“Childless cat lady.” It was said as if it were a dig; as if it were a genuine concern to be, well, that. And most are pretty convinced that the words from the Republican nominee for vice president—the rather weird JD Vance, chosen by the equally weird GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump—are going to continually haunt him. After all, he’s majorly on the defense about it. But that isn’t stopping the likes of Taylor Swift signing her endorsement of Vance’s opponent, actual Vice President Kamala Harris, “Childless Cat Lady.”
Because if there’s one thing you should know about the Internet, you don’t mess with cats or their owners. Or you shall rightfully receive the wrath. Like a full on, two-space exhibit dubbed the Childless Cat Lady Art Works Show (or CCLAWS) coming to Long Beach on Sept. 27.
Hold up—what is the Childless Cat Lady Art Works Show?
CCLAWS will take place at two different spaces—Page Against the Machine and, of course, Cool Cat Collective. (The latter of which will also be showing their Monster Cats exhibit through Oct. 31.) Organized by Long Beach artist Stephanie Han and Page Against the Machine owner Chris Giaco, the show comes quick, invading Long Beach from Sept. 27 through Nov. 8.
And while Stephanie wished for a slate of actual childless cat lady artists, she realized the beauty of diversity is far more powerful.
“Since the idea came to me a bit late and space was limited, I decided against an open call, and we invited artists who were either already working with cat imagery or might be willing to,” Stephanie said. “At first, I thought it might be funny for all the artists to be actual childless cat ladies. But then realized it’d be way more powerful to have artists from all genders and backgrounds participate. It will underscore that this isn’t just about promoting any one group. It’s about equality and freedom for all. It’s like that scene in Spartacus: we are all childless cat ladies. It was awesome to see all the artists’ enthusiasm for the project. Because whether they were cat people or not, they understood the mission.”
Featuring nearly 20 artists, the show features everything from the funny to the outright political.
How did CCLAWS, exactly, come to be?
For Stephanie, Page Against the Machine owner Chris Giaco (who came up with the acronym) is “a neighborhood treasure.” After all, his space isn’t just part of the Long Beach independent bookstore renaissance; it is a space for all. For her, Page Against the Machine became a space where she could feel both authentic and open. With it, developed a genuine friendship with Chris—and with that friendship came a comfort in asking for partnerships in art.
“Ever since we began collaborating, I bug him every time I get an idea for an art show,” Stephanie said. “And he has always been very accommodating. And he understood how, as an actual childless cat lady, I was furious. So I dusted off my pussy hat and was ready to throw down,” Stephanie said, feeling inspired more than downtrodden after hearing Vance’s dismissal of a large swath of women.
Above: Stephanie Han’s “Resist Kitten,” linocut print [left]. Cody Lusby’s “The ‘Miserable’ One,” a five-layer stencil and acrylic spray paint on wood cut-out [right].
“I feel like I—and many other childless cat ladies I know—have an awesome life,” Stephanie said. “And for someone to make a blanket statement about how we’re miserable and want others to be miserable is just asinine and ludicrous.”
For Stephanie and many other women (and their allies), the words aren’t just absurd; they’re dangerous. It advances Othering, allowing more stereotypes and forms of hatred to fuel rather than deter. It constrains the definition of what it is to be a woman as well as their capabilities. In other words, it’s nothing more than a form of devolution.
Above: Ryan Patterson’s “Manifesto/Energy/Optimism/Wakening,” screen print on canvas [left]. Gabby Kash “Childless Cat People,” four-color risograph print [right].
Yes, CCLAWS is political. And yes, you’re just gonna have to deal with it.
In this sense, the show is—like much art—heavily politically driven. And indeed, the cultural net the “childless cat lady” trope casts is as extensive and it is rife with potential. It is certainly filled to the brim with humor. On the nose with anthropomorphism. And, perhaps most: The stereotype is one that doens’t have to weigh its self down with grave, solemn earnestness.
“For a long time, in my head I saw “political” art as something that should be grand, strident, and making a big point, like Picasso’s Guernica, for example. I didn’t think my art belonged in that sphere; I didn’t feel like I had a big message to convey to the world. However, since I’ve already been making a lot of cat art the past few years, they suddenly became the natural vehicle for speaking out against misogyny and other injustices in this moment and I decided to seize the opportunity. This isn’t just a fashionable cause du jour for me; it’s my actual life, and I have the genuine authority to weigh in on it.”
Can we get an amen—or, well, a meow?
Childless Cat Lady Art Works Show will premiere on Friday, Sept. 27 and run through Friday, Nov. 8. Half will be at Page Against the Machine, located at 2714 E. 4th St. And the other half will be at the Cool Cat Collective, located at 2741 E. 4th St.
 is coming to Long Beach on Sept. 27.){kind=link}
What are the hours of the exhibits?