Nearly 700 “Nasty Women” artists teamed up to protest President-elect Donald Trump earlier this month, contributing to an exhibition responding to his infamous debate barb.
The show, co-organized by New York-based artist Roxanne Jackson, featured “nasty”-related works priced at $100 or less ― all of which were sold to benefit Planned Parenthood. The pieces were on view from Jan. 12 through Jan. 15, at Queens’ Knockdown Center, and, over the course of three days, sold out, raising $42,500, according to Jackson.
In total, the “Nasty” organizers have raised over $50,000 for the nonprofit organization devoted to reproductive health services ― and counting. The significant contribution is timely. Trump has expressed a desire to defund Planned Parenthood and “punish” women for having abortions.
Jackson originally posted a callout for a “Nasty Women” group show on Nov. 14, 2016. “Hello female artists/curators! Let’s organize a NASTY WOMEN group show!!! Who’s interested???” she wrote, tagging women artists, curators and writers in her circle.
Advertisement
Soon after posting, the message went viral as artist after artist responded to and passed on the message. “I had no idea how much this would escalate and evolve,” Jackson explained to HuffPost in a previous interview. Within the first hour of posting, she had 300 responses. Jackson’s team accepted every work offered after that and, as a result, they acquired approximately 1,000 pieces by the time submissions closed.
“This show isn’t necessarily about highlighting individual artists,” Jackson explained. “It’s about female-identifying artists coming together against the Trump regime.”
There are currently almost 30 “Nasty Happenings” scheduled for the next two months, located mostly in American cities with a few shows set abroad. On the official “Nasty Women” website, Jackson and her team invite artists interested in organizing their own “Nasty Women” show to add their own dates, providing instructions with only one caveat: all shows adopting the “Nasty” name must donate their proceeds to an organization benefiting women’s rights.
UPDATE: Tara Plath from the Knockdown Center told HuffPost that an additional $8,000 raised via tickets sales to “Nasty Women” evening performances will be donated to four organizations: Girls for Gender Equity, SisterSong, the New York Immigration Coalition, and Callen-Lorde Community Health Center.
Nasty Women
Julie Curtiss, "Hot Heels," 2015. Gouache on paper. Curtiss lives and works in Brookly, NY.
Nasty Women
Margarida Correia, "Dona Ana," 2016. C-Print Correia was born in Lisbon, Portugal, and currently lives in New York.
Nasty Women
Laura Nova, "Six Circulation Fist: a series of 36 postures," 2016 Digital Print. Artist proof. Lives and works in NYC.
Advertisement
Nasty Women
Inna Babaeva, "Marianne Renoir," 2016, digital print on vinyl. Babaeva was born in Lviv, Ukraine, lives and works in New York City.
Nasty Women
Rebecca Murtaugh, "Aperture: June Berry and Gladiolus," 2016. Paint and mixed media. Murtaugh lives and works in Kew Gardens, NY.
Nasty Women
Kaylee Koss, "Malos Ojos," 2015. Digital collage print on dibond. Koss lives and works in Valencia, Spain.
Advertisement
Nasty Women
Katya Grokhovsky, "Hotness (Approval Pending)," 2016, Video Still. Grokhovsky lives and works in NYC.
Nasty Women
Bahareh Khoshooee, "The Slow Betryal of Our Bodies by Forces We Cannot Master," 2016, Still from video. Baharen is an Iranian Video artist and performer who is based in Tampa, Florida.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.