Washington, D.C.—The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) announces the sixteen artists from around the globe selected to feature in Women to Watch 2027: A Book Arts Revolution. On view in Washington, D.C., from April 9 to August 15, 2027, the exhibition will be a dynamic exploration of contemporary artists’ books: works of art in book form, encompassing innovative uses of paper and print, sculptural works, and much more. The project encourages audiences to rethink the nature of book arts by challenging assumptions about the medium and featuring works that combine approaches and techniques. This is the eighth edition of the acclaimed Women to Watch series, a global initiative led by the museum.
“These artists reimagine, interrogate, dissect, and even erase the book,” said guest curator Tia Blassingame. “The topics they explore encompass personal histories, cultural identities, language, the man-made and natural environment, immigration/migration, and women’s rights. In artistic practices that unfold through individual, collaborative, and community participation, they masterfully wield varied book arts techniques like bookbinding, publishing, letterpress and risograph printing, and papercutting, with researched and creative writing, printmaking, sewing, weaving, and ceramics. Together they truly represent the book arts revolution occurring across the globe.”
This is the latest edition of Women to Watch, the museum’s hallmark exhibition series featuring national and international artists whose work is underrepresented on the global stage. Presented every two to three years, the series is a unique collaboration between NMWA and its global outreach committees and is designed to support the careers of women and nonbinary artists across regional and international art scenes. The committee network works closely with local curators to create shortlists of artists, from which finalists are selected to exhibit at NMWA. Many of the 62 artists nominated for this edition have been recognized over the past year with exhibitions or artist talks, with additional events planned through the end of 2026.
The 16 selected artists and their corresponding regions include: Golnar Adili (New York; Consulting Curator Jennifer Farrell), Indu Antony (South Asia; Consulting Curator Vidya Shivadas), Karen Beckwith (Ohio; Consulting Curator Sienna Brown), Eliza Bentz (Georgia; Consulting Curator Cynthia Nourse Thompson), Letizia “Letia” Cariello (Italy; Consulting Curator Iolanda Ratti), Kayla Clark (Wyoming; Consulting Curator Beth Venn), Candace Hicks (Texas; Consulting Curator Hannah Klemm), Sarah Hulsey (Massachusetts; Consulting Curator John Buchtel), Saya Irie (Japan; Consulting Curator Yukie Kamiya), Acadia Kandora (Arkansas; Consulting Curator Catherine Walworth), Yoonmi Nam (Greater Kansas City Area; Consulting Curator Leesa Fanning), Larissa Nowicki (United Kingdom; Consulting Curator Welmoet Wartena), Elizabeth Pineda (Arizona; Consulting Curator Heather Sealy Lineberry), Vivian Sming (San Francisco/Northern California; Consulting Curator Anthea Black), Janelle Washington (Mid-Atlantic Region; Consulting Curator Elizabeth Ajunwa), and Suze Woolf (Washington; Consulting Curator Catherine Alice Michaelis).
Women to Watch 2027: A Book Arts Revolution coincides with the museum’s 40th anniversary and the 20th anniversary of the Women to Watch series. In honor of these milestones, a dynamic slate of programming will celebrate past and current Women to Watch participants.
Events and further details about the selected works will be shared in the coming months.
About the Curators
Guest curator Tia Blassingame, founder of Primrose Press, is a book artist, printmaker, and scholar whose work examines the intersection of race, history, and material culture through artists’ books and print media. She is associate professor of art at Scripps College (Claremont, California), where she teaches letterpress printing and book arts and serves as director of Scripps College Press. Blassingame is the founder of the Book/Print Artist/Scholar of Color Collective, an initiative that fosters collaboration and engagement among BIPOC artists and scholars of book history and print culture.
Liaison curator Elizabeth Ajunwa is director of NMWA’s Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center. Since joining the institution in 2022, she has served as curator for the museum’s book arts acquisitions.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) is the first museum in the world solely dedicated to championing women through the arts. With its collections, exhibitions, programs and online content, the museum inspires dynamic exchanges about art and ideas. NMWA advocates for better representation of women and nonbinary artists and serves as a vital center for thought Leadership, community engagement and social change. NMWA addresses the gender imbalance in the presentation of art by bringing to Light important women artists of the past while promoting great women artists working today. The collection highlights a wide range of works in a variety of mediums by artists including Rosa Bonheur, Louise Bourgeois, Lalla Essaydi, Lavinia Fontana, Frida Kahlo, Hung Liu, Zanele Muholi, Faith Ringgold, Niki de Saint Phalle and Amy Sherald.
NMWA is located at 1250 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. It is open Tues. to Sun., 10 am to 5 pm, and closed on Mondays and select holidays. Admission is $16 for adults, $13 for D.C. residents, visitors 65 and over, students and educators, active-duty military and veterans, and visitors with a Native / Tribal Affiliation; and free for visitors 21 and under, visitors with disabilities, and SNAP/EBT card holders. Admission is free the first Sunday and second Wednesday of each month.
For information, call 202-783-5000, visit nmwa.org, Broad Strokes blog, Facebook or Instagram.
Media Contact
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Katrina Weber Ashour, kweber@nmwa.org