There are plenty of people in Buffalo’s storied history that make me proud to be a Buffalonian; many are household names – Mary Talbert, Louise Bethune, Ani DiFranco. In my opinion, Shirley Kassman is up there too. Kassman shattered glass ceilings before the term glass ceiling was even coined.
Shirley Kassman is known just as much for her art and as she is for her activism, which makes the latest exhibition of her work aptly titled, Shirley Kassman Artist/Activist.
Here’s a little background on this groundbreaking woman:
Shirley was hired at Buffalo State College in 1958 to teach art. For years, she faced blatant sex discrimination and constant disparaging by male staff. Yet she didn’t stop teaching or creating art. Her persistence paid off. She retired from Buff State in 1989 after having served as a full professor and Design Department Chair.
And her career as an artist? Well it speaks for itself. She had numerous one-person shows in addition to group shows and regional and national juried shows. Notably, she had a solo show at the Albright Knox Member’s Gallery in 1981. The Burchfield Penney put on a 15-year retrospective of her work in 1987. Honestly, the list of her awards is too lengthy to include here.
She used her art to challenge the role of women in American society and the definition of womanhood.
She used her art to challenge the role of women in American society and the definition of womanhood. As an activist for women’s rights, and especially for promoting women in art, she notably was a founding member of Buffalo State’s Woman’s Studies Academy and also the WNY Women’s Art Registry.
Shirley lived in the Elmwood Village and maintained a studio just a short walk down the block. Tragically, she died in 1991 at the age of 62 of breast cancer. The sex discrimination, her battle with cancer, all of it is depicted in her art. Her creativity helping her to process and cope with all that life flung at her.
It would be wonderful to sit down with Shirley and listen to her stories; stories about creating art, stories about women’s liberation during the 60s and 70s, stories about not giving up. In a way, experiencing her art is like hearing her stories. We should all be proud to be from the same city as Shirley Kassman.
Donald Siuta, gallery director of Western New York Artists Group, knew Kassman personally. When you are at the gallery taking in her work, do ask Donald for his insights into the pieces and her life. Her art and life were very much intertwined and he can help tease out some of her stories.
Shirley Kassman Artist/Activist is at Art Dialogue Gallery now through March 4, 2022.
5 Linwood Avenue, Buffalo NY
Gallery Hours:
Tuesday through Friday 11am to 5pm
Saturday 11am to 3pm
Lead image: Life in the Crayola Factory Series, Love is, oil pastel, 1983