Hangar Art Co. in downtown Bloomington has opened "Women Taking Up Space," a group exhibition organized by local artist Lori Laughlin featuring works by nine women artists including Jenni Bateman, Deana Moore Schoolcraft, Cindy Lawson Flynn, Jane Reed Wilson, Cathie Haab, Kristine Stayton, Basha Ontiveros, and Laughlin herself. The show, inspired by Mexican artist Cesar Cruz's quote about comforting the disturbed and disturbing the comfortable, emerged from conversations among the Plein Air of McLean County painting group following the presidential election. Works include Jane Reed Wilson's "Flowers are Lovely But I'd Prefer a Revolution" and Laughlin's portrait of Gisèle Pelicot, with a QR code linking to a Time article about Pelicot's public trial for sexual assault.
The exhibition matters because it transforms the Hangar Art Co.—typically a resident artist collection space that rarely hosts exhibits—into a platform for political and personal expression by women artists, many of whom are amateurs. By taking their message to "the biggest gallery in town," the artists assert that women deserve to occupy physical and metaphorical space, addressing themes of domestic violence, sexual assault, and empowerment. The show demonstrates how local art communities can respond to national political events and social issues, using visual art as a catalyst for conversation and change.