National Museum of Women in the Arts wins Webby Award for best social media account in arts and culture

View of the museum from outside showing the Neoclassical building from one corner. The building is a tan-colored stone with an arched doorway, long vertical windows, and detailed molding around the roof.
May 19, 2020
5/19/20
Leading international awards organization honors excellence across digital media

WASHINGTON—Today, the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) won the Webby People’s Voice Award for Best Social Media Account in the Art and Culture category in the 24th Annual Webby Awards. This is the museum’s first nomination and win at The Webby Awards. NMWA won for its overall presence on Instagram. With its account @WomenInTheArts, the museum 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.

“I’m delighted that the Webbys chose to recognize the excellence of our Instagram account,” said NMWA Director Susan Fisher Sterling. “Now, more than ever, social media is a vital tool for us to connect with the public by sharing important stories of women artists and building a community of support and curiosity.”

NMWA’s nearly 100,000 Instagram followers enjoy posts featuring the work of women artists, behind-the-scenes glimpses of exhibitions and programs, collaborations with other organizations promoting women artists and eye-opening statistics about gender equity in the arts. NMWA also leads the award-winning #5WomenArtists campaign, which challenges cultural organizations and individuals with the prompt, “Can you name five women artists?” This has evolved into a global year-round awareness campaign about the gender disparity in the arts that has reached millions of people.

The Webby Awards, hailed by The New York Times as the “Internet’s highest honor,” was established in 1996 and presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS) to honor excellence across digital media. This year, there were nearly 13,000 entries from all 50 states and more than 70 countries.

NMWA’s Instagram account is managed by Director of Digital Engagement Mara Kurlandsky and Digital Content Coordinator Adrienne Poon.

The Webby Awards

The Webby Awards is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet, including websites, video, advertising, media & PR, apps, mobile, and voice, social, podcasts, and games. Established in 1996, this year’s Webby Awards received nearly 13,000 entries from all 50 states and over 70 countries worldwide. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include WP Engine, Monday.com, Slack, YouGov, BASIC, KPMG, Adweek, Fast Company, The New Museum, and Social Media Week.

National Museum of Women in the Arts

The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) is the only major 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 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 collections highlight painting, sculpture, photography, and video by artists including Louise Bourgeois, Mary Cassatt, Judy Chicago, Frida Kahlo, Shirin Neshat, Faith Ringgold, Pipilotti Rist, Amy Sherald and Élisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun.

During the current closure, the museum welcomes members of the public to explore its social media accounts and online resources. NMWA is located at 1250 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. For information, call 202-783-5000, visit nmwa.org, Broad Strokes blog, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

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