Behind the Scenes: The Art and Life of Barbara Shermund
Join us online for a lively presentation discussing the development of the exhibition Tell Me a Story Where the Bad Girl Wins: The Life and Art of Barbara Shermund.
Through photographs, letters, original art, and books, this exhibition uncovers and celebrates the life and career of outstanding cartoon artist Barbara Shermund. Caitlin McGurk, Associate Professor and Curator of Comics and Cartoon Art at The Ohio State University, curated this exhibition and will be sharing how this show came to fruition along with highlighting some of the objects on display.
Barbara Shermund (1899–1978) is an unheralded early master of gag cartooning, whose career spanned the heyday of American magazines from the 1920s–1960s. Her sharp wit and loose style boldly tapped the zeitgeist of first-wave feminism with vivid characters that were alive and astute. Shermund’s women spoke their minds about sex, marriage, and society; smoked cigarettes and drank; and poked fun at everything in an era when it was not common to see young women doing so. Her work was ahead of its time, and remains insightful, witty, and relevant to audiences today.
The program will be held online via Zoom and the link to access the event will be sent to the email address during the pay-what-you-wish registration. Please double-check your spam/junk folder if you do not receive the confirmation email. If you encounter any difficulties in registering or accessing the Zoom link after registering, please email [email protected]. The event will be recorded and shared if you are unable to attend live.