Katie Stout (born in 1989), Sphinx (detail), 2019. Courtesy of R & Company, New York. Photo Joe Kramm
Katie Stout (born in 1989), Sphinx (detail), 2019. Courtesy of R & Company, New York. Photo Joe Kramm
Organized in collaboration with the Stewart Program for Modern Design, this major exhibition celebrates the instrumental role women have played in the world of design through a rich corpus of art works and objects dating from the mid-19th century onwards. In addition, it examines the reasons why women are underrepresented in the history of this discipline and encourages an expanded understanding of what constitutes design.
A sweeping story of perseverance, creativity and triumph.
Parall(elles) highlights the breadth and complexity of design pieces made by American and Canadian women by situating these works against the backdrop of social, political and personal issues that shaped their experiences across time. The exhibition also considers the intersectionality of gender, identity, race, culture and class to provide a deeper understanding of the varied roles and achievements of women. It traces the development of educational and professional opportunities available to women, the evolution of the status of crafts and the impact that women’s rights movements had on their practices. Finally, beyond revisiting traditional definitions of “design,” Parall(elles) opens a window onto a world of magnificent beauty and skill.
Vue de l’exposition Parall(elles) : une autre histoire du design. Photo MBAM, Denis Farley
View of the exhibition Parall(elles): A History of Women in Design. © Faith Ringgold (Licenced by Copyright Visual Arts-CARCC, 2023). Photo MMFA, Denis Farley
View of the exhibition Parall(elles): A History of Women in Design. Photo MMFA, Denis Farley
A fresh take on North American design of the past 150 years
Bringing together close to 250 art works and objects, the exhibition adopts a broad definition of design that extends from artisanal craftwork to industrial design, including ceramics, glass, metalwork, jewellery, textiles, furniture, consumer products, graphics, fashion and interior design.
One third of the objects presented come from the MMFA’s design collection, among the largest of its kind in North America. Parall(elles) also boasts numerous works on loan from the Stewart Program for Modern Design, private collections, and some thirty Canadian and American museum institutions.
View of the exhibition Parall(elles): A History of Women in Design. Photo MMFA, Denis Farley
View of the exhibition Parall(elles): A History of Women in Design. Photo MMFA, Denis Farley
Among the exhibited creations, visitors will discover remarkable vases from the Arts and Crafts movement; a Tiffany lamp – a veritable jewel of design from the early 20th century inspired by a drawing by Clara Driscoll; a tubular chrome-plated steel desk by Jeannette Meunier Biéler and a rare example of the influence of Bauhaus on Canadian design; the sculptural Museum coffee service by American-Hungarian designer Eva Zeisel; and an assortment of jewellery and evening gowns that attest to the break-through of women into the fashion and jewellery-making industries during the interwar period.
The public will also have a chance to admire the unique prototype Fancy Free Corvette, designed by Ruth Glennie for General Motors in 1958, as well as many modern objects and furniture items, including original editions of such pieces as the iconic LCW chair by Charles and Ray Eames and the Spindle wall clock by Lucia DeRespinis.
Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933), designed by Clara Driscoll (1861-1944), Peacock table lamp, about 1905, made by Tiffany Studios, New York. MMFA, purchase, Claire Gohier Fund, gift of Gérald-Henri Vuillien and Christophe Pilaire in honour of being granted Canadian permanent resident status, Ruth Jackson Bequest, gift of the International Friends of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and gift of Joan and Martin Goldfarb. Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière
Jeannette Meunier Biéler (1900-1990), desk, about 1932-1933. MMFA, gift of Philippe Baylaucq and Sylvie Biéler Baylaucq. Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière
Eva Zeisel (1906-2011), Museum coffee service, about 1942-1945, produced by Shenango Pottery, New Castle, Pennsylvania, for Castleton China, New York. MMFA, Liliane and David M. Stewart Collection, gift of Castleton China Inc. and gift of the American Friends of Canada through the generosity of Hans Zeisel. Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière
Charles Eames (1907-1978) and Ray Eames (1912-1988), LCW [Low-Chair-Wood] chair, 1945-1946 (example about 1946), produced by Herman Miller Furniture, Zeeland, Michigan. MMFA, Liliane and David M. Stewart Collection. Photo MMFA, Christine Guest
Lucia DeRespinis (born in 1927) for George Nelson Associates, Spindle clock, Model 2239, 1957-1958, produced by the Howard Miller Clock Company, Zeeland, Michigan. The Stewart Program for Modern Design, Montreal, purchase from the bequest of Luc d’Iberville Moreau, by exchange. Photo Denis Farley
Ruth Glennie (1929-2018) for General Motors, Fancy Free Corvette, 1958. Collection of Jürgen Reimer, Germany. Photo General Motors LLC
The influence of the female experience and the fluidity of movement between the realms of art, craft and design, which manifested in creations by women as of the 1970s, are notably reflected in works by Judy Chicago, Sonya Clark, Madeleine Dansereau, Mary Lee Hu, Carolyn L. Mazloomi, Faith Ringgold, Joyce J. Scott and Cindy Sherman, to name a few.
