Los Angeles, CA - The USC Fisher Museum of Art is pleased to present the exhibition "A Complex Weave: Women and Identity in Contemporary Art." On view at the USC Fisher Museum of Art from September 5 through December 1, 2012.

A Complex Weave consists of works of art that reflect the diverse identities of sixteen individual female artists. Each artist illustrates the complexity of the concept of identity by entwining her ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, and religious beliefs into pieces of various mediums: including sculpture, photography, painting, and drawing.

"[A Complex Weave] presents a diverse range of visually compelling works addressing issues central not only to the contemporary art discourse but also to women in many changing societies at large" says Ariadni Liokatis, Curator of the USC Fisher Museum. "Aligned with the University’s focus on global intellectual and educational inquiry, the USC Fisher Museum of Art is an ideal venue for the presentation of this multilayered and deeply interdisciplinary societal, cultural and artistic investigation."

Dr. Martin Rosenberg, one of the show’s curators, celebrates the variety of inspiration for the pieces in the exhibit. He reflects that, “‘A Complex Weave’ neither attempts to be an international survey, nor is it narrowly focused on a single aspect of identity. Rather, by bringing together work by 16 diverse women artists, this exhibition hopes to throw some additional light on the complex weave of gender and identity in contemporary art.” Curated by both Dr. Martin Rosenberg and Dr. J. Susan Isaacs, A Complex Weave features forty pieces categorized into five sections: Image and Text; Complex Geographies; The Female Body; Childhood and Family; and Accessories.

A Complex Weave: Women and Identity in Contemporary Art is curated by Dr. Martin Rosenberg, Professor of Art History, Rutgers University, Camden, and Dr. J. Susan Isaacs, Professor of Art History, Towson University, and organized by The Stedman Gallery at Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. This exhibition tour is organized by Curatorial Assistance Traveling Exhibitions, Pasadena, California.

About USC Fisher Museum of Art
The USC Fisher Museum of Art – established in 1939 – is accredited by the American Association of Museums. It functions as a center of intellectual inquiry and aesthetic enjoyment in support of USC’s goals of research, teaching, artistic creation, and service to society. The Fisher Museum bears special responsibility to link the art in its permanent collections and the art it presents in its temporary exhibitions to all of USC's present and future audiences: to its students, faculty, staff alumni, and surrounding communities. Fisher Museum offers an array of programming, including lectures, artist’s talks, yoga, film screenings, concerts, and poetry readings to enhance and support its exhibitions. Fisher Museum is also proud to be the home and working laboratory for the USC International Museum Institute, a think- tank for museum professionals and a division of the USC College.

Museum Hours and Admission
OPEN September through May of the USC Academic Calendar. Tuesday through Friday (noon to 5), and Saturday (noon to 4). CLOSED Sundays and Mondays

Admission to the exhibition and all related events are free. For more information please call (213) 740-4561 or log onto our website at http://fisher.usc.edu.

SPECIAL EVENTS AND PROGRAMMING

Opening Reception and Celebration of A Complex Weave
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
5:00PM – 6:00PM
Join us for a special behind-the-scenes conversation with exhibition co-curator, Dr. Martin Rosenberg, Professor at Rutgers University’s East Campus.
6:00PM – 7:00PM
Join our special opening reception of A Complex Weave.

Visions & Voices Event
Must We Always Sing as Men Have Sung: Women, the Arts, and Music
Friday, September 14, 2012
2:00PM
Location: Alfred Newman Recital Hall
In conjunction with A Complex Weave, the Thornton School of Music will present a lecture by Renaissance scholar Joan Catoni Conlon on the portrayals of women in choral music texts from the Renaissance through the 20th century, and a performance by the USC Thornton Concert Choir. Stop by the Fisher Museum from Noon-2PM to view the exhibition before enjoying Conlon’s lecture featuring performances.

Students with Fisher@USC
Pocket Poems: Workshop
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
4:00PM – 6:00PM
Join artist and poet, Laurie Haines, author of Pocket Poems - Unregretted Lessons from a Broken Heart, as she will lead a discussion and art-making workshop about an integration of art and text. Book signing to follow.

Visions & Voices Event
The Sota Project: Women in ConTEXT
Sunday, October 7, 2012
2:00PM - 3:30PM
Join our exciting conversation about contemporary Israeli art and culture, through the prism of Ofri Cnaani's "Sota Project." See how Israeli art and culture has become a player in the global art scene while concurrently excavating its multi-layered and deeply-rooted historical contexts.
Panelists: Ofri Cnaani, Artist; Talmudist Dvora Weisberg, Director, School of Rabbinic Studies at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion; Megan Hibler Reid, Assistant Professor of Islam, Religion, Gender Studies, and Law at USC; and James Trainor, International Contemporary Art Critic.
Moderator: Selma Holo, Director of the USC Fisher Museum of Art
Join our reception of The Sota Project following the panel from 3:30PM – 4:30PM.

Trojan Family Weekend
Unthreading A Complex Weave, an Exhibition Tour
Friday, October 19, 2012, Noon-4pm
Saturday, October 20, Noon-3pm
Exclusive tours of the current exhibition A Complex Weave every hour from Noon to 4PM.

Families with Fisher@USC
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Noon – 2:00PM
All ages are welcome to share in our special Family Day, filled with arts & crafts, refreshments and music.

Talks with Fisher@USC
From the Traditional to the Contemporary
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
5:00PM – 6:00PM
Join us for a conversation on international women artists who use traditional artistic techniques and texts to inspire their contemporary works.

Yoga with Fisher@USC
Select Wednesdays from 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
Enjoy yoga in the museum, a series cosponsored by USCRecreationalSports.

All events take place at USC Fisher Museum of Art unless otherwise noted. USC Fisher Museum of Art is now conveniently located along the LA Metro Expo Line. For more information on routes and time, visit LA Metro at www.metro.net/expo