Hilary Doyle, Colleen Fitzgerald, and Leslie Schomp discuss their work currently on view at the Cantor Art Gallery. Each artist uniquely foregrounds the role of history in examining contemporary society, whether through familial history, historic figures, or cultural heritage traditions. Each mines personal or public archives to consider how we deal with the past to speak to contemporary issues around gender equality, social issues, memory, and the self.

Doyle explores the life and work of German scientific illustrator Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) to highlight the persistent need for women to push against societal norms. Fitzgerald reimagines family portraiture and self-portraiture by examining how we hold on to memories and construct personal histories. Schomp uses the history of lace and needlework to address issues such as political polarization, gun violence, and women’s sexuality.