National Museum of Women in the Arts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Masonic Temple
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National Museum of Women in the Arts
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 Location in Central Washington, D.C.
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1250 New York Ave NW Washington, D.C., U.S. |
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| Area | 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) |
| Built | 1903 |
| Architect | Wood, Donn & Deming |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 86002920 |
| Added to NRHP | February 18, 1987 |
The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) is a special museum in Washington, D.C.. It is the first museum in the world completely focused on celebrating women through art. Wilhelmina and Wallace Holladay started NMWA in 1981. It opened its doors in 1987.
Since then, the museum has gathered over 6,000 artworks by more than 1,000 artists. These artworks range from the 1500s to today. Famous artists like Mary Cassatt, Alma Woodsey Thomas, and Frida Kahlo have their art here. NMWA is the only place in Washington, D.C., where you can see a painting by Frida Kahlo called Self-Portrait Dedicated to Leon Trotsky.
The museum building used to be an old Masonic Temple. This building is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. In 2021, the museum closed for a big renovation project. It reopened to the public on October 21, 2023, looking better than ever!
Contents
The Museum's Story
The National Museum of Women in the Arts was created to change how art history was told. It aims to find and share the work of women artists who were often forgotten or not given enough credit. The museum also works to make sure women artists are recognized in today's art world.
The founder, Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, and her husband Wallace F. Holladay started collecting art in the 1960s. At that time, many people were starting to notice that women artists were missing from museum collections and major art shows.
They were very impressed by a 17th-century painting by Clara Peeters they saw in Europe. When they looked for information about Peeters, they found that important art history books didn't mention her or other women artists. This made them determined to collect art by women. Eventually, they decided to create a museum and research center just for women artists.
The museum officially became a non-profit organization in December 1981. The Holladays' art collection became the main part of the museum's permanent collection. After buying and fixing up the old Masonic Temple, NMWA opened in April 1987. Its first exhibition was called American Women Artists, 1830–1930.
To show its dedication to women in all fields, NMWA asked a famous composer, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, to write a special concert piece. This music was inspired by five paintings from the museum's collection.
The Museum Building
In 1983, NMWA bought the large, historic building that is now its home. It used to be a Masonic Temple and was built in a style called Renaissance Revival. After a lot of work, including adding two beautiful marble staircases, the museum opened on April 7, 1987.
In 1997, the museum added new galleries and a larger shop. The whole building is now very spacious. The museum closed in August 2021 for a major renovation. This project made the galleries bigger and improved areas for research and education. It also made the museum more accessible for visitors. The renovation also upgraded the building's systems to better protect the art collection. After the $66 million renovation, the museum reopened on October 21, 2023.
About Wilhelmina Cole Holladay
Wilhelmina Cole Holladay was the amazing founder of the National Museum of Women in the Arts. She discovered that women artists were often left out of art history books. Because of this, she made it her life's goal to highlight the achievements of women artists. She did this by collecting, showing, and researching art by women from all over the world and from different time periods.
Holladay created groups of over 1,000 volunteers in many states and countries. These groups helped offer art education to children through schools and community programs. They also encouraged adults to get involved in art in their local areas.
Wilhelmina Cole Holladay first became interested in art when she studied art history in college. She also did graduate work in Paris. She was recognized in many important lists of famous people and received many awards for her work in the arts. In 2006, she received the National Medal of Arts from the United States. She also received the Légion d'honneur from the French government. Wilhelmina Cole Holladay passed away in 2021 at the age of 98.
New York Avenue Sculpture Project
The museum also supported a cool project called the New York Avenue Sculpture Project. This project placed sculptures along New York Avenue in Washington, D.C. The goal was to add "character" to an area that was being redeveloped.
The first artworks in this series were four sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle. Her colorful pop art sculptures were chosen to be a fun contrast to the more traditional statues usually seen in Washington. The main areas in the middle of the street were turned into "sculpture islands." This project also aimed to bring more new and exciting art to Washington.
The project was supported by several groups and people. The sculptures stayed up for one year.
