Stop by the Art Department hallway gallery on the 2nd floor to see a display of archival ephemera from our research files on FOCUS 1974 and its current anniversary companion exhibition, (re)FOCUS 2024

FOCUS: Philadelphia Focuses on Women in the Visual Arts, was a landmark city-wide festival held in 1974 Philadelphia comprised of more than 150 exhibitions and events. (re)FOCUS 2024 is a Philadelphia citywide festival celebrating women-identified artists on the 50th anniversary of FOCUS: Philadelphia Focuses on Women in the Visual Arts/1974 festival.

The Art Department maintains extensive research files that contain archival materials such as clippings, exhibit announcements, catalogs and other ephemera useful to those researching individual artists or Philadelphia art subjects. They are available to anyone for library use by request at the Art & Literature reference desk.

Stop by for a glimpse at archival materials documenting the original exhibition and some of its curators and participating artists, including Diane Burko, Howardena Pindell, Edna Andrade, Betty Leacraft and Joan Mitchell as well as materials on two artists exhibited in this year's (re)FOCUS. Doriana Diaz curated The In-Between Spaces on display here at the Parkway Central Library and work by Gail Gaines can be seen in the Women’s Caucus for Art Juried Exhibition for (re)FOCUS at Philadelphia City Hall through April 12th. Step into the Art Department to see a monumental boot-shaped sculpture on permanent display created by Gaines on a form designed by Darla Jackson.