Gallery Rebirth

National Museum of Women in the Arts Renovated, Reopened in Washington, D.C.

By Jeanne Blackburn

Photos Courtesy Emma Filar, Communications and Marketing Manager National Museum of Women in the Arts

Washington, D.C—In a city full of world-class museums and art galleries, the newly reopened National Museum of Women in the Arts is unique. It is the first museum in the world solely dedicated to championing women through the arts.

It is the only one whose mission is “to bring recognition to the achievements of women artists of all periods and nationalities by exhibiting, preserving, acquiring and researching art by women and by teaching the public about their accomplishments.” It also gives space to the voice of women artists.

Located in a Classical Revival building that once was a temple for the Freemasons is the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Now, here’s the irony. The museum is located in a Classical Revival building built in 1908 at the intersection of 13th Street, H Street and New York Avenue, NW. It was designed by the famed architectural firm of Wood, Donn and Deming as a temple for the Freemasons—an association of men that does not permit women members.

A first-time visitor might expect a history-generated walk through the museum’s collected works, or galleries devoted to specific artists or schools of painting. That is not the case. The museum is three floors of beautiful white, airy spaces, some partitioned into alcoves creating a spaciousness that gives the viewer time to contemplate one piece before moving on to the next.

The museum’s roots took hold in the 1970s, when Washington-area world travelers and art collectors Wilhelmina Cole Holladay and her husband, Wallace, committed themselves to collecting art by women they felt were underrepresented in museums at that time. In the early years, artwork was displayed in the Holladay home. By 1980, she began devoting her time and effort to creating an actual museum showcasing women artists. In 1983, the museum purchased the current building and undertook an extensive and award-winning renovation and expansion to the landmark.

The museum opened the doors of its permanent location April 1987, unveiling its inaugural exhibition, American Women Artists, 1830–1930. In 1993 it was expanded and renovated, then opened the annex in 1997. In 2021, the 93,4000-square-foot facility began its first major renovation since it opened, expanding gallery space, creating a Learning Commons and improving accessibility. It reopened to the public last October.

The museum’s outreach programs include dynamic exchanges about art and ideas through exhibitions, programs and online content, and advocates for better representation of women artists.

The following exhibits are scheduled to remain open into fall of this year:

In Focus: Artists at Work

Enjoy a close-up look into the practices and perspectives of eight contemporary collection artists via short documentary-style videos. Presented in the ground-floor Long Gallery, welcoming visitors to the museum, these videos feature Ambreen Butt, Sonya Clark, Colette Fu, the Guerrilla Girls, Graciela Iturbide, Delita Martin, Rania Matar and Alison Saar.

Despite its historic exterior, the museum’s three floors boast modern, white, airy spaces, some partitioned into alcoves.

Hung Liu: Making History

“Weeping” paintings and prints by Hung Liu—featuring signature paint drips, layers of color, and cultural symbols—pay homage to overlooked figures in history, predominantly vulnerable women and children from the artist’s native China.

Impressive: Antoinette Bouzonnet-Stella

The Entrance of the Emperor Sigismond into Mantua, an extraordinary series of 25 prints by 17th-century French artist Antoinette Bouzonnet-Stella (1641–1676) is being presented at the museum for the first time in nearly 15 years. The exhibition explores the circumstances of the work’s creation and focuses on Bouzonnet-Stella’s life in Paris.

Holding Ground: Artists’ Books for the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Nine new works by celebrated book artists inaugurate the new Learning Commons and its reinvigorated Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center. Participating artists include Alisa Banks, Adjoa J. Burrowes, Julie Chen, Suzanne Coley, IBé Crawley, Maricarmen Solis Diaz, Colette Fu, Kerry McAleer-Keeler and María Verónica San Martín.

Daily admission to the National Museum of Women in the Arts is $16. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Evening hours, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., are available on the third Wednesday of the month.

Unfortunately, the museum’s cafe is not open at this time, but don’t miss the gift shop featuring products created by women-owned and -operated businesses. For more information, visit the museum’s website at www.nmwa.org.