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Cajsa von Zeipel’s sculptures represent different facets of modern femininity and are part of the Arlington Museum of Art’s “She Said, She Said” exhibition. (Drew Shaw | Arlington Report)
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The Arlington Museum of Art’s new exhibition, “She Said, She Said: Contemporary Artists from the Rubell Museum” is a testament to how the museum has never shied away from art big in both ideas and size.

Look no further than a room in the center of the exhibition. Hundreds of miles of individual strands of human and horsehair, woven together and bound by leather, hang suspended from the ceiling and strewn across the floor. 

The installation, “Catedral,” took artist Solange Pessoa 13 years to create. Its home for the fall will be the AMA, where “She Said, She Said” runs from Aug. 17 through Nov. 3.

Solange Pessoa’s “Catedral” took 13 years to craft from hundreds of miles of human and horsehair threaded together. It is part of the Arlington Museum of Art’s “She Said, She Said” exhibition, on display from Aug. 17 through Nov. 3. (Drew Shaw | Arlington Report)

The exhibition offers an exploration of modern femininity, featuring work from over 30 artists — all women. Each piece offers a different glimpse into its creator’s generation, culture, discipline and sexuality, said Kendall Quirk, the museum’s registrar and director of exhibitions.

“We see a lot of men on the walls of museums, the ‘old masters’ and Monet and da Vinci, all of these male names,” Quirk said. “So it’s really great to get female perspectives.”

If you go:

What: The Arlington Museum of Art’s showing of “She Said, She Said: Contemporary Artists from the Rubell Museum”

Where: 1200 Ballpark Way, Arlington

When: Aug. 17-Nov. 3

Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday: 1 p.m.-5 p.m.

Guided tours offered every Thursday at 2 p.m. for no additional fee.

Price:

$18 for adults

$15 for seniors over 55 and youth ages 13-17

$8 for children and adults with an active military ID

$12 per person in groups of 10-50.

Content Advisory: Please be aware that some of the exhibition’s works contain anatomical depictions and adult content.

In another of the museum’s rooms — Quirk’s personal favorite, she said — dancing silicone sculptures of feminine figures cast fantastical shadows along the walls. Each character, representing different facets of modern culture, hides small secrets that artist Casja von Zeipel sculpted into their details.

The exhibition is the museum’s third collaboration with Miami-based Rubell Museum, a private collection opened in 1993 that highlights contemporary art from around the world.

“Advancing our commitment to supporting and championing artists, ‘She Said, She Said’ showcases diverse perspectives and illustrates the important contributions of women artists working today,” said Mera Rubell, one of the Rubell Museum’s founders, in a press release.

“We’ve Got a Lot of Work To Do” by Brooklyn artist Sue Williams is an exploration of the artist’s experiences of injustice and misogyny. It is on display at the Arlington Museum of Art from Aug. 17 through Nov. 3 in its “She Said, She Said” exhibition.

“She Said, She Said” covers serious themes, but Quirk doesn’t see it as a “dark exhibition,” she said. 

On the contrary, she sees the exhibition as a celebratory one. For most of Western society’s history, audiences wouldn’t have accepted an art show wholly devoted to elevating women’s voices.

The exhibition fits into the broader mission of the Arlington Museum of Art to represent the community’s diversity, Quirk said. 

It’s fitting, Quirk said, to present “She Said, She Said” in tandem with the 2024 presidential election, which sees Kamala Harris — the country’s first Black American, first Asian-American and first woman to serve as vice president — leading the Democratic ticket. 

The AMA’s previous collaboration with the Rubell Museum in 2021, “30 Americans,” similarly reflected the year’s political headlines. 

That exhibition, which focused on issues of race, sexuality and gender, came to the museum a year after the murder of George Floyd sparked worldwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice. 

Following the 2020 protests, newer artwork was added to the “30 Americans” to reflect the ever-changing times.

The AMA and Rubell Museum had been in talks to bring “She Said, She Said” to Arlington since 2022, Quirk said. But it wasn’t possible to house such a large exhibition in the museum’s old, downtown Arlington building.

That changed when the museum moved to its new location in the Esports Stadium and Expo Center in Arlington’s entertainment district, which offered ample room, she said.

The museum is also showing the Giant Water Bottle Sculpture Project, a 30-foot sculpture made of over 20,000 water bottles that has traveled across Tarrant County. On Sept. 14, it will open two more exhibitions, “Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume” and “All That Glitters: The Crown Jewels of the Walt Disney Archives.”

Drew Shaw is a reporting fellow for the Arlington Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org or @shawlings601. At the Arlington Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.