Judy Chicago Will Headline National Gallery’s 2025 Betty Churcher AO Memorial Oration

Groundbreaking American artist Judy Chicago and a panel of contemporary Australian artists will deliver the National Gallery of Australia’s 2025 Betty Churcher AO Memorial Oration. 

On 6 March, the free event will feature an exclusive conversation between Chicago and award-winning author and art historian Katy Hessel. Filmed across two continents, Chicago and Hessel delve into Chicago’s seven-decade career from her pioneering work in the 1960s to how gender has shaped her art and career.

Audiences can book a free ticket to attend the Oration at the National Gallery in Canberra/ Kamberri or register to watch online via live stream. Following the premiere of Chicago and Hessell’s filmed conversation, there will be a live panel discussion between leading Australian artists Alison Alder, Marie Hagerty, Raquel Ormella and r e a (Gamilaraay/Wailwan/Biripi peoples). Hosted by Tracy Cooper-Lavery, Head of Art Across Australia and Chair of the National Gallery’s Gender Equity Action Group, the panel will discuss their own experiences in the arts and feminist movements in Australia. 

In 1972, Chicago established the first feminist art program in Fresno, United States. Her iconic work The Dinner Party is widely regarded as the first epic feminist artwork. The National Gallery recently acquired Chicago’s renowned minimalist sculpture, Rainbow Pickett, which will feature in the upcoming exhibition Know My Name: Global.

Judy Chicago: ‘When I went to Fresno, I set out to create a feminist art practice. I thought to myself, if I started working with young female students maybe I could encourage them to make art that didn’t require them distancing themselves from their gender, and by helping them, I could help myself.’

To mark the 50th anniversary of the United Nations International Women's Year (IWY) the 2025 Betty Churcher AO Memorial Oration celebrates diverse voices and the contributions of artists internationally.

National Gallery Director Dr Nick Mitzevich: ‘The National Gallery is honoured to have Judy Chicago and our panellists join us in conversation for this year’s Betty Churcher Memorial Oration. Each of these speakers embody the inspirational spirit of the late Betty Churcher and her advocacy for gender equality in the arts. Chicago, in particular, is one of the most pre-eminent feminist artists of the last 60 years, pushing the limits of artistic practice through her experimentation with form, colour and spatial innovation. Our acquisition of her iconic work, Rainbow Pickett, is a significant contemporary addition to the national collection.’