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In the early 1970s, artist Judy Chicago embarked on a project to honor
great women throughout history who had previously been overlooked. She recognized them in The Dinner Party,
which was a monumental collaboration between and about women. The project took five years to complete and involved
400 artists and craftspeople.
The Dinner Party is made up of a triangular table set for 39 women guests. Another 999 women are recognized
with their names written on porcelain tiles on the floor underneath the table. Using ceramics, needlepoint, and painting,
the installation honors women and acknowledges art forms that previously were considered merely decorative women's work.
At the time, The Dinner Party was also intended to make a political statement that reflected the feminist movement of
the 1970s. The honored women spanned prehistory to the present and included mythic goddesses, religious figures,
royalty, artists, social activists, medical workers, educators, philosophers, scholars, and writers.
More than 5000 people attended the 1979 opening reception of The Dinner Party at the San Francisco Museum of Modern
Art. During the next ten years it traveled to 14 other sites in six countries. Its creation, artistry and inspiration
have been chronicled in books and films. The Dinner Party is a monumental artistic collaboration in celebration of women.
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