The Art Collection
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Portrait of a Noblewoman (1580), Lavinia Fontana
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The Concert (1631), Judith Leyster
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Still Life with Basket of Fruit, Vase with Carnations, and Shells on a Table (1652), Giovanna Garzoni
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Virgin and Child (1663), Elisabetta Sirani
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Cumaean Sibyl (1763), Angelica Kauffman
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Portrait of a young boy (1817), Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun
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After the Storm (1876), Sarah Bernhardt
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The Cage (1885), Berthe Morisot
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The Little Model (1915-1920), Gwen John
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The museum's collection has over 4,500 artworks. They come in many different styles and materials, from the 1500s to today. One of the oldest works is Portrait of a Noblewoman by Lavinia Fontana, from around 1580.
The museum also has special collections. These include 18th-century botanical prints and works by British and Irish women silversmiths. There are also over 1,000 unique and limited edition artists' books.
Nearly 1,000 artists are shown in the museum. Some of these include Frida Kahlo, Mary Cassatt, Alma Thomas, Judith Leyster, and Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun.
Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center
The Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center (LRC) is a special place for learning. It helps people find information about women visual artists from all time periods and countries. Scholars, students, and anyone interested can use it.
The LRC has 18,500 books and exhibition catalogs. It also has research files on 18,000 individual women artists. These files include things like resumes, letters, articles, and pictures. The library also has videos and audio materials, including interviews with artists and documentaries.
Researchers can also look at the Nelleke Nix and Marianne Huber Collection. This collection has over 360 unpublished letters and other items about the artist Frida Kahlo. The LRC also keeps the visual archives of artist Judy Chicago.
In 2007, the LRC launched "Clara: Database of Women Artists." This was an easy-to-use online tool with information on almost 18,000 women artists. Clara is now being updated and moved to a new system.
Exhibitions
Since 1987, NMWA has shown more than 200 exhibitions. Here are some examples:
- Sonya Clark: Tatter, Bristle, and Mend (2021)
- Judy Chicago—The End: A Meditation on Death and Extinction (2019–2020)
- Rodarte (2018–2019)
- Women House (2018)
- Magnetic Fields: Expanding American Abstraction, 1960s to Today (2017–2018)
- She Who Tells a Story: Women Photographers from Iran and the Arab World (2016)
- Picturing Mary: Woman, Mother, Idea (2014–2015)
- Royalists to Romantics: Women Artists from the Louvre, Versailles, and Other French National Collections (2012)
- Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power (2012–2013)
- Loïs Mailou Jones: A Life in Vibrant Color (2010–2011)
- WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution (2007)
- Dreaming Their Way: Australian Aboriginal Women (2006)
- An Imperial Collection: Women Artists from the State Hermitage Museum (2003)
- Places of Their Own: Emily Carr, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Frida Kahlo (2002)
- Julie Taymor: Playing With Fire (2000–2001)
- The Magic of Remedios Varo (2000)
- Women to Watch (ongoing)
The Women to Watch exhibition series is a special project. It brings together NMWA and its groups around the world. These shows happen every few years. They feature artists from different regions and focus on a specific art type or theme chosen by the museum's curators.
Public Programs
The museum offers many public programs. These include hands-on workshops where you can create art. There are also talks with artists and tours of the galleries. You can also attend art history lectures.
NMWA also helps teachers learn how to use art in their lessons. This is part of their Art, Books, and Creativity (ABC) program.
The museum's Women, Arts, and Social Change (WASC) program helps people talk about important social issues affecting women. Their Fresh Talk series invites the public to chat with women from the arts and other fields.
Outreach Committees
The museum started its network of national and international committees in 1984. As of 2022, there are 28 such groups with over 3,000 members. These groups are in the United States and around the world.
The committees help spread the museum's mission. They also support women artists in their local areas. They act as ambassadors for NMWA. These committees also help present the museum's Women to Watch exhibition series. This series features new or less-known artists from the places where the committees are located.
Visiting the Museum
The museum is located at 1250 New York Avenue and H Street N.W. The closest subway stations are Metro Center or McPherson Square stations.
Before the recent renovation, the museum was open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Admission was $16 for adults and $8 for students and visitors 65 and older. It was free for members and visitors 18 and under. Admission was also free for everyone on the first Sunday and second Wednesday of every month. The museum shop has the same hours as the museum.
See also
