At Thursday night's NAWA reception in the Robeson Gallery, Judith Cantor hearkened back to 1898, when five women founded the organization.

Explaining the importance and modern-day relevance of the National Association of Women Artists (NAWA), Cantor, an artist and former president of NAWA, explained how the women began the organization as a reaction to exclusion in galleries and exhibitions by male artists.

She said now, 120 years later, women still face similar prejudices.

"Although times have changed greatly, if you look at any show at any major museum, count the number of men and women," she said. "It's still skewed."

NAWA, which aims to promote and provide opportunities for women artists to display their work, currently has a juried exhibition on display through April in the Robeson Gallery in honor of its 120th anniversary.

Thursday night's reception welcomed Cantor as well as artists Pokey Park and Ikuko Roth, all three of whom have work in the exhibition.

Park's contribution to the exhibit was a large, rotating bronze sculpture entitled "Spirit Totem," inspired by totem poles, her children and her travels.

"In disparate people, I look for connections rather than separations through their anxieties and wars," she said. "There's a lot of symbolism in [the sculpture]."

Park said she chose the sculpture for the exhibit because of its size and importance. She flew from Arizona specifically for the exhibit reception, she said.

"It is a significant piece, it needed a significant show," she said, laughing. "I also love that it is at a university. I love the educational aspect."

Roth, who came to the United States from Japan in 1962 and began her career in abstract expressionism, said she paints primarily landscapes. Her painting, "Rainbow Fall, WG, NY," depicts a place near Cornell University where there are about 20 waterfalls within a single mile, she said.

She said NAWA has provided her with many opportunities since she joined the organization in 1994.

"I do four or five shows in the year," she said. "That's pretty busy."

Two of Cantor's works are on display, created from scrunched calligraphy practice sheets and Japanese origami paper.

Other works featured in the exhibit include two "wire on stone" pieces from Katie Seiden and Marlene Bremer's "Holy Socks," which consists of rolled-up socks placed in a box and painted to resemble black, bronze and red roses.