The Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis has opened its largest-ever exhibition, "Making Their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection." The show features over 80 works by nearly 70 artists, with a focus on women artists and artists of color. A centerpiece is a monumental diptych by Joan Mitchell, her last completed work before her death in 1992. The exhibition, which previously traveled from New York City to Berkeley, California, will be on view through January 5.
The exhibition matters because it highlights abstraction by contemporary women artists over the past eight decades, a historically underrepresented area in major museum shows. By centering the collection on abstraction, it encourages viewers to engage with the art on its own terms, regardless of the artist's identity. For the St. Louis community and Washington University students, it offers rare direct access to major works, including Mitchell's final painting, fostering educational and creative engagement.