When it comes to art, women have historically been woefully underrepresented. In honor of National Women’s Small Business Month, and as women entrepreneurs ourselves, we want to do something about it.

From our homegrown Cleveland heroes to artists selling their dirty laundry, we’ve compiled seven artistic women entrepreneurs that you need to know.

1. Gertrude Stein

One of the more recognizable names on this list, you may well have heard of the writer and patron responsible for championing many of the artistic heavyweights whose fame we take for granted today, such as Picasso and Matisse. She arguably plucked them from poverty and cast them the financial lifeline allowing them the artistic freedom to really come into their own.

For instance, the roots of Picasso's surrealist style can be traced directly to his portrait of Stein. Taking between 80 and 90 sittings, according to Stein, Picasso gave up after six months and left the portrait until the following summer, when he completed it before seeing her again. The portrait’s cubist qualities and influences from African tribal art are visible in his later works, such as Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. Still, the Portrait of Gertrude Stein is arguably where it all began. So some recognition for Picasso’s artistic development and the Portrait of Gertrude Stein must go to the lady herself.

2. Tracey Emin

Tracey was selling her soiled bedsheets before it was fashionable. Nowadays, everyone seems to know somebody running a little side-hustle selling used socks but back in 1998, it was groundbreaking. After four days in a depressive state, subsisting on nothing but alcohol, Emin had a brainwave looking at her unmade bed, soiled underwear, and other detritus. She decided to exhibit the lot as a new sculpture, “My Bed.”

As you might imagine, it was hit with a lot of criticism and disbelief but Emin defended her work, noting that “no one had ever done that before.” Regardless of the critics, the public LOVED it, and the piece was sold at Christie’s for over $2.5 million in 2014.

3. Linda McCartney

Linda Eastman rose to fame as the wife of Paul McCartney. However, she was already a rising star in her own right. She was famous for being able to get even the most challenging rock bands to behave while she captured their photos. Photographing them must have been a monumental task. After some time, she pivoted and started her brand of vegetarian foods, Linda McCartney foods, which is now what she is most known for.

Linda McCartney's Portrait of The Rolling Stones

4. Tanya Kaiser

A Cleveland local who runs her own art gallery/cocktail bar, Tanya Kaiser set up a gallery a couple of years ago and designed a concept so that artists could be exhibited without having to charge submission or entry fees. Tanya’s mission is to break down the barriers between unrepresented artists and their audiences. She offers us the chance to come and discover underground artists’ work in a casual and multi-sensory experience.

You can find more information about Kaiser Gallery and its upcoming exhibitions at kaisergallery.com.

5. Xin Li-Cohen

You may not recognize the name, but Xin Li-Cohen is behind the auction powerhouse Christie's.

Deputy chairman for over ten years, she’s been a driving force behind their hugely successful pivot towards the Asian market.

Ex-model, professional basketball player, and recent founder of her own NFT platform - we think, what can’t she do? Xin Li is an impressive impresario many of us look up to.

6. Sonia Delaunay-Terk

Sonia Delaunay-Terk was a French artist (1885-1979) and is notable for being the first living female artist to have a retrospective art exhibition in the Louvre. Besides this fantastic success, she also achieved popularity designing fabrics in Lyon, opera costumes in Madrid, and even a nightclub. Something of a polymath, eh?

Her stunning work was up for auction in our October 19th catalogue (LINK) with bold, beautiful contrasting primary colors that seem to orbit the center of the piece.

7. Yayoi Kusama

Yayoi Kusama is arguably the most influential contemporary artist to come out of Japan, and certainly the most successful from a business standpoint. Kusama’s paintings have grossed over 200 million, and she has had the highest turnover of any living woman artist with her instantly recognizable sculptures and paintings.

What about some women entrepreneurs a little closer to home?

Deba Gray and Serena Harragin founded Gray’s in 2006 with a mission to provide the NE Ohio community of collectors with a fine art auction house committed to core values of honesty, accuracy, empathy and efficiency, and dedicated to realizing the full value of all consigned artworks. A 100% women-owned business known for stellar customer service and excellent results, Gray’s is proud to give back to its local community.

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7 Artistic Women Entrepreneurs You Need To Know