Judy Chicago

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Judy Chicago was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Arthur and May Cohen. Her father came from a 23-generation-long lineage of rabbis, including the Lithuanian Jewish Vilna Gaon, but broke family tradition to become a labor organizer and Marxist. Arthur's active participation in the American Communist Party, liberal views of women, and support of workers' rights strongly influenced Chicago's own values. During the McCarthy era, Arthur was investigated, making it difficult for him to find work and causing family turmoil. He died in 1953 from peritonitis. Chicago began drawing at age three and was sent to the Art Institute of Chicago to attend classes. By age five, she knew she 'never wanted to do anything but make art.' She attended UCLA on a scholarship, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1962 and a Master of Fine Arts in 1964. Her husband Jerry Gerowitz died in a car crash in 1963, devastating Chicago and causing an identity crisis. In graduate school, she created a series called Bigamy, representing his death, with abstract depictions of male and female sexual organs. In 1965, she had her first solo show at the Rolf Nelson Gallery in Los Angeles. Gallery owner Rolf Nelson nicknamed her 'Judy Chicago' because of her strong personality and strong Chicago accent. She legally changed her surname from Gerowitz to Chicago in 1970, posting a banner at her solo show that read: 'Judy Gerowitz hereby divests herself of all names imposed upon her through male social dominance and chooses her own name, Judy Chicago.' She taught the first women's art class in fall 1970 at Fresno State College, which became the Feminist Art Program, a full 15-unit program, in spring 1971. Her work incorporates needlework, welding, and pyrotechnics. Her most well-known work is The Dinner Party, permanently installed in the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum, widely regarded as the first epic feminist artwork. Other projects include International Honor Quilt, Birth Project, Powerplay, and The Holocaust Project.

Reader's Guide

Judy Chicago's significance lies in her role as a foundational figure in feminist art. By founding the first feminist art program in the United States at California State University, Fresno, she created a space for women to develop art expressing the female perspective. The program began as a class in fall 1970 with fifteen students—Dori Atlantis, Susan Boud, Gail Escola, Vanalyne Green, Suzanne Lacy, Cay Lang, Karen LeCocq, Jan Lester, Chris Rush, Judy Schaefer, Henrietta Sparkman, Faith Wilding, Shawnee Wollenman, Nancy Youdelman, and Cheryl Zurilgen—who rented and refurbished an off-campus studio at 1275 Maple Avenue in downtown Fresno, each contributing $25 per month. Her work, particularly The Dinner Party, celebrates the accomplishments of women throughout history. Chicago's use of diverse skills—from needlework to welding and pyrotechnics—challenged traditional hierarchies in art. Her inclusion in Time magazine's '100 Most Influential People of 2018' reflects her lasting impact. Her career, spanning from minimalist and conceptual art to large-scale collaborative installations, helped shift the art world's focus toward women's roles and experiences. Chicago's legacy includes not only her own art but also the institutional changes she spurred in art education.

Did You Know?

• Judy Chicago's father came from a 23-generation-long lineage of rabbis, including the Lithuanian Jewish Vilna Gaon, but became a labor organizer and Marxist.
• At age five, Chicago knew she 'never wanted to do anything but make art' and attended extension classes at the Art Institute of Chicago throughout her childhood and teens.
• In 1970, she legally changed her surname from Gerowitz to Chicago, posting a banner at her solo show that read she divested herself of all names imposed through male social dominance.
• The Feminist Art Program at Fresno State College was a full 15-unit program with fifteen students who each contributed $25 per month to rent an off-campus studio at 1275 Maple Avenue.
• Chicago was included in Time magazine's '100 Most Influential People of 2018'.