Women of York: “Shared Dining” Favorite 

In 2013, a group of ten women incarcerated at York Correctional Institution in Connecticut, calling themselves “Women of York,” created this work of art inspired by Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party. The installation includes six entry banners and ten place settings arranged on a triangular table, each dedicated to a woman of personal significance to the artist.

The members of Women of York responded to the limitations of making work within a correctional institution by repurposing materials from their everyday lives, including plastic cutlery, paper plates, and Styrofoam cups. The installation is accompanied by audio recordings of each artist describing her place setting and the historical figure it represents.

Shared Dining uses individual stories to raise questions about politics, gender, and incarceration. Reflecting on the power of Chicago’s iconic masterwork, the installation celebrates women’s achievements and acknowledges the continuing impact of feminism in the twenty-first century.

Women of York: “Shared Dining” is organized by Catherine Morris, Sackler Family Curator for the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, with Stephanie Weissberg, Curatorial Assistant, Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Brooklyn Museum.