I’m willing to imagine it,” says Soapstone’s Ruth Gundle. “A lot has changed in my lifetime…. Huge changes with respect to equality for women in all spheres, including the literary. But I don’t think we’ve gotten all the way to the end of that process.”

As Hedgebrook looks toward the future, they will not only continue to ask “why women?” but “which women?”. Seventeen years ago women writers in general were underserved, and though there is greater equality now, progress is slow. (As an example, when Hedgebrook was founded, 40% of playwrights were women, but only 15% of plays produced on main stages were by women; that number has grown to 18%.) Certain types of women, however, are still particularly underserved—women of color, economically disadvantaged women, and women from non-Western countries, for example. Women’s Studio Workshop echoes this consideration: “Although it is true that the status of women has improved in the industry, the voice and vision of women is not an equal part of the cultural dialogue…. Until the concerns of women of all backgrounds are given an equal voice in the public record, an organization that honors and supports the expression of women artists is needed.” Sherry Hurley points out that only 7% of philanthropic dollars are earmarked for programs for women and girls. There are, however, several organizations addressing this inequity, including the Fund for Women Artists, the Women’s Funding Network, and The Leeway Foundation.

There are many other collectives of women artists, as well, from online support networks to galleries to performance groups. As Hopscotch House has developed, the Kentucky Foundation for Women has become more aware of how their residency program serves women who are part of a state-wide social change movement that is benefiting the lives of women and girls not only in Kentucky, but nationwide. “I think there will always be a need for women’s spaces,” says Sherry. “Women’s spaces provide safe, nurturing environments where women can focus solely on their art, but also be part of a community that understands the issues that are unique to women. [This is particularly true] in Kentucky, where women artists have limited resources and continue to fight stereotypes nationwide.” For these residency programs, raising women’s voices benefits not only women, but all society. Says Sherry Hurley, “When women and girls in a community are strengthened, the whole community rises.”

For more information, see:

Fund for Women Artists
Hedgebrook
Kentucky Foundation for Women/Hopscotch House