Celebrating Women's History Month

Throughout Women’s History Month, we will be highlighting the work and achievements of artists and other major figures in the gallery’s history, from its founding in 1960 to the present. This continually updated hub will feature select writings, reflections, films, and other content showcasing women’s enduring impact at Pace. 

Explore below a curated selection of Pace Publishing titles, artist interviews, staff reflections, and spotlights on Eva and Milly Glimcher, who were integral to the gallery in its early years.

“This month, we’re celebrating the many women who have shaped the gallery’s story over the past 65 years, from Agnes Martin, Louise Nevelson, and other pioneering figures of the 20th century to contemporary artists in our program—as well as all the incredible women who have been part of our staff, leadership, and community. Pace would not be what it is today without their voices and their creativity, contributions, and achievements.”

—Samanthe Rubell, President

Pace Publishing

Featured: Women's History Month

Explore a selection of Pace Publishing titles and more—curated in honor of Women's History Month—in the Pace Shop.

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Tara Donovan,
Untitled (Plastic Cups), 2006

"Tara Donovan’s work captivates me in a way that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant. Like Donovan, I was raised in New York City, a city that pulses with a constant undercurrent of creativity, resourcefulness, and reinvention. As such, Donovan’s ability to transform everyday materials into vast, immersive works of art feels profoundly familiar. Her art speaks to the tangible, transformative power of perspective—a theme that mirrors the grit and resilience ingrained in New Yorkers. Like Donovan’s works, my hometown taught me that innovation often springs from the simplest sources, and beauty can emerge in the most unexpected forms.

Her works, like Untitled (Plastic Cups), 2006 and Untitled, (2014), convey a quiet strength, demonstrating how repetition, perseverance, and time can create something monumental from the seemingly insignificant. For those who have faced the complexities of city life from a young age, these themes of persistence and ingenuity are essential for overcoming obstacles. Growing up in New York City taught me the value of turning challenges into opportunities and using every challenge as a chance to grow.

Donovan’s art encourages me to embrace the transformative process and trust that, with time, patience, and focus, beauty can emerge. Her work reminds me that the grit instilled in women from early on can serve as a powerful tool for shaping one's environment and creating meaning from the ordinary."

—Leonora Gogos, Gallery Assistant

Torkwase Dyson
Liquid Shadows, Solid Dreams (A Monastic Playground), 2024

"When I think about taking up space and who belongs or feels welcome in museums and galleries, I think about comfort, leisure, and pleasure. Liquid Shadows, Solid Dreams (A Monastic Playground) Dyson’s monumental sculpture that slices the landscape of the Whitney’s terrace is striking in its minimalist aesthetic and grand scale. Yet in its grandeur it allows for pockets of rest, belonging and togetherness. Visitors can lounge in the nook within the cavernous hollow of the work, sparking questions about form & function and visitor engagement in contemporary art.

In an [art] world where the norm is to look and not touch, appreciate from afar, and not engage physically, Dyson literally invites us to take up space– the negative space– of the sculpture for moments of contemplation and connection."

—Morgan Chanon-Smith, Senior Events Associate

Louise Nevelson
Mirror Shadow XXXXII, 1987

"I had the good fortune to know Louise Nevelson for more than twenty-five years. She and Arne had an almost instantaneous, symbiotic relationship. That she knew Arne always had her back made her fearless.

I had the opportunity to observe how she overcame the challenges that life presented, especially the lack of respect she faced as a female artist during the 50s and 60s. I never saw her angry or disgusted. She confronted the challenge with charm, with patient intelligence and finally extravagant femininity. Her self-presentation, the way she dressed, the way she entered a room, with strength and dynamism, were lessons to all women. It was all performance, but it worked!

So, through her I learned to overcome my shyness and present myself to the world with strength, intelligence and charm! To be charming and gracious, no matter what others were doing was the key! She became a legend in the art world by the 70s and 80s through her sculptures and public commissions; always accomplished with her grand self-presentation, with extravagance, kindness and generosity."

—Milly Glimcher

Yin Xiuzhen
Wheel-cage, 2020

"I still haven’t quite recovered from how much Yin Xiuzhen’s Wheel-Cage (2020)—human-sized hamster wheels wrapped with worn garments—cracked me up. The structure is especially funny and menacing when experienced up-close, like in her studio. That unhinged superimposition of play, transgression, and the obligatory cycles of bull-shit labor feels viscerally relevant; it also speaks to her unique ability to allow humor and poetry seep through the dumb weight of life. It’s not so much about feminizing the materials—as in still subscribing to a conventional, colloquial understanding of what constitutes “feminine,” but rather a brute force of imagination that can only be unleashed from the lived experiences of women."

—Xin Wang, Curatorial Director