WASHINGTON, D.C. — The 62 nominated artists for the eighth edition of the Women to Watch series, a global initiative led by the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), have been announced. Women to Watch 2027: A Book Arts Revolution! is a dynamic exploration of contemporary artists’ books: works of art in book form. Artists’ books can appear in a wide variety of formats and materials, encompassing innovative uses of paper and print, sculptural works, and much more. This 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 latest edition of the museum’s hallmark exhibition series—now in its 20th year—featuring national and international artists whose work is underrepresented on the global stage.
Presented every two to three years, the Women to Watch series is developed through a unique collaboration between NMWA and its outreach committees. Located across the U.S. and around the globe, NMWA’s committees are volunteer advocacy groups that champion women and nonbinary artists beyond the museum’s walls. Each participating committee has worked with local consulting curators to create a shortlist of artists; many have also held exhibitions or artist talks. Drawing on all regions’ shortlists, guest curator Tia Blassingame will select the artists and works to exhibit at the museum in Washington, D.C., from April to August 2027. The show takes place with the support of NMWA liaison curator Elizabeth Ajunwa. The finalists will be announced by the museum in June 2026.
The sixteen regions participating in Women to Watch 2027: A Book Arts Revolution! include Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Greater Kansas City Area, Massachusetts, Mid-Atlantic Region, New York, Ohio, San Francisco/Northern California, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming in the United States; and Italy, Japan, South Asia, and the United Kingdom abroad.
Women to Watch 2027 Nominees and Consulting Curators
Arizona: Consulting Curator Heather Sealy Lineberry
Arkansas: Consulting Curator Catherine Walworth
Georgia: Consulting Curator Cynthia Nourse Thompson
Greater Kansas City Area: Consulting Curator Leesa Fanning
Massachusetts: Consulting Curator John Buchtel
Mid-Atlantic Region: Consulting Curator Elizabeth Ajunwa
New York: Consulting Curator Jennifer Farrell
Ohio: Consulting Curator Sienna Brown
San Francisco/Northern California: Consulting Curator Anthea Black
Texas: Consulting Curator Hannah Klemm
Washington: Consulting Curator Catherine Alice Michaelis
Wyoming: Consulting Curator Beth Venn
Italy: Consulting Curator Iolanda Ratti
Japan: Consulting Curator Yukie Kamiya
South Asia: Consulting Curator Vidya Shivadas
United Kingdom: Consulting Curator Welmoet Wartena
Exemplifying NMWA’s twin goals of advocacy and exhibition, the Women to Watch series supports the careers of women and nonbinary artists across the world.
In honor of the museum’s 40th anniversary and the 20th anniversary of Women to Watch, the 2027 exhibition will encompass an array of programs across the museum’s newly opened Gloria and Dan Logan Learning Commons and MaryRoss Taylor Galleries. The Susan Swartz Studio will host hands-on workshops for all ages. Concurrent to the exhibition, the museum’s Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center will exhibit additional artists’ books from NMWA’s world-renowned collection, and staff will collaborate with artists to present talks and demonstrations.
About the Curators
Guest curator Tia Blassingame, proprietor 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, 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 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.-Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and closed on Mondays and select holidays. Admission is $16 for adults, $13 for D.C. residents and visitors 70 and over, and free for visitors 21 and under. 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