National Museum of Woman in the Arts, Washington DC

 Dedicated to celebrating women’s achievements in the visual, performing and literary arts, the National Museum of Women in the Arts was founded by Wilhemina Cole Holladay—who, after searching through a college art textbook in the 1960s to find information about the artist Clara Peeters, discovered that not a single woman artist was mentioned.

Since opening its doors to the public in 1987, the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) has welcomed more than 3.5 million visitors, cultivated a collection of 3,500 objects, and presented more than 200 art exhibitions. From the Italian Renaissance to The Feminist Revolution, Australian Aboriginal painters to Nordic women designers and Native American women potters, NMWA strives to present women artists from diverse backgrounds and time periods.

The NMWA Collection begins in the 16th century with works by Italian Renaissance painter Lavinia Fontana, considered Western Europe’s first professional woman artist, and continues to modern-day artists. Some notable artists in the collection include Elisabeth-Louise Vigée-Lebrun, Mary Cassatt, Barbara Hepworth, Elizabeth Catlett, Frida Kahlo, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Annie Leibowitz and Chakaia Booker.

In keeping with its founder’s vision to expose the public to the works of talented female artists, NMWA produces programming for students of all ages. The goal: to cultivate visitors’ interest in the arts and demonstrate that talented women artists are anything but an exception.

Families with children ages 6-12 can enjoy monthly Family Days that feature hands-on art activites. For third, fourth and fifth graders, there is Bridging Communities, a yearlong partnership between local elementary schools, artists and authors. Students learn how to write their own books and how to illustrate them. The completed, handmade books are exhibited for a few months at the museum.

Young adults and teenagers are invited to take part in Role Model Workshops, which pair students with successful female artists, who teach their pupils about their work in a creative field (including dance, architecture and fashion design), and in turn inspire and motivate a new generation of artists.

For adults, NMWA offers programs celebrating women in the performing, literary and media arts: the Shenson Chamber Music Series, which invites female musicians to perform three free concerts in NMWA’s Performance Hall; Literary Events where authors are invited to read and discuss their works; and adult scholarly symposia.

Beyond the DC metro area, NMWA reaches people through its quarterly Women in the Arts Magazine, its Web site, its national and international committees and its online Clara: Database of Women Artists, which houses information on 18,000 artists, and complements the museum’s already-established Library and Research Center.

The National Museum of Women in the Arts’ mission began with a simple question: “Where are the women artists?” Through its exhibitions, educational outreach and public programming, NMWA continues to increase and sustain the world’s awareness and appreciation of women artists of all eras, nationalities, and disciplines while at the same time inspiring a new generation of
artists.