Friends of the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Friends of the National Museum of Women in the Arts—Canada promotes and supports programs about the accomplishments of Canadian women artists to assure these important representatives of Canadian culture their proper recognition in history.

We are an affiliate of The National Museum of Women in the Arts, (NMWA), located in Washington D.C., which honours the achievements of women artists of all nationalities and eras by exhibiting, preserving, acquiring and researching art by women, and by educating the public about their accomplishments, (www.nmwa.org).

Friends of NMWA—Canada is part of a growing international network of affiliates, (UK, France, Italy, Spain, Czechoslovakia and India) that promote the contributions of their country’s women to the arts worldwide. We support and advance women in the arts with a connection to Canada in the past and present.

Friends of NMWA—Canada activities and ongoing projects include, but are not limited to the following, (available as scheduling permits):

For Art Lovers

Behind-the-scenes visits to galleries, art dealers and ateliers
Tours of artists’ studios
Members-only tours of special exhibitions
Visits to the homes of collectors
Lectures on art appreciation and collecting art
Artist/designer showcases
Website information on museum and gallery showings

For Artists

Educational programs on topics such as business planning marketing, insuring, preserving work, estate planning, etc.
With local curators and arts professionals, organizenon-juried and juried art exhibitions
Under the direction of the curatorial staff of NMWA, exhibit work by Canadian women artists at NMWA in Washington, D.C.

For Students and Academicians

Link research and archived information about Canadian women artists to NMWA’s database and Library Research Center, (see www.nmwa.org/clara)
Distribute to Canadian middle school students Exploring Art workbooks and Teacher’s Guides prepared and published by NMWA
Share NMWA educational programs such as “Arts, Books, Creativity” with Canadian school districts

For further information on the Friends of the National Museum of Women in the Arts—Canada, please contact: stephanie@nmwa.ca

Reshaping Art History

The National Museum of Women in the Arts, (“NMWA”) was founded 20 years ago to redefine traditional histories of art and is the foremost museum dedicated to celebrating the diverse artistic accomplishments of women. The NMWA brings recognition to the achievements of women artists of all periods and nationalities by exhibiting, preserving, acquiring and researching art by women, and by educating the public concerning their accomplishments. To fulfill this mission, the Museum cares for and displays a permanent collection of over 3500 pieces, presents special exhibitions, conducts educational programs, maintains a Library and Research Center, and supports a network of national and international chapters. It also serves as a center for the performing and literary arts and other creative disciplines.

The Museum honours women artists of the past, promotes the accomplishments of women artists of the present and assures the place of women artists in the future. NMWA is moving beyond success in uncovering the names and works of women artists to defining the relevance of women’s art in historical and cultural contexts.

open/close

Background

The museum’s founder, Wilhelmina Cole Holladay and her husband, Wallace F. Holladay began collecting art in the 1960’s, just as scholars were beginning to address gender issues in art history as well as gender bias in the representations of artists in museum collections and major art exhibitions. Impressed by a 17th century still-life painting by Clara Peeters, which they saw at the Prado in Spain, the Holladay’s sought information on Peeters and found that definitive art history texts referenced neither her nor any other women artists. This was a pivotal discovery, one which resulted in the Holladays’ commitment to collect artwork by women and eventually led to the creation of NMWA and its research center.

Since its opening in April 1987, NMWA has presented more than 200 exhibitions. The museum’s permanent collection features works from the 16th century to the present created by over 800 artists, as well as some of the nation’s finest collections of artists’ books, eighteenth-century silver tableware and botanical prints.

A vital component of the museum is the Library and Research Center, which has just launched Clara: Database of Women Artists, which transforms the unique holdings of the library’s archives on 18,000 women artists into a web-accessible, authoritative resource for use by students, scholars and the general public.

The Museum has created several major educational outreach programs, under grants from the US Department of Education and the National Endowment for the Humanities, including the Arts, Books & Creativity curriculum and a four year pilot project involving the use of distance education to provide professional development for teachers.

NMWA’a annual budget stands at approximately US$10 million. Its membership ranks in the top ten of museums in the US with more than 35,000 members.

open/close

From Rediscovery
to Relevance

While the Museum’s mission to rediscover and exhibit the work of talented women artists remains an overriding goal, a new and bold strategic, interpretive model titled From Rediscovery to Relevance focuses on the essential task of creating humanities-based scholarship that places women artists not only in their art historical contexts, but establishs their relevance in the historical, social and economic records as well. This strategic initiative includes cutting-edge exhibition and collections interpretation and publications, education and outreach programming and interactive outreach activities through the museum’s website, www.nmwa.org.

International Committees

The NMWA’s reach and influence extends far outside its home in Washington D.C., thanks to its state and international affiliates. NMWA currently boasts seventeen state committees and six international committees in France, Italy, India, Spain and the UK with a new committee forming in Canada. Plans are underway for the creation of new committees in Brazil, China, Germany, Indonesia, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Singapore and South Africa. These committees implement educational programs, promote and display the work of deserving artists, and support and publicize NMWA’s mission as well as our many programs and exhibitions.