Parall(elles) also highlights innovations in local, present-day design through works by Quebec and Canadian artists and designers such as Lani Adeoye, Eliza Au, Marie-Hélène Beaulieu, Chifen Cheng, Maryse Chartrand, Ying Gao, Zoë Mowat, Anastasia Radevich, Shay Salehi and Natasha Thorpe.
Mary Lee Hu (born in 1943), Choker No. 43, 1978. Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, Bloomington, Museum Purchase with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. Photo Kevin Montague, Eskenazi Museum of Art
Faith Ringgold (born in 1930), Tar Beach 2 quilt, 1990. Philadelphia Museum of Art, purchased with funds contributed by W. B. Dixon Stroud, 1992. © Faith Ringgold, (Licenced by Copyright Visual Arts-CARCC, 2023). Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Cindy Sherman (born in 1954), Madame de Pompadour (née Poisson) soup tureen and stand, 1990, made by the Ancienne Manufacture Royale de Limoges for Artes Magnus, New York. MMFA, Liliane and David M. Stewart Collection. Photo MMFA, Christine Guest
Lani Adeoye (born in 1989), Lilo chair, 2015. MMFA, in process of acquisition. Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière
Eliza Au (born in 1982), Slot Bowl, 2019. The Stewart Program for Modern Design, Montreal, gift of Dr.Michael Sze, by exchange. Photo Ji Xiao Tong
Zoë Mowat (born in 1985), Quarry Bowls, 2019, made by Ricardo Eira for Origin, Várzea, Portugal. The Stewart Program for Modern Design, Montreal, purchase from the bequest of Luc d’Iberville Moreau, by exchange. Photo Denis Farley
Furthermore, many of the exhibited contemporary creations speak to the shift towards sustainable development, slow design, additive manufacturing, new technologies – from robotics to 3D printing – and object-making as a form of high art that have characterized design production in the past twenty years.
Theanne N. Schiros (born in 1975) in collaboration with Public School, New York, and in scientific partnersip with Helen Lu and Romare Antrobus, Columbia University Biomedical Engineering, microbial bioleather sneakers, 2020, built by Anne Marika Verploegh Chassé. Collection of the designer. Photo Jon Brown
Jay Sae Jung Oh (born in 1982), Savage chair, 2011. Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Museum Committee 2011 Graduate Degree Exhibition Purchase Award through the Imerman Acquisition Fund. Photo R. H. Hensleigh and Tim Thayer
Molly Hatch (born in 1978), Ducere, 2022. Courtesy of Todd Merrill Studio, New York. Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière
A monumental work by Molly Hatch
The MMFA commissioned Molly Hatch to create a massive mosaic composed of 198 hand-painted terracotta plates that would dominate the grand staircase of the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion. To execute this work, the American potter drew inspiration from the Museum’s recently acquired, exquisite pseudo-cloisonné enamel vase produced by the Minton Manufactory based on a drawing by Christopher Dresser.
Minton Manufactory (founded in 1793), design by Christopher Dresser (1834-1904), vase, 1880, porcelain, enamel, gilt and painted decoration, 26.5 x 21 x 11 cm. MMFA, gift of the Honourable Serge Joyal, P.C., O.C., O.Q. Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière
Delve deeper
Using your smartphone, scan the QR codes in the exhibition galleries to get additional background information on certain works on display.
The MMFA’s WiFi network is free and accessible throughout the Museum.
Watch recordings of the lectures, roundtable discussions and virtual gatherings organized in connection with the exhibition!
Aimed at highlighting the plurality of perspectives and voices inherent in the field of design, this enhanced program draws on the expertise of Tanya Aguiñiga, Marie-Hélène Beaulieu, Taisha Carrington, Jeannine Falino, Aurélie Guillaume, Marie-Ève Marchand, Natasha Thorpe and Laura Wee Lay Laq.
Exhibition catalogue
The exhibition is complemented by an illustrated bilingual catalogue, published by the MMFA’s Publishing Department. Packaged in a plexiglas cover that comes in pink or orange, this book features an essay by Jennifer Laurent, Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at the MMFA, that offers an enlightening account of the history of women in the design industry, as well as 70 images of artworks and objects. The catalogue’s graphic design was realized by Charlie Proulx.
Available at the MMFA Boutique and Bookstore. Museum Members are entitled to a 10% discount on the purchase price.
Photo © Paprika
Credits and curatorial team
An exhibition organized by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in collaboration with the Stewart Program for Modern Design. It is curated by Jennifer Laurent, Curator of Decorative Arts and Design, MMFA.
The Museum thanks the exhibition’s patrons, Lucie Bouthillette, Sarah Ivory-Stewart, Monique Parent, Julia Reitman, the Schulich Foundation and Alysia Yip-Hoi, and the donors to the MMFA Foundation’s Women of Influence Circle.
Presented by
Major Benefactor
In collaboration with
With support from
Official Sponsor
Media Partners
Public Partners
Vue de l’exposition Parall(elles) : une autre histoire du design. Photo MBAM, Denis Farley
View of the exhibition Parall(elles): A History of Women in Design. © Faith Ringgold (Licenced by Copyright Visual Arts-CARCC, 2023). Photo MMFA, Denis Farley
View of the exhibition Parall(elles): A History of Women in Design. Photo MMFA, Denis Farley
View of the exhibition Parall(elles): A History of Women in Design. Photo MMFA, Denis Farley
View of the exhibition Parall(elles): A History of Women in Design. Photo MMFA, Denis Farley
Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933), designed by Clara Driscoll (1861-1944), Peacock table lamp, about 1905, made by Tiffany Studios, New York. MMFA, purchase, Claire Gohier Fund, gift of Gérald-Henri Vuillien and Christophe Pilaire in honour of being granted Canadian permanent resident status, Ruth Jackson Bequest, gift of the International Friends of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and gift of Joan and Martin Goldfarb. Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière
Jeannette Meunier Biéler (1900-1990), desk, about 1932-1933. MMFA, gift of Philippe Baylaucq and Sylvie Biéler Baylaucq. Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière
Eva Zeisel (1906-2011), Museum coffee service, about 1942-1945, produced by Shenango Pottery, New Castle, Pennsylvania, for Castleton China, New York. MMFA, Liliane and David M. Stewart Collection, gift of Castleton China Inc. and gift of the American Friends of Canada through the generosity of Hans Zeisel. Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière
Charles Eames (1907-1978) and Ray Eames (1912-1988), LCW [Low-Chair-Wood] chair, 1945-1946 (example about 1946), produced by Herman Miller Furniture, Zeeland, Michigan. MMFA, Liliane and David M. Stewart Collection. Photo MMFA, Christine Guest
Lucia DeRespinis (born in 1927) for George Nelson Associates, Spindle clock, Model 2239, 1957-1958, produced by the Howard Miller Clock Company, Zeeland, Michigan. The Stewart Program for Modern Design, Montreal, purchase from the bequest of Luc d’Iberville Moreau, by exchange. Photo Denis Farley
Ruth Glennie (1929-2018) for General Motors, Fancy Free Corvette, 1958. Collection of Jürgen Reimer, Germany. Photo General Motors LLC
Mary Lee Hu (born in 1943), Choker No. 43, 1978. Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, Bloomington, Museum Purchase with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. Photo Kevin Montague, Eskenazi Museum of Art
Faith Ringgold (born in 1930), Tar Beach 2 quilt, 1990. Philadelphia Museum of Art, purchased with funds contributed by W. B. Dixon Stroud, 1992. © Faith Ringgold, (Licenced by Copyright Visual Arts-CARCC, 2023). Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Cindy Sherman (born in 1954), Madame de Pompadour (née Poisson) soup tureen and stand, 1990, made by the Ancienne Manufacture Royale de Limoges for Artes Magnus, New York. MMFA, Liliane and David M. Stewart Collection. Photo MMFA, Christine Guest
Lani Adeoye (born in 1989), Lilo chair, 2015. MMFA, in process of acquisition. Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière
Eliza Au (born in 1982), Slot Bowl, 2019. The Stewart Program for Modern Design, Montreal, gift of Dr.Michael Sze, by exchange. Photo Ji Xiao Tong
Zoë Mowat (born in 1985), Quarry Bowls, 2019, made by Ricardo Eira for Origin, Várzea, Portugal. The Stewart Program for Modern Design, Montreal, purchase from the bequest of Luc d’Iberville Moreau, by exchange. Photo Denis Farley
Theanne N. Schiros (born in 1975) in collaboration with Public School, New York, and in scientific partnersip with Helen Lu and Romare Antrobus, Columbia University Biomedical Engineering, microbial bioleather sneakers, 2020, built by Anne Marika Verploegh Chassé. Collection of the designer. Photo Jon Brown
Jay Sae Jung Oh (born in 1982), Savage chair, 2011. Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Museum Committee 2011 Graduate Degree Exhibition Purchase Award through the Imerman Acquisition Fund. Photo R. H. Hensleigh and Tim Thayer
Molly Hatch (born in 1978), Ducere, 2022. Courtesy of Todd Merrill Studio, New York. Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière
Minton Manufactory (founded in 1793), design by Christopher Dresser (1834-1904), vase, 1880, porcelain, enamel, gilt and painted decoration, 26.5 x 21 x 11 cm. MMFA, gift of the Honourable Serge Joyal, P.C., O.C., O.Q. Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière
Photo © Paprika
