February 24—May 17, 2026

Women’s work has historically referred to work that goes unnoticed and uncelebrated—keeping house, taking notes, planning events, making connections—often done in support of men. This exhibition reframes women’s work, showcasing and celebrating the organizing labor that enabled groundbreaking film, video, and community media collectives like Third World Newsreel, Paper Tiger Television, and Women Make Movies to pursue new forms of self expression and advocate for political change from the 1960s–1990s. This women’s work was done in support of other women, and often foregrounded images of women working in contexts from industrial laundries to sex work to activist marches. In addition to extended clips from the films, TV broadcasts, and videos themselves, the exhibition takes guests behind the scenes of independent media making through programming notes, DIY repair manuals, student and community planning documents, and other materials to tell the story of how media can be made and reach audiences outside the mainstream.

This exhibition is organized in conjunction with the “Women’s Work: Preserving Independent Film & Video Histories, Connecting Media Futures” signature program at the Institute for the Liberal Arts, Vassar College.

Support for this exhibition is provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with additional support from Vassar’s Art Department and Film Department. Organized by Erica Stein, Associate Professor and Chair of Film, Vassar College; Noelle Griffis, Associate Professor & Assistant Division Chair, Communication and Media Arts, Marymount Manhattan College; John Hulsey, Assistant Professor of Art, Vassar College; Fabio Andrade, Assistant Professor of Film, Vassar College; and Azra Dawood, Curator of Academic Programs, Loeb Art Center, Vassar College.