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History of #5WomenArtists

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Learn about the impact of #5WomenArtists

First launched in 2016, #5WomenArtists has been a viral success. The campaign has elevated NMWA’s profile as a world leader in advancing gender equity in the arts, resulting in valuable partnerships and an expanded audience. The museum’s social media following has cumulatively increased over 200%, and #5WomenArtists has resulted in tangible, real-world impacts for artists and arts organizations.

Photo credit: NMWA Shop

Quick Facts

Bronze sculpture of a spider on a white platform against a magenta background.
Louise Bourgeois, Spider III, 1995; Bronze, 19 x 33 x 33 in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Gift of Wilhelmina Cole Holladay; Art © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY; Photo credit: Yassine El Mansouri

Related Quote

#5WomenArtists helped us…[place] representation and diversity at the heart of what we present on our channels—not just for Women’s History month, but throughout the year.
Nell Burnham, Digital Marketing Production Officer at Tate

Related Blog Post

#5WomenArtists 2020: That’s a Wrap!

In March, NMWA’s #5WomenArtists social media campaign launched for a fifth year of raising awareness about women artists, garnering more than 4,092 Instagram posts and 9,568 tweets.

Selected Press Coverage

2020

#5WomenArtists Campaign Tackles Gender Inequity for the Fifth Year in a Row, Smithsonian Magazine
272 Museums Join Social Media Campaign to Promote Women Artists, Hyperallergic
Can you name five women artists? Al Jazeera
#5WomenArtists Shaping Museum Practice, American Alliance of Museums

2019

Galleries are focusing on female artists to tackle the industry’s gender divide, Art Newspaper
Where Are All The Women Artists? NMWA’s Latest Campaign Aims To Find The Answer, Forbes Women
Tate Will Give Five Women Major Solo Exhibitions in the Next Two Years, Tate
Can you name 5 women artists? Few can; a campaign aims to change that, WTOP

2017

Not Everyone Can Name 5 Women Artists, And One Museum Wants To Change That, Huffington Post
Why #5WomenArtists is all over your timeline, USA Today
How American museums are celebrating Women’s History Month, The Art Newspaper
Few people can name five female artists—can you? PBS Newshour

2018

Help the #5WomenArtists Social Media Challenge Succeed…By Making It Unnecessary, Observer 
Can you name #5WomenArtists? Here’s a list to get you started. The Lily 
How Women Are Using Digital Platforms to Find Parity in the Arts, Observer 
These women are some of America’s greatest artists. Why don’t they get the respect they deserve? Washington Post

2016

Fighting the Under-Representation of Women in the Arts, The Atlantic
Can you name 5 women artists? New York Magazine
Sadly, Naming Five Women Artists Isn’t As Easy As It Sounds, Huffington Post
In March, Museums Promote Women Artists Through Social Media Campaign, artnet