un w illing ness ▁to ▁push ▁themselves ▁beyond ▁their ▁limits ”, ▁“ lack ▁of ▁familiar ity ▁with ▁tools ▁and ▁art making ▁processes ”, ▁and ▁an ▁“ in ability ▁to ▁see ▁themselves ▁as ▁working ▁people ". ▁It ▁was ▁thought ▁that ▁by ▁teaching ▁women ▁to ▁use ▁power ▁tools ▁and ▁proper ▁building ▁techniques , ▁they ▁would ▁gain ▁confidence ▁and ▁subsequently ▁" rest ruct ure ▁their ▁personal ities " ▁to ▁be ▁consistent ▁with ▁their ▁art istic ▁goals . ▁It ▁was ▁Sch api ro ▁and ▁Chicago ' s ▁belief ▁that ▁" soci ety ▁fails ▁women ▁by ▁not ▁demand ing ▁excell ence ▁from ▁them ." ▁ ▁These ▁techniques ▁were ▁to ▁result ▁in ▁an ▁" ex clus ively ▁female ▁environment " ▁that ▁included ▁a ▁greater ▁community ▁of ▁female ▁artists . ▁The ▁goal ▁of ▁this ▁community ▁was ▁to ▁expose ▁the ▁students ▁to ▁" est ab lished " ▁female ▁artists ▁not ▁limited ▁to ▁Sch api ro ▁and ▁Chicago . ▁ ▁Pa ula ▁Har per , ▁an ▁art ▁historian ▁for ▁the ▁California ▁Institute ▁of ▁Arts ▁Fem in ist ▁Art ▁Program , ▁is ▁cred ited ▁for ▁suggesting ▁the ▁idea ▁for ▁Woman house . ▁Sch api ro ▁super vised ▁Woman h ouses ▁dram atic ▁works , ▁while ▁Chicago ▁focused ▁on ▁other ▁media . ▁Their ▁intention ▁was ▁to ▁transform ▁a ▁domestic ▁environment ▁into ▁one ▁that ▁fully ▁expressed ▁the ▁experiences ▁of ▁women . ▁ ▁" W oman house ▁began ▁in ▁an ▁old ▁desert ed ▁m ansion ▁on ▁a ▁resident ial ▁street ▁in ▁Hollywood ▁and ▁became ▁an ▁environment ▁in ▁which : ▁“ The ▁age - old ▁female ▁activity