The documentary It Started with a Whisper, directed by Cheri Gaulke, chronicles the history of the Woman’s Building in Los Angeles, a historic center for feminist art that operated from 1973 to 1991. Executive produced by Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner, the film preserves the legacy of the collective that challenged the male-dominated art world of the 1970s.
The History of the Woman’s Building
The Woman’s Building was founded in 1973 by artist Judy Chicago, graphic designer Sheila Levrant de Bretteville, and art historian Arlene Raven. Located first in the Chouinard Art Institute building and later moving to a site in downtown Los Angeles, it served as an experimental space for education, exhibitions, and performance art. According to the Getty Research Institute, the institution was designed to provide women artists with a collaborative environment free from the institutional biases of traditional galleries and museums.
Cheri Gaulke’s Approach to Archival Storytelling
Director Cheri Gaulke, who was a student and participant at the Woman’s Building, utilizes archival footage and contemporary interviews to capture the spirit of the era. The documentary highlights the "Feminist Art Workers," a collective that included Gaulke, Sue Maberry, and Terry Wolverton. Their work often involved public performance art intended to provoke social change and address systemic gender inequality. By centering the voices of those who lived through the experience, the film functions as both an oral history and a record of the radical performance techniques that emerged from the collective.
The Involvement of Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner
Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner joined the project as executive producers, lending their support to the preservation of this cultural history. The partnership underscores the intersection of feminist activism and the entertainment industry. For Tomlin and Wagner, whose own careers have been marked by a commitment to bold, subversive storytelling, backing this film serves as an effort to ensure the Woman’s Building’s influence on modern performance art is not lost to time.
Why the Woman’s Building Matters Today
The legacy of the Woman’s Building remains relevant to contemporary discussions about institutional equity in the arts. While mainstream museums have increased their representation of women, the model of the Woman’s Building—which prioritized community-led pedagogy and non-hierarchical spaces—remains a reference point for independent art collectives.
Key Takeaways
- Founding Vision: Established in 1973, the Woman’s Building sought to provide a dedicated space for women’s creative and political expression.
- Artistic Impact: The space birthed influential performance art groups, including the Feminist Art Workers, who used public spaces to challenge societal norms.
- Preservation: It Started with a Whisper serves as a primary visual record of the institution’s 18-year operation before its closure in 1991.
- Production Support: Executive producers Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner highlight the project’s significance by bringing mainstream visibility to the history of the feminist art movement.
The documentary provides a detailed look at how these women navigated the cultural landscape of the 1970s and 80s, offering a blueprint for future generations of artists interested in collective action and creative independence.