Barbara Nessim: Defying Expectations, Championing Individuality, and Paving the Way for Women in Art

Name three women who inspire you

Gloria Steinem

Sonia Delaunay

Susan Weber

What is the legacy you hope to leave behind as a changemaker and leader in your industry?

When Gloria and I were roommates together for six years in the early 1960s, society expected every “girl” to aspire to one of four limited roles: wife, secretary, or, in exotic cases, airline stewardess or nurse. At the time, I was a freelance illustrator and fine artist, and Gloria was a freelance writer—neither of us held conventional jobs or adhered to traditional expectations. The prevailing belief was that a woman’s ultimate goal was to “catch” a man, marry him, and have children. But that was never my dream. Before considering any relationship with a man, I was determined to be fully and unapologetically myself. My parents and I always knew I would be an artist and carve my own path (my mother was a blouse designer, so I had a role model). Back then, this mindset was considered radical for a woman, but I didn’t care. I was committed to forging my own way. In an era that placed invisible rigid limitations on women’s aspirations, Gloria and I supported each other as we navigated a world that often failed to see beyond those constraints. Only in hindsight do I fully appreciate how narrow the vision for women truly was at the time. In 1967, as one of the first female teachers at the School of Visual Arts (SVA), I always encouraged my students not to imitate me or anyone else, but rather to discover their own unique voice. I would tell them, “There’s only one of me, and there’s only one of you, and I’m taken!” Part of my legacy is one of protecting and celebrating individuality in a world that often challenges it.