These Are the Women Who Founded Some of New York’s Greatest Art Museums
Think of a favorite work of art you've seen in New York, and there's a good chance it was brought to you by a woman.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) is located at 1250 New York Ave NW, Washington, D.C. The NMWA was founded in 1981 and opened to the public in 1987. Housed in a historic Renaissance Revival-style building originally constructed in 1908, the museum recently underwent extensive renovations to restore its grandeur and reopened in 2024. NMWA is dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women artists and features a collection of over 5,500 works from the 16th Century to the present. Notable pieces include works by Mary Cassatt, Frida Kahlo and Alma Thomas. The museum hosts a variety of events, such as the “Women to Watch” exhibition series, which highlights emerging women artists from around the world, and “Fresh Talk,” a conversation series that addresses critical issues facing women in the arts. Read more about Museums.
The Newly Reopened NMWA Offers a Museum-Going Experience Powered by Advocacy
The museum offers a very different experience from that of scouring major institutions for the precious few works by women and non-binary artists.
National Museum of Women in the Arts to Host Wiki Edit-a-thon Focused on Women of Color
The National Museum of Women in the Arts has held a Wikipedia edit-a-thon every year since 2014. This year, it goes virtual and focuses on correcting disparities in its own collection.
