On January 29th an exhibition of new work by Michele Pred opens at the gallery, and will continue through March 14th. Titled “CHOICE,” the exhibition shines a bright light on the resurgence of women’s rights issues while still connecting us to the movement’s vibrant past. The show also represents the continuing evolution of Ms. Pred’s keen political voice that began over a decade ago with her sculptures formed from objects confiscated at airport security checkpoints, followed by a commitment to women’s issues, commencing with her iconic hearts and flags composed of birth control pills.

She writes about this body of work:

“In 1989 I made my first art piece about reproductive rights. At that time, I never would have believed that 25 years later women would have less access to abortion and other critical health services. However, recent decisions by the United States Supreme Court leave no doubt that a woman’s right to choose is still under assault and that negative attitudes toward basic health care, like birth control, stubbornly persist."

“My latest work is born out of a renewed urgency to defend Choice and Access. I have created a limited edition series of 48 Pred-à-Porter purses. Each unique piece is made using a vintage handbag from the 1950s or ‘60s. For canvas I chose purses as my way to marry the politically-charged messages of the Pro-Choice movement with representations of women's modern economic power and the possibilities for change that come with it. For me, the use of purses from the mid-twentieth century harks back to that critical era, and reminds us how much has changed and, more importantly, how much has not."

“The text on each purse is created using Electroluminescent wire that is lit up using batteries and a small electronic driver that can be set to constant or flash mode. The purses are meant to be carried and serve as small-scale political billboards."

“The exhibition also includes pieces such as a large-scale neon piece that reads “My Body My Business” in pink, and a pair of boxing gloves emblazoned with the same text."

“Finally, this body of work is rooted in my formative years growing up in Berkeley, California during the ‘70s, where I was exposed to the women’s movement. It is also a continued homage to my father, Allan Pred who inspired the feminist in me at an early age."

“In partnership with Nancy Hoffman Gallery we are contributing five percent of the proceeds of the Pred-à-Porter limited edition series to NARAL Pro Choice New York.”

Michele Pred’s work has been shown at The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, New York; Arizona State University Museum, Phoenix; Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, Ohio; California College of the Arts, Oakland; di Rosa Preserve, Napa, California; Fashion Institute of Technology, New York; The Hearts in San Francisco Project, California; Honolulu Museum of Art, Hawaii; John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin; Museum of Contemporary Craft and Folk Art, San Francisco, California; Napa Valley College Art Gallery, California; Natalie and James Thompson Art Gallery, San Jose State University, California; National Institute of Art & Disabilities (NIAD), Richmond, California; Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase, New York; Newcombe Art Gallery, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana; Omi International Art Center, Ghent, New York; San Francisco State University Gallery, California; Sonoma Museum of Visual Art, California; Textile Art Center, Brooklyn, New York; and abroad at BildMusee, Umea, London Gallery West, University of Westminster, Middlesex, England; Sweden; Kulturheset, Stockholm, Sweden; Millesgården Museum, Lingingo, Sweden; University of Abertay Dundee, Dundee, Scotland; and UTS Gallery, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia.

Her work is included in the collections of The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii; di Rosa Collection, Napa, California; Fashion Institute of Technology, New York; and The 21C Museum, Louisville, Kentucky.

She was born in San Francisco and is of Swedish and American heritage. She received her B.F.A. with distinction from the California College of Arts and Crafts and a certificate in French Language from University of Sorbonne, France. She has received a grant from The Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, San Francisco and was prizewinner at Close Pegase Winery, Sonoma; and Sanchez Art Center, Oakland, California. She was designer of the first annual Webby Award, San Francisco.

The artist resides in Oakland, California.