Kate

Kate Downey, Tour Guide + VIP Sales Associate for Museum Hack, discussing the hidden history of women at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“Where my girls at?”

It’s a question I ask at nearly every museum I visit. It’s also a driving force behind what we do at Girl Museum.

Many museums fail at effectively representing female history. It’s why Girl Museum was created: to use existing collections, modern-day experiences, and international collaborations in order to find where the girls are and give them a space and voice all their own. We look for the stories that have been held on the sidelines: the incredible girls of the past and present who shaped the past and continue to inspire us.

But we’re not the only ones dedicated to uncovering this lost history. On my last trip to New York City, I was delighted to finally experience the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But wandering its halls, the objects were just static pieces. The girls were there, but they were silent. Until I went on tour with Museum Hack.

I joined Museum Hack’s Badass Bitches of the Met tour. I knew that this tour was about women, but what I experienced went far beyond my expectations. My tour was run by Badass Bitches mastermind, Kate Downey. Kate is the embodiment of what a great tour guide should be: her passion for art, history, and female representation shined throughout the tour.

The tour started with a task. We were each given a pair of #artbitch sunglasses and told that we would “throw shade” on all the women-haters and mansplainers in the Met’s collections. But we’d also use the glasses as a force for good: lifting them to let our eyes feast on the little-known feminist gems of the Met.

What happened next was incredible. We wandered the halls of the Met, uncovering stories that I had no idea existed. I heard about Georgia O’Keefe (the feminist who was decidedly not-feminist), a prehistoric Venus that is the oldest object in the Met, and the interesting tale of how lime containers were vital to women in ancient Colombia. We delved into the tale of one of my favorite mythologies, Lilith, and the haunting statue currently on display in a stairwell. I also discovered the tale of Saint Margaret of Antioch, viewing her statue in unexpected ways to discover more about this amazing woman than any museum label had ever said.

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Saint Margaret of Antioch, on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Next, we had an unexpected opportunity. While discussing a particular work of art, one older gentleman (who was not on tour with us) decided to ‚Äúcorrect‚Äù Kate‚Äôs interpretation of the work. His mansplaining caught all of us off guard…and had us donning the sunglasses as he walked away. Yet, despite how rude he was, Kate was gracious: letting the man finish his explanation, thanking him for his interpretation, and continuing on with her story.

It was the most feminist moment I’d ever witnessed: being able to acknowledge that differing points of view exist, and that this is why we absolutely need feminism, yet not become hostile towards the mansplainer. There wasn’t any hatred here Рjust the acknowledgement that we need better representation and interpretation for female artists and female-centered artworks. That their stories are important, their points of view are different from traditional narratives, and that they are Рabove all Рintegral to our understanding of the past and our creation of a better future for women.

Tiffany’s caption of a painting at the Met.

Tiffany’s caption of a painting at the Met.

The tour also had amazing games. We were challenged to caption artworks in the galleries, lifting the veil on what the women really thought. We took fun photos with statues and had a photo challenge to uncover the “baddest bitch” of the Met. Finally, at the end of the tour, Kate helped us leave our own feminist mark on the museum through a sticker art project.

Overall, Badass Bitches was the most fun I have ever had in a museum. It truly answered the question, “Where my girls at?” and transformed my view of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the rest of my life. Kate’s passion and interpretations stay with me through every museum visit Рinspiring me to not only find the girls, but to let them come alive and tell history in their own words. And to throw shade at all the haters who think otherwise. It was, in short, the most badass museum experience ever.

If you’re headed to New York City, I highly recommend registering for Museum Hack’s Badass Bitches of the Met Tour. It’s the most fun Рand feminist Рadventure that you’ll ever have in a museum.

-Tiffany Rhoades
Program Developer
Girl Museum Inc.

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