Here we are, more than 50 years past the boys’ club context of the advertising and design world of the “Mad Men” era. While women have taken a much more prominent role in the field since then, they’ve done so primarily in anonymity, their many accomplishments valuable to clients and colleagues but largely unrecognized by an audience outside their day-to-day peers.

And that’s why the College of Visual Arts’ upcoming “Leaders of Design” series exhibition, “WOMN: Women in Minnesota Design,” is such a valuable contribution to the local arts conversation. The show, which opens to the public this week, features a sampling of work from 23 prominent local designers, each of whom were selected for inclusion on the basis of their “leadership, innovation, influence, accolades for design excellence and longevity in Minnesota.”

These women represent a broad spectrum of talent in the field. A number of the shows’ celebrated designers have been trailblazers, among the first to earn their stripes in this male-dominated field in the late ‘60s and ‘70s and whose stellar work eased the way for subsequent generations’ women looking to make their careers in design. On the other hand, the list of participants also includes younger and mid-career artists, whose accomplishments and sensibilities continue to shape and inflect the field going forward.

Featured designers in “WOMN: Women in Minnesota Design” (whose names you likely don’t yet know, but should) include: Leslee Carsewell, Sue Crolick, Jo Davison, Laurie DeMartino, Nancy Gardner, Minda Gralnek, Linda Henneman, Susan Hopp, Laurie Jacobi, Haley Johnson, Katie Kirk, Cynthia Knox, Monica Little, Deb Miner, Miranda Moss, Kelly Munson, Sarah Nelson Forss, Kolean Pitner, Nancy Rice, Connie Soteropulos, Jane Tilka, Cheryl Watson, Sharon Werner.

Tonight, before the exhibition opens, College of Visual Arts will also host a panel discussion on the subject at the Minnesota History Center, moderated by Minneapolis “StarTribune” social issues/metro section columnist Gail Rosenblum, with perspectives on the issue from three exhibition participants: Crolick, Knox and Munson. (If you’re interested in attending, though, you really should act quickly. As of yesterday afternoon, tickets were nearly sold out.)

The exhibition, “WOMN: Minnesota Women in Design” will be on view from Oct. 27 to Nov. 13 in the College of Visual Arts gallery, 173 Western Ave. N., St. Paul, Minn. There is an opening reception Thursday, Oct. 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. The panel discussion is tonight, Wednesday, Oct. 26 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Minnesota History Center, 3M Auditorium, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, Minn. (You need to register to attend this event; details and ticket information here: http://www.cva.edu/gallery/leaders_reg/.)