No Matter What: Patti Hudson and Friends

June 26-September 6, 2025

Opening Reception: June 26, 6-8pm

Live Performance during opening reception by Jesse Paris Smith, Rebecca Foon, and more.

Featuring Artists: Betsy Carson, Nana Deleplanque, Dana Ellyn, Rebecca Foon, Diane Gorman, Patti Hudson, Jaclyn Jonet, Choro Leslie Meyers, Karen Sheinheit, Augusta Sagnelli, RBoots Shertzer, Jesse Paris Smith 

This exhibition is rooted in a powerful social bond rather than a unifying aesthetic—one forged through shared experience, resilience, and a stubborn commitment to creative practice. No Matter What brings together a group of women and gender expansive artists who continue to make work in the face of systemic barriers, financial instability, and the daily demands of survival. They create—no matter what.

This show reflects a lived reality familiar to many: the balancing act of maintaining an art practice while holding jobs, paying rent, caregiving, and navigating the emotional and economic pressures that come with being independent. The exhibition becomes a kind of collective portrait—not of stylistic sameness, but of shared perseverance and mutual recognition.

This ethos is deeply aligned with the mission of Pen + Brush, a nonprofit with a 131-year history of women making space for women and gender expansive creators.  P+B supports women and non-binary artists and writers who have been historically excluded from the mainstream art world. Pen + Brush is committed to providing a platform for underrepresented voices and championing work that may be overlooked due to systemic inequities rather than importance of the work. No Matter What embodies this mission by foregrounding the work of artists who persist without institutional safety nets—offering space, visibility, and solidarity in a world that often demands their silence.

Though many of the participating artists also identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, this show is not about identity politics in the traditional sense. It is about what connects us when we are left to build our own artistic lives with no promise of reward. It is about showing up, making work, and insisting on visibility.

It is, in every way, about continuing—no matter what.