Austrian Association of Women Artists
The Austrian Association of Women Artists was founded in 1910. The VBKÖ is located at Maysedergasse 2/4, Vienna 1010, its founding headquarters. The association supports improvements to the economic and educational conditions of female artists, as well as promoting the artists themselves.
Historical beginnings
Founded in 1910, VBKÖ's first president was Baronin Olga Brand-Krieghammer who oversaw the association's first six years. Broadly, the mission of VBKÖ was to make more female artists visible, though in order to achieve this, other economic, educational and health concerns required betterment as well. A program of exhibitions began from VBKÖ's inception, and these shows laid the foundations for future feminist discourse.Käthe Kollwitz, Tina Blau, Marie Egner, Helene Funke and Olga Wisinger-Florian were all connected to the VBKÖ, some as active members, while others were invited to exhibit. VBKÖ rented its own studio and exhibition space, allowing artists to work outside of the established art world. The VBKÖ is one of many Euro-American organizations that support women artists and other examples include the Society of Female Artists London, founded in 1855; the Vereinigung der Berliner Künstlerinnen und Kunstfreunde, Berlin founded in 1867; the Société de l’Union des Femmes Peintres et Sculpteurs, Paris, founded in 1881; and the National Association of Women Artists, United States, founded in 1889.