Stand with women artists and be recognized!

Give by March 31, and we’ll include your name on our 2026 Honor Roll.    

Donate Now
Two women standing and smiling in front of a framed painting in a gallery. One has curly gray hair, wearing a patterned skirt; the other has straight brown hair, wearing a sleeveless top.
NMWA Tickets
National Museum of Women in the Arts

Book as Art VIII

An open, accordion-style book with red-pink pages and black text. The word "Sun" is written in large, Gothic print at the upper left. At center-right is a large, black brushstroke that extends the length of the page. At the upper right is a golden circle.
Apr 15 to Oct 25, 1996

Please note: Information about this exhibition is limited.

The Artist,

Julie Chen

Book artist and instructor Julie Chen is known for her work's innovative use of non-traditional structures and high level of craftsmanship.
A light-medium-skinned adult woman with medium-length black hair wears a blue floral blouse and glasses. She is in an art studio, behind a green cutting mat, looking down and holding open a flag-style book. Equipment is on the counter behind her.

The Artist,

Helen Frankenthaler

Helen Frankenthaler, a second-generation Abstract Expressionist painter, pioneered a stain technique that influenced Color Field painters like Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland.
A light-skinned older woman with short, wavy, red hair and brown eyes stands with her arms crossed. She leans against a white wall with part of a blue abstract painting behind her. She wears round silver-color earrings and a blue denim long-sleeve button-up shirt.

The Artist,

Jan Owen

Music is an important source of inspiration for the work of book artist Jan Owen.
An older light-skinned woman with short white hair wears glasses and a long-sleeve blue top. She stands inside, holding open a large black book with an abstract gold design printed across two pages and unreadable gold writing.

The Artist,

Elena Presser

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, book artist Elena Presser moved with her family to the U.S. in 1966; she has become known for creating visual interpretations of music.
An older light-skinned woman with short, dark, curly hair looks directly at the viewer. Posed from the chest up against a light grey background, she wears a darker grey sweater, eye glasses, pearl earrings, and lipstick.

The Artist,

M. L. Van Nice

Influenced deeply by the work of El Greco and Marcel Duchamp, M. L. Van Nice transforms objects into works of art, creating new poetic and visual context.
Black and white photo of a middle-aged woman with short grey hair and light skin. She sits against a wall and looks down, her glasses sliding down her nose slightly. She has an expression of concentration, as if she is focusing on something in her hands.