Openings: A Memoir from the Women’s Art Movement, New York City 1970–1992

In this ambitious memoir, artist Moore recounts her role in the 1970s–1980s feminist art movement as president of the Women’s Caucus for Art, a pioneering member of Heresies Collective, and a key organizer in the 1984 demonstration protesting the exclusion of women from New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Moore parallels the history of the movement with her development as an artist who exemplified “the political is personal.” Though her New York years make up the main narrative, she interjects earlier episodes from her life—such as stories from her Texas upbringing and time in Africa with the Peace Corps—throughout. Occasionally she veers into journal territory, including short descriptions of dreams set in light blue type. A band of images runs along the bottom of the pages, displaying artwork, flyers, and photos, as well as two sections of paintings by Moore and others in the movement. She adeptly recreates the sense of urgent activism in the stories of infighting committees and efforts to find funds for artist-run exhibits while balancing the narrative with personal reflection and retrospective. This visually stimulating memoir will serve as inspiration for radical artists old and young. (Oct.)