About the museum and building
History
The museum’s founders, Wilhelmina Cole Holladay and Wallace F. Holladay, started collecting art in the 1970s, just as scholars and art historians were beginning to discuss the underrepresentation of art by women and various racial and ethnic groups in museums.
Among the first to apply this approach to collecting, the Holladays committed themselves to assembling art by women. By 1980, Wilhelmina Cole Holladay began to devote her energies and resources to creating a museum that would showcase women artists.
The National Museum of Women in the Arts was incorporated in November 1981 as a private, nonprofit museum.
Building
In 1983, the museum purchased its building at 1250 New York Avenue, NW, a Washington landmark near the White House that was constructed in 1908 as a temple for the Masons, an organization that did not allow women members. In 1987, after extensive renovations, NMWA opened with the inaugural exhibition American Women Artists, 1830–1930, a survey curated by one of the country’s foremost feminist art historians, Dr. Eleanor Tufts.
In 2021, the museum began its first major renovation since opening, which expanded gallery space, created a new Learning Commons, and increased accessibility.
Floor by Floor
Ground Floor
- Ticketing, Information, and Security Desks
- Museum Shop, reopening late Spring 2024
- Teresa Lozano Long Gallery: In Focus: Artists at Work
Mezzanine
- Collection Highlights Galleries
- Mezzanine Café, opening in 2024
Second Floor
- Exhibition Galleries: Suchitra Mattai: Myth from Matter
Third Floor
- Lorene Reeves Boyd Collection Galleries: Remix: The Collection
Fourth Floor
Dan and Gloria Logan Learning Commons:
- MaryRoss Taylor Galleries
- Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center
- Susan Swartz Studio
Fifth Floor
- Mars Performance Hall (Open for scheduled programs only)
Highlights
Drop-in Tours
Weekly drop-in tours are offered most days at 2 pm and Wednesdays at 12 pm
Additional Visitor Information
Plan Your Visit
Tips for Your Visit
Accessibility
More Ways to Get Involved
Join
Whether you’re a current member or wish to become one, learn about the benefits of joining the museum.
Shop
Visit our online shop for a curated selection of products, including art books, apparel, jewelry, homewares, beauty items, and accessories.
Tours
Learn about the contributions of women artists and the museum’s unique mission on engaging, interactive tours for visitors of all ages.
Event Rentals
With elegant yet functional spaces, NMWA is the perfect venue for your next social, corporate or non-profit event.