In 1971, art historian Linda Nochlin published an influential and celebrated essay with the title, “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” The answer, Nochlin argued, was not that women lack artistic ability, or that great women artists have simply been overlooked and omitted from museums and exhibitions for centuries. Instead, Nochlin wrote, the explanation lies in the biases of art institutions and limited educational opportunities offered to women with artistic talent and potential. Historically, women lacked access to art schools, were rarely encouraged to cultivate their artistic abilities, and could not participate in salons featuring the latest work by leading artists. Professions in the arts often passed from father to son, as was the case for Picasso. A new gallery and artist collective in Pescadero will help reverse this art historical legacy. Eleven of the 12 artists who make up Madrone Arts, a new community-based art gallery that opened late last year, are women. Their mission is to support each other and community by exhibiting their own work and selected guest artists, and by providing educational workshops and presentations. Although the artists in the collective do not define Madrone as a “women’s art space,” and the gallery’s mission and selection of artists is not restricted by gender in any way, aspects of the endeavor offer a response to issues Nochlin raised. “I’m still uncomfortable calling myself an artist,” Martha Tingle, one of the founding members, said recently. Only after retiring from a career in medical research management and raising two children could Tingle devote enough time to her lifelong interest in ceramics to think about what it means to be an artist. “You can’t support a family off of pottery,” she said. Deborah Webster who, along with Delma Soult, helped get Madrone Arts off the ground, said that many of the artists on the Coastside didn’t have the time or know-how to break into the cutthroat world of art galleries. “Some of our members had never shown their work beyond local fairs,” Webster noted. “For many, art is a second career.” For years, Webster and Soult discussed the idea of creating a space that could provide more exposure for artists in the area and help them move from local art fairs into the wider art world. The idea finally became a reality last fall when the former “Made in Pescadero” space in the heart of town became available. After securing the lease, Webster and Soult compiled a list of local artists they would invite to join the new group. An initial group of 12 artists convened to make plans for the new space. Discussions of what to name the new venture reflected the possibility that they would define themselves as a women’s organization. Some early suggestions highlighted the preponderance of women in the group, but one member proposed naming it after the madrone, a family of trees that includes species indigenous along part of North America’s West Coast. “In a revealing recent study,” an email circulated among the group explained, “the madrona has been identified as the ‘hub’ of a network of mycorrhizal fungi shared with trees nearby.” Other qualities of the tree also spoke to the group’s mission. The roots of the madrone recover from disturbances, enabling it to play a definitive role in sustaining a diverse network of fungus that is necessary for forest regeneration and the maintenance of ecosystem diversity. The tree’s roots, the email continued, “provide access to nutrients and water for both the madrona and its neighbors.” Looking back at the formation of the collective, member artist Kim Hussey said it was an easy decision to accept the invitation to join. “I was basically propelled along by their energies! The opportunity came at a time when I needed a kick start in my artwork. And Pescadero is a supportive, creative community." Retired filmmaker William Bishop, the lone man in the collective, agreed that “the intelligence, talent, energy, and wit of the members” stands out more than questions of gender. In addition to providing a space to show work, Madrone hosts workshops for community members to expand their skills and talks by guest artists to help maintain the artistic ecosystem. On a recent Saturday, while Webster and Tingle discussed the nurturing role of their artistic community, Paola Vazquez Hernandez walked into Madrone Arts. The Pescadero native, now a University of California, Davis student, got a boost to her own artistic ambitions by working as a studio assistant for Susan Friedman, whose latest work is now on view in the gallery. The three women scrolled through Hernandez’s Instagram feed to see her latest creations, clearly buoyed by the inter-generational community. “It’s more because we’re artists leading with our hearts,” Tingle said, “than being about gender.”