Instagram: @women_artists_making_murals
Survey Link: https://bit.ly/WomenMuralistsSurvey
Currently, my research uses an online survey to conduct a preliminary study exploring the perceived increase of women muralists (also known as street artists) in different localities. Particular attention is given to women muralists’ own impressions of their participation in public art both within a decorative context and as a form of gender expression with a focus on their access to public space (woman is defined as a person who self-identifies as a woman, inclusive of trans and genderqueer women and non-binary people who are fem identified). A further objective of this research is to identify if women muralists think their work is informed by their gender, and subsequently, whether their gender has influenced their ability to produce the street art they want to create. The aim is to create an anonymous online survey consisting of no more than thirty questions that will provide data on women muralists, which I can then use to determine if research on the role gender plays in mural making is significant for further study. Questions will focus on basic demography, art style and aesthetic, and gendered access to space.
Women Muralists and Their Gendered Access to Public Space – Course Release for Research Paper Publication (Fall 2025)
This Yukon University Scholarly Activity Grant funding will be used to continue my ongoing research program on women muralists and their gendered access to public space. This work builds on an international online survey conducted in spring 2023, which gathered responses from over 170 women mural makers about their experiences in the field. A substantial amount of qualitative data was collected, and I recently completed (February 2025) a 60+ page report summarizing the findings, which was shared with participating artists through Instagram and mailing lists (supported by a previous SAG award). I now intend to develop a peer-reviewed journal article that explores the following research questions: (1) How does gender shape women’s artistic style and aesthetic voice? (2) To what extent does gender limit their access to public mural spaces? and, (3) What are the implications of these factors for their art careers? These questions aim to better understand how gender bias may affect women muralists’ opportunities, working conditions, and long-term career development goals. My intention is to submit the manuscript to the Street Art and Urban Creativity Scientific Journal by December 2025.
Women Muralists and Their Gendered Access to Public Space – Interviews (forthcoming in 2026)
This project aims to expand on initial research conducted in the spring of 2023 that focused on creating an online survey exploring the perceived increase of women muralists (also known as street artists) in different localities. Particular attention will be given to women muralists’ own impressions of their participation in public art both within a decorative context and as a form of gender expression with a focus on their access to public space (woman is defined as a person who self-identifies as a woman, inclusive of trans and genderqueer women and non-binary people who are fem identified). A further objective of the research is to identify if women muralists think their work is informed by their gender, and subsequently, whether their gender has influenced their ability to produce the street art they want to create. The initial online survey resulted in 174 engagements and 124 completed responses from participants in Canada, the United States, Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Argentina. Of those, thirty respondents agreed to take part in semi-structured videoconferencing interviews. My intention is to create a final report of the initial online survey results, create an infographic of the data, and present the data at both the joint Canadian Anthropology Society / American Anthropological Association (CAA/AAA) conference and as an invited guest speaker of Mural Routes in Toronto, November of 2023. I will also use this time to write semi-structured interview questions and conduct interviews with survey respondents who agreed to participate in one-on-one interviews.
Partners and funders
YukonU Scholarly Activity Grant