Women, War & Industry

San Diego, a military town, is the perfect setting for the Women, War, and Industry exhibition on view at San Diego Museum of Art through February 18. The show provides a fascinating look at women in relation to battle and related industry. The museum has mounted many works from its own permanent collection that have never been previously displayed. Masterfully designed World War I and II-era posters share wall space with modern and contemporary pieces. Viewers notice how, over time, changing design styles reflect cultural influences, communicating visually with minimal words. Important photographers Margaret Bourke-White, Esther Bubley, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Gjon Mili, Berenice Abbott, and San Diegan Florence Kemmler make powerful impressions.

Current involvement of women in the U.S. military, both abroad and domestically, increases the relevance of this exhibition’s theme. An added tidbit involves the museum’s history. During the Second World War, many objects housed in what is now the San Diego Museum of Art were moved to other locations so the museum could function as a naval hospital. (619.232.7931, www.sdmart.org)     DARLENE G. DAVIES