Making Moves: A Collection of Feminisms
November 2, 2025
"Making Moves" showcases more than 70 pieces, largely drawn from the Crocker’s collection, to present an expansive look at artists’ expressions of feminism and includes Kahlo’s iconic 1947 Self-Portrait with Loose Hair, on loan from a private collection.
A new exhibition at the Crocker Art Museum brings together more than 70 works drawn primarily from the Museum’s permanent collection, reflecting a broad spectrum of women’s experiences and ideas that have resonated with artists across time. Making Moves: A Collection of Feminisms will be on view from November 2, 2025, through May 3, 2026.
The content and scope of Making Moves is inspired by the writings of feminist theorist bell hooks, who emphasized that the feminist movement is not solely a women's issue, but a broader struggle to end sexism, exploitation, and oppression — a cause that benefits everyone.
As bell hooks writes, “Come closer. See how feminism can touch and change your life and all our lives. Come closer and know firsthand what feminism is all about. Feminism is for everybody.”
In the spirit of inclusivity, the exhibition brings historic and contemporary works into dialogue, inviting viewers to come closer and engage with art through themes like self-representation, memory, care, and the erotic that make space for open-ended feminist thought. The exhibition highlights the ongoing work of acquiring and presenting work by living women artists including museum- and donor-funded purchases, and recent gifts from private collectors and the artists themselves. New acquisitions include works by Angelica Kauffman, Raven Halfmoon, Andrea Chung, Dora De Larios, Rupy C. Tut, and Maryam Yousif.
To illuminate proto-feminist stories and voices, the exhibition will feature Frida Kahlo’s Self-Portrait with Loose Hair (1947), on loan to the Crocker from a private collection. This work is regarded by art historians as an exceptional work, notable for Kahlo’s depiction of herself with her hair down and dressed in traditional Mexican attire. The painting serves as a powerful affirmation of her cultural identity in the years following the Mexican Revolution (1910–1940). The exhibition will present it alongside photographs from the Crocker’s collection, including a recently acquired image of Kahlo taken by the renowned Mexican photographer Lola Álvarez Bravo.
“Frida Kahlo’s painting poignantly addresses identity and feminine experience,” remarks Agustín Arteaga, the Crocker’s new Mort and Marcy Friedman Director & CEO. “I am thrilled we were able to bring this self-portrait which was just traveling in the exhibition Frida: Beyond the Myth. It is the perfect addition to this exciting activation of the Crocker's rich collection.”
Making Moves draws from two centuries of acquisitions to engage the public in a timely and dynamic conversation about the diverse materials and artistic approaches used to explore themes of women’s equity and identity. While not all featured artists identify as women or feminists, the exhibition embraces an inclusive view of gender and feminism, resisting definitions and boundaries in favor of diverse perspectives and lived experiences.
A collective effort across the Museum’s Curatorial Department, Making Moves: A Collection of Feminisms amplifies the voices of often-overlooked artists and their communities, moving them from the margins to the center of contemporary artistic narratives. The exhibition is co-curated by Sara Morris, Ruth Rippon Curator of Ceramics, and Francesca Wilmott, PhD, Curator of Art, with curatorial contributions by Scott Shields, PhD, Sarah Farkas, Amelia Kit-Chau, Caitlin Schwarz, Delaney Bird, and Casey Bird.
As part of this effort, the curators collaborated to research the provenance of artworks in the collection—some of which have not yet been on view—uncovering and highlighting the significant impact of women as creators, patrons, and changemakers in the arts and beyond. Even the Crocker’s historic building and collection is rooted in the legacy of philanthropist Margaret Rhodes Crocker (1822–1901), whose transformative 1885 gift to the City of Sacramento established the Crocker as the first public art museum west of the Mississippi. “We were inspired by the Crocker’s history of supporting women artists through acquisitions and retrospectives,” comment curators Sara Morris and Francesca Wilmott. “It has been illuminating to uncover the depth of creativity and dedication of the women who have shaped our Museum.”
The Crocker plans to offer a robust slate of public programs in conjunction with Making Moves. Kicking off the exhibition programs is Bad Woman (Laughing): A Performance by Katya Grokhovsky, which takes place on Sunday, November 2 at 2pm. A full roster of programs will be announced later this fall; visit crockerart.org/events for the latest updates.
Making Moves features artwork by: JOJO ABOT, Jane Ingram Allen, Amanda Austin, Ruth Bernhard, Lynn Beldner, Lola Álvarez Bravo, Layo Bright, Joan Brown, Nancy Buchanan, Mary Cassatt, Widline Cadet, Judy Chartrand, Andrea Chung, Judy Chicago, Judy Dater, George Daniels Morse, Dora De Larios, Nicole Eisenman, Maya Fuji, Viola Frey, Nancy Genn, Shan Goshorn, Jay Lynn Gomez, Raven Halfmoon, Ester Hernandez, Robin Hill, Frida Kahlo, Angelica Kauffman, Corita Kent, Koo Kyung Sook, Young Joon Kwak, Deana Lawson, Liza Lou, Hung Liu, Zoe Longfield, Joan Moment, Paige Jiyoung Moon, Michelle Magdalena, Jody Naranjo, Paula Nicho Cúmez, Catherine Opie, Emmy Lou Packard, Wendy Red Star, Diego Rivera, Faith Ringgold, Annabeth Rosen, Roz Ritter, Ruth Rippon, Judith Schaechter, Jacob Schloss, T.B. Sherriff, Esther Shimazu, Stephanie Syjuco, Betye Saar, Lezley Saar, M. Louise Stanley, Claire Tabouret, Joan Tanner, J.A. Todd, Rupy C. Tut, Laura Van Duren, Kukuli Velarde, Lina Iris Viktor, Adele Watson, Faith Wilding, Samantha Yun Wall, Carrie Mae Weems, Maryam Yousif, and Nancy Youdelman.