I think it’s safe to say we’re all a bit tired and wary of the “sexy” this and “sexy” that Halloween costumes. Whether you’re looking to do something different for yourself this year or are teaching your little one about empowered women throughout history, consider dressing yourself or your kiddo up as one of these famous artists this Halloween.
In 1915, Georgia O’Keeffe was one of the first people to create abstract works of art in the US. Most other artists of the time were focused on American realism. She is often considered to be the foremother of the feminist art movement, developing her career in a time where the industry was completely dominated by men. Her unique style famously depicts close-up imagery of flowers in a particularly vulvar shape.
To dress yourself or your daughter as Georgia O’Keeffe, you’ll need to use a few accessories to get the point across. Carrying an oversized orange poppy flower as well as a plaster skull will help to remind people of some of her most famous paintings. For dress, you can either wear a slick black skirt suit with a white undershirt or a black vest, bolero hat and flowy scarf. Hubspot has a really great tutorial on dressing as the famous painter here: O'Keeffe Costume.
Maya Angelou was an artist in every sense of the word. She was a dancer, singer, author, poet, director, playwright, and civil activist - just to name a few. She was appointed by Dr. Martin Luther King himself to organize and lead the Southern Christian Leadership conference in 1959. In 1970, She published her first book, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. The book was banned by many schools because it explored the sexual abuse she had endured as a child, and at the time discussing this topic was still very taboo. Maya went on to publish many more books and poetry that explored the topics of love, discrimination, race, and loss. She earned many accolades in her life, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barak Obama in 2010 (poets.org).
To dress up as a younger Maya Angelou, wear a brightly colored hair wrap, hoop earrings, and a matching patterned full-length dress. To depict an older Maya, wear a floor-length black gown, pearls and brown sunglasses.
Jeanne-Claude is a Moroccan-born environmental artist who is most famous for her grand public art works that seamlessly combine sculpture, urban planning, architecture, engineering and performance. Examples of some of Jeanne-Claude’s works include the “Surrounded Islands” in Biscayne Bay, Florida where she surrounded 11 little islands with miles of bright pink skirts. She also created a life-like version if the yellow brick road with her 135,000 square foot installation of saffron-colored nylon fabric in Kansas city. Physically, Jeanne-Claude is known for her hair.
To create a Jeanne-Claude costume, simply throw on some over-sized, colorful clothing and either wear a bright-red wig or use temporary hair dye to complete the look.
Although Frida costumes may be a little overdone, a list of rebellious female artists would never be complete with out her. Frida Kahlo is a Mexican artist who is famous for her self-portraits and her works depicting the connection between her physical and emotional selves. She endured great hardships in her life, including a bus accident that left her bedridden and in a full body cast for weeks. To pass the time, Frida painted. This is when she completed her very first self-portrait. Throughout her life, she was very active politically and had a desire to create a class-less world “so that we can obtain a better rhythm for the oppressed classes”.
Frida costumes are pretty easy to create. Gather your hair on top of your head and adorn it with large, colorful flowers. Put on a long, colorful skirt and don’t forget to draw on Frida’s signature unibrow. A shawl over your shoulders will complete the look.
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