BEVERLY, MA.- Not Ready to Make Nice, Guerrilla Girls in the Artworld and Beyond is a major presentation of the work by the Guerrilla Girls on view at Montserrat Gallery August 25- December 15, 2012. This multimedia, expansive exhibition illustrates that the work of the anonymous, feminist-activist collective Guerrilla Girls is as vital and revolutionary as ever. Curated by Neysa Page Lieberman from Columbia College Chicago, the exhibition is traveling exclusively to Montserrat College of Art Galleries. Not Ready to Make Nice illuminates and contextualizes the important historical and ongoing work of these highly original, provocative and influential artists who champion feminism and social change.

Focusing primarily on work from the past decade, the exhibition features rarely shown international projects that trace the collective’s artistic and activist influence around the globe. In addition, a selection of iconic work from the 80’s and 90’s illustrates the formative development of the group’s philosophy and conceptual approach to art activism. The exhibition is further punctuated by documentary material including ephemera from famous Actions, behind-the-scenes photos and anecdotes that reveal the Guerrilla Girls’ process and the events that drive their incisive institutional interventions.

Spanning four galleries, artwork is organized by theme: Montserrat Gallery features work related to the visual art world, Carol Schlosberg Alumni Gallery focuses on documentary materials and publications. The Frame 301 will feature a selection of their famous black and white posters for the month of October, while the 301 gallery will feature a selection of major recent banners and billboards. The exhibition is part of a college-wide semester-long focus on Art and Activism.

The exhibition will be accompanied by public programming, workshops and most notably an academic symposium: Agents of Change: Art As Activism with a keynote presentation by the Guerrilla Girls, which will be held on October 26 + 27. Keynote Friday, October 26, 8pm.

Symposium Prospectus: Art has long been a vehicle of protest and an agent for social change. In October 2012 Montserrat College of Art will welcome the Guerrilla Girls and other artists and academics to approach the topic of Art & Activism as it relates to art history, studio art and contemporary issues within artistic practice. Topics may include culturejammers, community artists, social and political graphics, activist printmaking, street art, murals, documentary film, environmentalist art, radical performance art and more.