Do Women Have To Be Naked To Get Into the Met. Museum? – Home

Author

Mine Dogucu

Published

January 18, 2026

During my undergraduate days at Smith College, I remember seeing a flyer showing that the Guerrilla Girls were coming to campus to give a lecture. Unfortunately, I had to work and could not attend. At that point, my knowledge of the art world was fairly limited, but like many, I had already been captivated by their iconic “Do Women Have To Be Naked To Get Into the Met. Museum?” poster. Today, as someone married to a male artist, I care more about their work than I ever did.

The Getty Research Institute is currently hosting a fascinating exhibition titled How to be A Guerrilla Girl, coinciding with the group’s 40th anniversary. I got to see the show with my dear friend Paloma. Until yesterday I had not realized that the seminal poster had been updated over the years.

Three framed versions of the famous Guerrilla Girls poster titled "Do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum?" are displayed vertically on a white gallery wall, dated 1989, 2005, and 2012. Each poster features a reclining female nude wearing a gorilla mask. The text on the posters updates over time to show changing statistics in 1989, less than 5% of artists were women while 85% of nudes were female; by 2012, female artists increased slightly to less than 4%, while female nudes decreased to 76%.

For those unfamiliar with them, the Guerrilla Girls are an anonymous collective of feminist artist-activists. They famously conceal their identities behind gorilla masks and adopt pseudonyms of deceased female artists, such as “Frida Kahlo” and “Käthe Kollwitz.” Their impactful activism began in the 1980s, a time when the New York art scene was smaller, and anonymity offered them protection from retaliation for challenging the status quo.

The highlight of our visit to Getty was undoubtedly getting to listen to “Frida Kahlo” and “Käthe Kollwitz” themselves, in a compelling conversation with the brilliant writer Roxane Gay, directly after seeing the show.

A stage setting featuring a large projection of a Guerrilla Girls poster and three people seated in armchairs during a discussion. On the right, writer Roxane Gay sits in a dark shirt and grey pants, speaking into a microphone. To her left are two members of the Guerrilla Girls activism group Kathe Kollwitz in the middle and Frida Kahlo on the far left, both wearing their signature gorilla masks and all-black attire. The projection behind them titled Benvenuti alla Biennale Femminista! shows four figures in gorilla masks holding pink protest signs in front of a Venetian backdrop. The signs highlight statistics on gender inequality at the Venice Biennale, such as 38% women artists in the curated group shows! and French Pavilion has solo show by a woman! Who cares if it is the first time in 100 years!. — Roxane Gay on the right, “Frida Kahlo” on the left and “Käthe Kollwitz” in the middle

When asked about their unique methods of activism, “Frida” shared insights into their data collection. They originally gathered statistics from art magazines, and while she admitted their methods “were not always perfect” and they “didn’t always do a good job” of collecting data, the glaring disparities in the art world meant that even imperfect statistics were incredibly effective. As a statistics professor myself, a part of me winced, but I completely understood her point.

They recommend an approach to activism also emphasizes taking “one step at a time,” avoiding the overwhelm of trying to tackle too many issues at once. They also shared their use of advertising methods: creating messages that are direct, memorable, and impossible for the viewer to ignore. They tell you something in a way that sticks.

After seeing their work and hearing them talk, I really wished we had Guerrilla Girls of Academia.

A close-up of two pieces of Guerrilla Girls correspondence displayed behind glass. The top card features the text "4 WOMEN OUT OF 71 ARTISTS?" above a black-and-white illustration of four gorilla heads nestled in a fur-lined object. Below it is a postcard addressed to Margit Rowell at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). The typed message satirically "congratulates" her on redefining still life to exclude women and suggests renaming the exhibition "Objects of Desire The Modern Still Life" to "The Objects of MOMA's Desire are Still White Males." It is signed "Lotsa luck, Guerrilla Girls."

Two pink rectangular cards are displayed behind glass in a black frame against a vibrant pink wall. The top card is titled "HOW TO BECOME A GUERRILLA GIRL!" and lists two simple instructions in a typewriter-style font "1. Think of the name of a black woman artist" and "2. Pass it on to a curator or collector." The bottom card provides contact information for the group, including their name, a P.O. Box address at Cooper Station in New York City, and a telephone number with an extension. Reflections of a person holding a phone and colorful gallery lights are visible on the surface of the glass.

A photograph of a stage at the Getty Center where a large screen projects a graphic titled "GUERRILLA GIRLS’ 1986 REPORT CARD." Below the screen, three people are seated in armchairs on the right is author Roxane Gay, and to her left are two members of the Guerrilla Girls wearing gorilla masks. The projected report card lists several prominent New York art galleries—such as Mary Boone, Leo Castelli, and Marian Goodman—tracking the number of women artists they represented between 1985 and 1987. Handwritten "remarks" next to each gallery include biting critiques like "Boy crazy," "Delinquent," "Lacks initiative," and "Unforgivable." At the bottom, a small credit line reads, "A public service message from Guerrilla Girls conscience of the art world."