Presented during Women’s History Month, Female Gaze (Mar 22 – Apr 19, 2025) brought together over thirty women artists whose works reclaimed visibility and authorship. The exhibition reflected on how women portrayed the world through their own lenses—asserting new narratives of identity, intimacy, and strength beyond the limitations of the “male gaze.”
Featured Artists
Allison Marie Scout Waite, Amanda J. Cain, Amber Lewis, Andrea Del Rio, Ash Nowak, Bre’Ann White, Bri Frey, Brooke Hitchcock, Caitlin Cartwright, Caroline del Giudice, Cyndia Robinson, Eileen Tjan, Emily Schnellbacher Bean, Heidi Barlow, Ijania Cortez, Jade Lilly, Jaiel Nelson, Jamilah Renee, Kat Quay, Kate Maggart, Kelly Golden, Kristin Adamcyzk, Lena Marquise, Lois Teicher, Martyna Alexander, Munera Ziad Kaakouch, Naomi Ning, Olivia Maldonado, Rachel Pontious, Shaina Kasztelan, Sydney G. James, Taylor Childs and Zoe Beaudry.
The exhibition highlighted fresh and authentic portrayals of women through their own perspectives, reclaiming the power of representation from the traditional “male gaze.” Female Gaze challenged historic and cultural narratives by presenting how women saw—and defined—themselves in contemporary art today.
The term “female gaze” was originally coined by feminists in response to Laura Mulvey’s landmark 1975 essay, Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, which critiqued the objectification of women in film. In contrast, this exhibition celebrated the multiplicity and subjectivity of women’s perspectives, inviting audiences to experience works that were bold, intimate, and unfiltered.
When male-dominated tech giants such as Google and Apple quietly erase International Women’s History Month from our calendars, the message is clear: women’s stories and voices continue to be silenced and undermined. That is exactly why they must be amplified, respected, and heard.”
— Curator Paulina Petkoski
Across painting, photography, sculpture, and new media, participating artists embodied a collective assertion of presence—one that reflected resilience, desire, humor, and defiance. Female Gaze positioned these voices not as reactionary, but as essential in reshaping how identity and femininity are represented in visual culture.
Beyond a month-long celebration, the exhibition served as a call to action: to support women artists, women-owned spaces, and narratives that challenge systems of erasure. Through these works, PLAYGROUND DETROIT continued its commitment to fostering equity and visibility within the creative ecosystem.
By creating a platform for dialogue and visibility, Female Gaze underscored that representation is not only an aesthetic matter but a political and social act. Each artwork contributed to a collective movement—one that insisted on complexity, empowerment, and the right to self-definition.
