A Woman Artist's Worth
Women in the Arts Post-Covid, Francesca Caccini, Cecilia Livingston, and the Penelope Project
Throughout 2020 during the COVID pandemic, I have come to know the experience of being physically separated from a loved one due to circumstances beyond my control. Much like the character Penelope, from Homer's Odyssey, which I have connected with through my work with composer Cecilia Livingston, I was faced with the situation of needing to maintain my music career while my husband was forced to work internationally to continue pursuing his own career as a professional musician.
This challenge of being physically located on opposite sides of the globe parallels Penelope's struggles in so many ways. As such I have come to deeply appreciate Penelope's strength and courage in her personal quest to carry on her daily life without her beloved Odysseus by her side.
My personal experience during the disruption caused by the pandemic is a major factor that led me to organize The Penelope Project, a new music project that resonates so deeply with me as I have faced a similar struggle during the COVID pandemic.
In this post, we'll take a closer look at the connections between my latest musical endeavor, The Penelope Project, which shines a light on Francesca Caccini and Cecilia Livingston, both female composers holding space in a male-dominated field, and the work that is needed to continue progressing women in the arts in a post-Covid era.
Francesca Caccini's Struggle to Be Taken Seriously
The world of the arts has always been a challenging one for women, but it was even more so in 16th century Italy. Francesca Caccini (1587-ca.1640) was an early pioneer who sought to break those barriers and make her voice heard. She had talent, ambition, and an indomitable spirit.
Francesca Caccini had a dream. The daughter of composer Giulio Caccini and singer Lucia di Filippo Gagnolanti, Francesca knew that she was destined to become an accomplished musician. The Renaissance woman composed music, wrote libretti and poetry, designed sets and costumes, organized festivals, acted in plays — even when her contemporaries did not always take her work seriously because she was female.
The Financial Support of Francesca Caccini's Music
As a composer, singer, and poet from Italy who was also a contemporary of Barbara Strozzi, Francesca Caccini wrote religious music and poetry that was ultimately only published posthumously.
She began her career as a singer-songwriter at age 13, which would have been considered very unusual for that time period. Her father realized his daughter's potential and became her manager from then on. Francesca studied music with her father Giulio Caccini; who helped shape not only her musical abilities but also taught her much about life as a professional musician in general. He was an integral player in encouraging Francesca to pursue the art of composing music.
Francesca Caccini’s successful musical and compositional career (she was the highest-paid musician in the court in the 1620s) was possible because of the patronage of the Medici Family, in particular, Duchess Elisabeth. Duchess Elisabeth's Medici family ascended to power during Caccini's lifetime so Francesca served a number of members of this royal family.
Heather Fetrow performing “O Vive Rose” by Francesca Caccini
Cecilia Livingston's "Penelope" Highlights the Endless Work of Women
Composer Cecilia Livingston specializes in creating music for the voice and is the 2021 composer-in-residence at the Glyndebourne Opera. Livingston's projects often tell women’s stories, inviting audiences to reconsider familiar literary and historical characters. Her work is driven by melody and mixing styles, from minimalism to jazz, in order to create music that is lyrical and unsettling.
In Livingston's song "Penelope" she evokes the image of a woman waiting, which is a theme in many types of art and literature. Her act of waiting calls for bravery, courage, endurance, hope - even defiance. The piece is a study in paradox, longing to release while succumbing and letting go. The story of Penelope's wait for her husband Ulysses has been a powerful metaphor for artists from ancient Greece to the present day.
Cecilia says of her piece "In this song I imagine Penelope wandering the drafty, echoing "empty rooms" of whatever fortress or palace protected and imprisoned her during her long wait for the return of her husband; she is surrounded by clamoring suitors and gossipy servants, but in her heart, she keeps a lonely vigil beside the sea that took her family away and may, or may not, bring them back.”
And, unlike us – who know the story's ending – she has no guarantee that they will return. She's often praised (condescendingly) for her loyalty, for being a good wife. But how often do we risk imagining her silent battle against her own mind – against hopelessness? It's terrifying to contemplate; would we have that strength?
The Suppression of Women's Work in the Arts
Women have contributed greatly to the arts throughout history. The arts are a way in which women can express themselves and connect to the world. The Penelope Project is a new initiative designed to highlight this problem and contribute to making it easier for people to find female artists from across centuries and continents whose work has been overlooked or forgotten.
This historical, systemic, and ongoing suppression of women's creative output can still be seen today. In fact, the NEA found that as women artists age they earn progressively less than their male artist counterparts. Women artists in the age range of 55-64 earn only 0.66 cents for each $1.00 earned by men.
The NEA also found that women artists are less able to find the support they need for their endeavors. The Penelope Project is dedicated to providing this necessary funding, as well as exposure and mentorship opportunities so that these female creatives can continue doing what they love.
While women earn 70% of bachelor of fine arts and 65-75% of master of fine arts degrees in the US, only 46% of working artists across all arts disciplines are women. Surprisingly women in the arts are found not to experience the “motherhood penalty”—lost or stagnant income after children. But men in the arts do receive an income bump when they become fathers. Projects like The Penelope Project are key to helping these deserving artists who are often overlooked.
The Penelope Project Needs Your Help
The Penelope Project aims to achieve its mission by bringing together women artists to create a musical film of Cecilia Livingston’s “Penelope”. Through collaboration, we will weave together the threads that have helped and hindered women artists in the past to create a beautiful tapestry of work that will inspire and illuminate womens’ progress in the 21st century.
The larger goal of The Penelope Project is to promote women's work in the arts by showcasing their work and contributing to women artists' progress in the post-Covid era. This project was started in part because it can be so difficult for women composers to gain recognition as an artist without access to financial support for their creative work and beneficial professional connections.
Additionally, The Penelope Project hopes to include a wide representation of female artists including women of color, women across the spectrum of LGTBQ+, and women artists with disabilities. The Penelope Project will also offer financial scholarships for emerging female artists to help them continue to create art while fighting against sexism and racism in the music industry.
How You Can Support Women in the Arts post-Covid
If you want to help The Penelope Project reach its goal of bringing together women artists by creating a musical film of Cecilia Livingston’s “Penelope” donate now or become involved with the project on Patreon.
Through Penelope's story, we will examine stories of women's persistent struggles, failures, and triumphs throughout history to finally illuminate their successes in the 21st century and help contribute to the push for continued progress for women artists moving forward.
This project is currently being crowdfunded through Patreon to make it possible. If you’ve enjoyed this blog post or want more information on how you can support this project, visit Patreon to learn more.