The seventh installment of NMWA’s Women to Watch exhibition series, New Worlds, is presented by the museum with the integral partnership of our national and international outreach committees. The exhibition showcases 28 contemporary artists who respond to our extraordinary times—the global pandemic, advocacy for social reform, and political division—by reimagining the past, presenting alternate realities, and inspiring audiences to create different futures. We spoke with some of the participating artists about their featured work and practice. Artist: Saskia Jordá Nominating Committee: Arizona ..read more

Happy birthday to Howardena Pindell, who was born on this day in 1943! Impress your friends with five fast facts about the contemporary artist, whose work is part of NMWA’s collection. 1. See and Nurture the Potential Pindell’s third grade teacher recognized the budding artist’s skills and encouraged her parents to immerse her in the art world of her native Philadelphia. They enrolled young Pindell in Fleisher Art Memorial classes, introducing her to a range of artists, and visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Howardena Pindell, Untitled, 1976; Lithograph, chine collé on paper, 22 1/4 x 30 ..read more

Elizabeth Ajunwa, director of NMWA’s Library and Research Center (LRC) spoke with Asmaa Walton, a Detroit-based arts educator and founder of Black Art Library, a mobile collection of Black visual art books and other art history ephemera. Walton brings the Black Art Library to NMWA Nights on Wednesday, February 21, with a special pop-up exhibition. And during the month of February, a collection of books from NMWA’s library, curated by Walton, will be on display. Visit the LRC to check it out. Purchase your own copies of our favorite Black art books from the Museum Shop! 1. What inspired you to ..read more

We spoke with Sakina Saidi, a French-Moroccan illustrator based in London. Saidi’s work addresses themes of gender equality, mental health, and community. She views illustration as a way to bring people together through shared values. Check out Sakina’s work in the Museum Shop!  Sakina Saidi; Photo by Yannick Joseph1. What was it like to move from a career in graphic design to pursuing your own vision as an illustrator?  It was liberating! After graduating, I needed the structure provided by a graphic design career. It turned out to be a valuable experience in numerous ways. Througho ..read more

Happy Birthday Alexandra Exter! Impress your friends with five fast facts about the Russian and French painter and designer (1882–1949), whose work is part of NMWA’s collection. 1. Nuanced Nationality Alexandra Exter was born in Białystok, a city once part of the Russian Empire that is now in Poland. She spent significant time in Kyiv as part of Ukrainian arts and intellectual circles. Exter emigrated to Paris in 1924, where she lived the rest of her life teaching and exhibiting. 2. Early Influencer The artist was influenced by Cubism, Futurism, and Constructivism, but her style can’t be categ ..read more

Today is National Twin Day. Impress your friends with five fast facts about artist duo Jane and Louise Wilson (b. 1967), whose work is part of NMWA’s collection. Jane and Louise Wilson, Silo: Gamma, 1999 (printed 2007); Chromogenic color print, 63 x 106 in.; NMWA, Gift of Heather and Tony Podesta Collection1. Seeing Double Jane and Louise Wilson are identical twins born in England in 1967. They attended two different universities but created one joint body of work for their respective degree shows in 1989. Using each other as subjects, they staged photographs in their parent’s home and made tw ..read more

We spoke with NMWA Director of Publications Elizabeth Lynch about the museum’s brand-new collection highlights catalogue, which explores the breadth of the museum’s holdings and draws connections among more than 180 works. Buy your copy today! A book like this is a huge undertaking! Briefly tell us about the process from conception to publication. Yes—we started the planning stages years ago, and this project kept us very busy during the building’s renovation. With colleagues including curators, educators, and members of NMWA’s shop, development, and leadership teams, I discussed goals for the ..read more

After a long two-and-a-half-year renovation, I am thrilled to welcome visitors to the “new NMWA!” Join me as I reflect on our celebratory and action-packed reopening festivities. Visitors explore Cornelia Parker’s Thirty Pieces of Silver (exhaled) Sugar Bowl (2003) in the special exhibition The Sky’s the Limit; Photo by Elyse Cosgrove/Asico Photo In the lead-up to reopening, we were honored to host First Lady Jill Biden, who spoke at a gathering for supporters and friends who made the renovation possible. A longtime fan of the museum, Dr. Biden said, “when women artists have a place to show th ..read more

In celebration of the museum’s new Learning Commons and its re-envisioned gallery space, the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center (LRC) invited nine book artists to create works that honor the museum, its holdings, and women artists whose art has been historically overlooked. Holding Ground: Artists’ Books for the National Museum of Women in the Arts features works by Alisa Banks, Adjoa Jackson Burrowes, Julie N. Chen, Suzanne Coley, IBé Crawley, Colette Fu, Kerry McAleer-Keeler, María Verónica San Martín, and Maricarmen Solis. Many of the works reflect on the museum as a special and ..read more

One of the new standout features of NMWA’s revitalized building is the use of technology to bring artists’ voices to life. Immersive experiences and digital prompts enhance guests’ exploration of the museum. Through digital engagement, NMWA seeks to spark curiosity, inspire advocacy, and encourage slow looking among visitors as they move through the building’s expanded and redesigned art spaces. In Focus: Artists at Work The new video presentation In Focus: Artists at Work provides an intimate look into the work and inspirations of artists in NMWA’s collection through short, documentary-style ..read more