JUDITH ANDERSON (1934-2008): A Tribute to the Artist

Images by Judith Anderson:
Mandorla Of The Spinning Goddess (1982)
Missa Gaia: This Is My Body (1988)

When I was a printmaker at the University of Massachusetts, I came across the work of artist Judith Anderson in a book called The Once and Future Goddess. This book is described as a sweeping visual chronicle of the sacred female and her re-emergence in the cultural mythology of our time. Judith's work influenced me as a person and an artist in the greatest of ways. It helped me go into myself deeper than I ever had and find my own artist voice and imagery. It gave me access for the first time to my own personal flow of

creative energy and allowed me to feel the sacredness of creation. What a gift she gave me!

I have followed her work over the years and have often wanted to apply to the gallery where her work is showcased: Woman Made Gallery in Chicago. I was always a little nervous about shipping work and so I never applied to show, but learning about her death this week inspired me to go for it and I will be applying to a few of their shows this year. Thank you Judith Anderson for for your inspiration .

For those of you who don't know about this artist more of her work can be seen at:http://www.judithanderson.womanmade.net/

Obituary Notice:

Magnificent artist, feminist and Woman Made member since 1994, Judith Anderson died on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at home and surrounded by her loved ones. We are extending our deepest regrets to Judith' children and her entire family.
Judith Anderson was one of the first participants in WMG's Online Registry in 2000 and samples of her artwork may be viewed on her website. A hard-working and very prolific artist all through her life, it is in part because of her wonderful artistic creations that Judith Anderson continues her presence with Woman Made Gallery.
"Judith Anderson, age 73, artist and print maker, died on April 5, 2008. Loved by her children, Sam Anderson of Lansing, MI, Jessica Anderson (Trevor Staples) of Ypsilanti, MI, Laura Anderson (Paul Martino) of Old Saybrook, CT, and beloved of her partner, Kathleen Collins of Miller Place, NY. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, her last show was at Mackerel Sky in East Lansing in the summer of 2007. She leaves many friends who cherished her and a legacy of artworks of great power and enduring beauty. A celebration of Judith's life was held May 17, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. at Edgewood United Church, 469 N. Hagadorn, East Lansing, MI, with Catherine Madsen of Amherst, MA leading the celebration. Donations in Judith's memory may be sent to The Nature Conservancy at http://www.nature.org. For remembrances of Judith, please visit the online guestbook at www.legacy.com and enter her name." -Published in the Lansing State Journal - April 27, 2008

About the Artist Judith Anderson:

JUDITH ANDERSON(1934-2008)
Judith Anderson studied drawing and painting at the Art Students League in the fifties and later studied etching at Michigan State University. A print maker for over thirty years, she was a member of the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club and exhibited widely in national juried and invitational shows, winning a number of prizes. Anderson's prints have been published in many periodicals and books, including Elinor W. Gadon's The Once and Future Goddess: A Symbol for Our Time, and in Bill Moyers' PBS program (and video) Spirit and Nature. Her work is in numerous collections, and she was represented by the R. Michelson Galleries in Northampton and Amherst, MA and The Print Consortium, Kansas City, MO.