BP: Grrrrrl Power is the fourth group of San Diego based artists I have set up. Prior to 2005, most of the artists I represented were men. I noticed there were lots of talented female artists in the area that weren't being promoted enough. So, I thought an all female artist collective would be a good thing to do. I curated the first two shows starting in May 2005, then the artists took over curating and set up the rest of the shows. We've done 6 shows in 2005 and have 2 so far in 2006. I'm very excited about where the group will go from here.

SL: Are women being underrepresented in the art world? If so, what are the repercussions?

BP:I definitely think women are underrepresented in the art world. That's one of the main reasons I founded Grrrrrl Power. The repurcussions are that there are lots of artists that don't have equal opportunities to exhibit and promote their work. I also think that the exhibits suffer because there is a lot of great artwork by women that isn't getting shown to the public.

SL: Do women in the art world face any hardships that men may not?

BP: Being underrepresented is definitely a problem. I think that there is discrimination based on gender, race and other factors that exists in the art world, as well as the rest of the world. I believe it's up to all of us to do what we can to fight against this discrimination.

SL: What are the goals of Grrrrrl Power? Any plans for expansion?

BP: I think the group has already reached it's goals by bringing together a fantastic group of very talented contemporary artists and by having great exhibitions. We continue to grow and are always adding new members.

SL: Do the art shows attract a different clientele?

BP: I haven't noticed much of a change from the usual crowd of art exhibit attendees, although there are always new people at every show.

SL: Are the pieces of art feminist or do they cover any topic?

BP: I've seen only a few specifically feminist pieces so far. We haven't done any themed shows yet, but some may be coming up in the future. Feminism would obviously be a great theme for a Grrrrrl Power show.

SL: How does your program work (e.g. how do you recruit artists, put on the
shows, what does it feature, etc.)?

BP: Sometimes we spot artists at art shows and bring them into the group that way. Or it can be as simple as liking someone's art we see on the Internet and contacting them by email. The shows are set up at various locations, we prefer galleries but have shown in other alternative spaces also. The shows follow the model of what I call a "Traveling Circus," not having a permanent display space, but always moving around to different locations. The curators take care of all aspects of the shows, collecting the art from the artists, hanging the art, preparing press releases and promotional materials. The shows feature art of a wide variety of mediums and styles, the group is very diverse. My role in the group is mostly that of a promoter and producer.

SL: Is the art in the shows any different, does the art in the show reflect that the only contributors are women?

BP: Some of the artists have chosen women as their subject matter in the art they have displayed in the shows, so I think this brings a feminist quality to the shows. In the shows we've done so far, we've shown the subject matter that each artist chose to exhibit for that particular show, as opposed to doing a themed show. Our slogan is "Celebrating Art by Women", which I think defines the main purpose of the Grrrrrl Power group.