National Museum of Women in the Arts

A young girl with medium-dark skin tone wears an elaborate dress and sits on a rug in a library, gazing at a dollhouse with lit windows. An empty gourd filled with cotton bolls and a rabbit toy are nearby. The dollhouse harbors figures, one of whom appears to be dressed as a Confederate soldier.

Visit the second floor to experience the unearthly, enigmatic, and psychologically tense works in Uncanny.

Visit Us

Located in the heart of Washington, DC, the National Museum of Women in the Arts advocates for better representation of women artists and serves as a vital center for thought leadership, community engagement, and social change.

We are closed today.

Mezzanine level of the National Museum of Women in the Arts; Photo by Joy Asico-Smith for NMWA

Just 11% of all acquisitions at prominent American museums over the past decade were of work by women artists.
– Artnet News

What We Do

Our rotating special exhibitions showcase historic and contemporary artwork. Museum programs and events foster conversations and connections that inspire change. Our collections feature more than 5,500 works from the 16th century to today created by more than 1,000 artists.

Niki de Saint Phalle’s Pregnant Nana (1995) greets visitors in the new collection galleries; Photo by Jennifer Hughes for NMWA

Current Exhibitions

Uncanny

A light-skinned female ventriloquist dummy with straight black hair smiles in the center of a circle of six male dummy dolls with brown and dark hair.
Unearthly, enigmatic, and psychologically tense, the works in Uncanny give form to women artists’ powerful expressions of existential unease.

In Focus

A rendering of the gallery entrance of sliding glass doors with gold rim and the words "In Focus: Artists at Work" in white. A light-skinned man holding the hand of a light-skinned young girl walk toward the entrance. Beyond the glass doors, there are people watching three large video screens. Art Processors' logo is in the bottom right corner.
In Focus: Artists at Work provides a close-up look into the practices and perspectives of eight contemporary collection artists via short documentary-style videos.

Remix

A horizontal canvas combines collaged paper, such as a scrap of a U.S. map, comic strip, and pictographs; cloth swatches; scrawled and dripped paint; and phrases like “It takes hard work to keep racism alive” and “Oh! Zone.” The work’s title appears in red paint right of center.
Remix: The Collection showcases familiar collection favorites as well as never-before-exhibited recent acquisitions. Artworks are grouped around themes that resonate among global artists across time.

Explore Things to Do @ NMWA

Slow Art Day

Date: Apr, 05
Time: 1 to 2:30 pm

Free Community Day

Date: Apr, 06
Time: 10 am to 5 pm

Free Community Day

Date: Apr, 09
Time: 10 am to 5 pm

Spring Gala 2025

Date: Apr, 11
Time: 6:30 to 10 pm

NMWA Nights

Date: Apr, 16
Time: 5:30 to 8 pm

VTS Look Club: NMWA Residency

Date: Apr, 16
Time: 3 to 4 pm

Tour: Celebrating Earth Day

Date: Apr, 19
Time: 12 to 1 pm

Art Chat

Date: Apr, 25
Time: 5 to 5:45 pm

Curator’s Perspective: Remix

Date: Apr, 30
Time: 6 to 7 pm

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