s ▁conventional ▁social ▁roles ▁could ▁be ▁shown , ▁ex agger ated , ▁and ▁sub vert ed . ▁ ▁Only ▁women ▁were ▁allowed ▁to ▁view ▁the ▁exhibition ▁on ▁its ▁first ▁day , ▁after ▁which ▁the ▁exhibition ▁was ▁open ▁to ▁all ▁view ers . ▁During ▁the ▁exhibition ' s ▁duration , ▁it ▁received ▁approximately ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁visitors . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁ ▁The ▁Fem in ist ▁Art ▁Program ▁began ▁at ▁the ▁California ▁Institute ▁of ▁the ▁Arts ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁after ▁an ▁experimental ▁year ▁at ▁F res no ▁State ▁College ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁Women ' s ▁Art ▁Program . ▁The ▁students ▁in ▁the ▁program ▁were ▁admitted ▁as ▁a ▁group ▁when ▁Chicago ▁and ▁Sch api ro ▁were ▁h ired ▁at ▁Cal ▁Arts ▁after ▁Chicago ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁F res no ▁State ▁College ▁Art ▁department ▁was ▁rel uct ant ▁to ▁em brace ▁her ▁vision ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁kind ▁of ▁female ▁centered ▁art . ▁It ▁was ▁their ▁intention ▁to ▁teach ▁without ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁author itar ian ▁rules ▁or ▁a ▁un il ater al ▁flow ▁of ▁power ▁from ▁teacher ▁to ▁student . ▁ ▁The ▁Fem in ist ▁Art ▁Program , ▁was ▁sl ated ▁to ▁occup y ▁a ▁new ▁building , ▁but ▁found ▁itself ▁without ▁ade qu ate ▁space ▁at ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁school ▁year ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁The ▁lack ▁of ▁appropriate ▁studio ▁space ▁p aved ▁the ▁way ▁for ▁a ▁collabor ative ▁group ▁project ▁set ▁to ▁highlight ▁the ▁ide ological ▁and ▁symbol ic ▁confl ation ▁of ▁women