The Crocker Art Museum will present Making Moves: A Collection of Feminisms, on view from November 2, 2025 through May 3, 2026. The exhibition brings together more than 70 works, drawn primarily from two centuries of Crocker acquisitions, and features two works by Frida Kahlo including Self-Portrait with Loose Hair (1947), on loan to the Museum from a private collection.  

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. Making Moves invites viewers to engage with art through themes like self-representation, memory, care, and the erotic. 

Kahlo’s self-portrait helps illuminate feminist stories and voices, and the exhibition will present it alongside photographs of Kahlo from the Crocker’s collection, including a recently acquired image taken by the renowned Mexican photographer Lola Álvarez Bravo. 

“Frida Kahlo’s painting poignantly addresses identity and feminine experience. Though she lived before the emergence of Feminism as we know it today, in many ways Kahlo's life and work are synonymous with the values of strength, independence, and equality espoused by the movement,” remarks Agustín Arteaga, PhD, the Crocker’s new Mort and Marcy Friedman Director & CEO. “We are thrilled to bring such a significant work to Sacramento. It is the perfect addition to this exhibition that activates the richness of the Crocker’s collection.”   

Collectively, the included works showcase the diverse materials and artistic approaches used to explore themes of women’s equity and identity and reflect a broad spectrum of women’s experiences and ideas that have resonated with artists across time. Making Moves brings historic and contemporary works into dialogue, and includes pieces by Angelica Kauffman, Raven Halfmoon, Andrea Chung, Dora De Larios, Rupy C. Tut, and Maryam Yousif. 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 continues the Crocker’s longstanding legacy of supporting women artists, a history rooted in founder Margaret Rhodes Crocker’s transformative 1885 gift that established 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 Sara Morris, Ruth Rippon Curator of Ceramics, and Francesca Wilmott, PhD, Curator of Art. “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 2 PM. A full roster of programs will be announced later this fall; visit crockerart.org for the latest updates.