BROOKLYN, NY.- Arts activists the Guerrilla Girls, a group of anonymous women or "feminist masked avengers" fighting for gender and racial equality, will be honored at the fifth annual Women in the Arts luncheon on Friday, November 9, 2007. Proceeds from the event, which is organized by the Museum's Community Committee, a volunteer organization, will benefit a wide range of Museum programs.

Since 1985, the Guerrilla Girls, who appear in public in gorilla masks and assume the pseudonyms of deceased women artists, have used facts, humor, and outrageous visuals to expose sexism, racism, and corruption in politics, art, film, and pop culture. They have created posters, stickers, billboards, and other actions and have lectured, performed, and conducted workshops in universities and museums worldwide. The recipients of numerous awards and honors, their work has been taught in art history classes, written about in doctoral dissertations, and widely covered in the media throughout the world. They are also the authors of The Guerrilla Girls' Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art; Bitches, Bimbos and Ballbreakers: The Guerrilla Girls' Illustrated Guide to Female Stereotypes; and The Guerrilla Girls Art Museum Activity Book.

Some Guerrilla Girls, including founding members, will be in full jungle drag to accept the Women in the Arts Award. They promise this honor will have no effect on their commitment to expose injustices everywhere, including any at the Brooklyn Museum.

The program will begin at 11 a.m. in the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Auditorium with a dialogue between the Guerrilla Girls and Maura Reilly, Curator of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum, to be followed by the presentation of the Women in the Arts award by Museum Director Arnold L. Lehman. Luncheon from 1-2:30 p.m. in the Beaux- Arts Court will be preceded by a reception at which guests will have an opportunity to speak with members of the Guerrilla Girls.

Various levels of tickets are available for the 2007 Women in the Arts event beginning at $150 for an individual ticket through $3,000 for a table of ten, which includes preferred seating and listing in the program. To order tickets, or for further information contact the Community Committee Office at (718) 789-2493.

Previous recipients of the Brooklyn Museum Women in the Arts Award include Annie Leibovitz, Maya Lin, Dr. Elizabeth A. Sackler, and Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell.