Artemisia and Hildegard

By Carolyn Gage

7/24/26 - 8/22/26

Spectrum Stage, 2424 Castro Way, Sacramento, CA 95818

Artemisia and Hildegard is a complex and powerful two-woman show, featuring two of the most famous women artists in history, together on an explosive arts panel about survival strategies for women artists.

Hildegard Von Bingen, German abbess from the 12th century, and Artemisia Gentileschi, Italian baroque painter from the 17th century, have been scheduled as guest speakers on a panel titled, “Women Artists: Strategies for Survival.” As the women display slides of their work, the sparks begin to fly. Confronted with conflicting philosophies, each woman attempts to take control of the evening’s agenda.

Hildegard, whose art is multi-disciplinary and created in an all-women collective environment, has strong words for the woman who does her art for hire. Likewise, Artemisia, who struggled hard to achieve the same status and independent income as her male contemporaries, has a lot to say about the so-called virtues of poverty and humility. She resents the accusation from women that she is “just like a man,” because of her commercial success.

As the women struggle to justify their choices, choices which invalidate each other’s work, they find themselves exposing the contradictions in their own lives. The panel ends on a dramatic high note, as the audience is recruited in the debate about strategy for women artists in patriarchy.