The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) has secured a major promised gift of over 150 modern and contemporary artworks from collectors Penny Cooper and Rena Rosenwasser. This significant bequest focuses exclusively on women artists, featuring works by major figures such as Louise Bourgeois, Julie Mehretu, and Kara Walker. To celebrate the acquisition, the museum is launching "Rhapsody: Works from the Cooper Rosenwasser Collection," an exhibition showcasing 65 pieces that trace the impact of second-wave feminism on artistic production.
This donation represents a critical institutional effort to address historical gender imbalances in museum collections. By integrating a collection built over four decades with a specific feminist mission, BAMPFA significantly strengthens its holdings of female-identifying artists. The gift highlights the vital role of private collectors in shaping public archives and ensuring that the diverse contributions of women to art history are preserved and displayed.