BY SUZY STUMP for WEEKLY VOLCANO 5/9/25
From a rusted metal sculpture in a foundation course in Bradford to a multi-media studio practice in the heart of Tacoma, artist Lynette Charters has long embraced the act of storytelling through unconventional mediums. Her work, which reclaims overlooked narratives of women from history, is as deeply personal as it is political—a reflection of both her artistic instincts and lived experience.
Charters, who has made the Tacoma/Pierce County area her home, speaks with reverence for the region’s artistic ecosystem. “The incredibly inclusive community I live in has put wind in the sails of the kind of art I prefer to make,” she says. “I’m very grateful to be part of it all.”
That community support has been instrumental in developing two of her most impactful series: The Missing Women and The Matilda Effect.
Both series center on women whose stories have been forgotten, ignored, or overshadowed. Charters’ process begins with research, often mining historical texts or public archives to uncover underrepresented figures such as Hedy Lamarr, who helped invent the technology behind Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
“With The Missing Women, I like to dig up lesser-known stories about the women in the paintings or in the artists’ lives,” she explains. “With The Matilda Effect series, I find a woman of accomplishment who is less documented—or maybe, as in Hedy Lamarr’s case, a famous woman who is less known for her amazing world-changing accomplishments than for her looks and screen presence.”
Once her subject is chosen, Charters turns to the domestic realm for her canvas. Repurposed household items—ironing boards, bread boxes, antique wood—become the surface for her painted narratives, giving material form to the imbalance she’s working to redress.
“There’s a delicate balance between bringing out the image while respecting the object I’m painting on,” she says. “I pick out a good composition, and the object helps foreground her story.”
At the heart of Charters’ work is a desire to rewrite the record. “Recorded history is how we got to where we are—for better or worse,” she says. “It’s super important that history is taught in a more balanced way. The imbalance causes privilege, which is almost always blind. Why can’t the rest of us see ourselves reflected in the common narrative?”
That interrogation of historical omission is not simply academic for Charters—it’s personal. A survivor of domestic abuse, she reveals that both The Missing Women and The Matilda Effect were born from that experience. “One in four women are domestic abuse survivors,” she notes. “That this has been an acceptable narrative means we’re not seeing the problem from the survivor’s perspective. We have a big problem of victim blaming.”
Her commitment to visibility is also evident in her formal innovations. Charters recalls a pivotal moment in her artistic journey when she realized she could represent a woman’s body from her own perspective—by using the grain of the wood as skin. “It was very exciting,” she says. “Women’s bodies are so politicized, and we’re so used to seeing them from the male perspective. As soon as we see the image of a woman, we immediately stop thinking about who she was and focus on how attractive we find her.”
The impact of her work is felt beyond the canvas. Charters regularly hears from viewers—particularly young people and their parents—who are moved to share their own stories after engaging with her art.
“I feel so very privileged to be in a position to empower people,” she says.
That spirit of empowerment continues in her current and upcoming projects. Her Matilda Effect series is on display through the end of May at the Matilda Joslyn Gage Museum in Fayetteville, NY—a particularly meaningful venue, as Gage was a suffragist and writer who published early accounts of women’s achievements.
Closer to home, her work is on view at Ossa Skinworks in Olympia through the fall, and she’ll be participating in the South Sound Studio Tour, a free self-guided tour of studios and artists throughout Olympia, Tumwater, and Lacey, May 17–18.
More info: southsoundstudiotour.org
