Baltimore Museum of Art has made the decision to buy only art by women during the next year. At present female art is only 4% of the Museum collection. The decision is a part of the initiative to eliminate gender dis-balance in art. Museum plans to organize 20 exhibitions of art by women during the year to come.
"I would say the 2020 Vision is just an extension of a code of ethics that has been deeply embedded within the museum," said Christopher Bedford, the Museum's Director. "Building a permanent collection is building a story for all time."
"There are so many women who ought to be honored and known," said longtime women's art advocate Cindy Nemser. "It's a beginning. Imagine if this had happened in 1972."
The BMA's acquisitions budget for next year is roughly $2 million. Purchasing an artist's work goes deeper than just temporarily borrowing it from another collection. It funds the artist and allows curators to feature her for years to come.
