By engaging visitors with our collection, exhibitions, and programs, NMWA draws attention to women’s creative achievements.

Historically, social and cultural systems based on false beliefs about gender have hindered artists’ power, access, and agency. Today, injustices rooted in gender-based discrimination spur NMWA to reimagine its advocacy beyond the binary model on which it was founded.

As we champion women through the arts, NMWA recognizes that not all people who experience gender inequity are women or present as women. We collaborate with and share the work of artists who identify with marginalized identities, including women, transgender people, and nonbinary individuals. Everyone’s art and point of view is vital. 

Equally, NMWA acknowledges the need to challenge injustices rooted in other aspects of identity, including race, spirituality, disability, national origin, class, and sexual orientation. We strive to center the distinct voices of artists and audiences whose identities, experiences, and accomplishments compel NMWA to become a place of belonging and understanding.

This statement was prepared in June 2023. It was last reviewed in May 2024.