1908

Designed by the architecture firm, Wood, Donn & Deming, the Classical Revival-style building was constructed originally as a temple for the Masons, an organization that did not allow women members.

Black and white photograph showing the construction of the museum's building from early 20th century. The bottom floors are partially bricked while the upper floors only have scaffolding. — Construction of the National Museum of Women in the Arts building (formerly Masonic Temple), 1908; Courtesy of the Columbia Historical Society

1983

NMWA purchased the historic 78,810 square-foot building located in downtown Washington, D.C., and began extensive renovations to open to the public on April 7, 1987.

Old color, front-facing photograph of the museum exterior from 1984.

November to December 2015

The museum hired renowned architectural firm Sandra Vicchio & Associates to conduct a preservation study of the building. Vicchio and her team presented an initial Facilities Preservation Plan to NMWA’s Board.

A woman with light skin and dark hair is speaking into a microphone in front of a wall with multiple photographs in bright yellow frames. — Photo credit: Kevin Allen

January 2016

A record-breaking blizzard damaged the main building’s roof. Within days, Sandra Vicchio and a team of engineers and contractors secured the structure and began planning the restoration of the roof and cornice.

Close-up of museum's exterior roof showing damage to the gutters caused by heavy snow that is also present in the photograph.

October 2017

A revised facilities preservation plan was presented to NMWA’s Board.

February 2018

The Board passed a motion to proceed with (1) a predesign phase to answer critical questions about the project; and (2) a feasibility study for a possible capital campaign.

Birds-eye rendering of what the fourth floor will look like, includes a view of the new Library learning commons, the Education Center, and new gallery space.. — National Museum of Women in the Arts renovation project: Learning Commons; Rendering by Sandra Vicchio & Associates, LLC, with Marshall Craft Associates, Inc.

March to May 2019

The Board formed a Capital Campaign Steering Committee, and leadership gift fundraising began.

Four women with light skin wearing dark formal dresses pose for a photograph. — Photo Credit: Kevin Allen. Pictured left to right: Susan Fisher Sterling, Sandra Vicchio, Winton Holladay, Jacqueline Badger Mars.

August 9, 2021

Our building closed to the public, and we moved our collections and staff off-site.

Photograph of the back of two blond children watching an online program on a laptop. The program is titled 'Art Chat: Rock-Paper-Scissors' and is hosted by the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

September 2021

Construction preparation began as the team protected special finishes, such as the marble and historic details in the Great Hall, while removing carpet, walls, ceilings, and other materials to work on the building’s infrastructure.

October to December 2021

Focus shifted to site security and exterior scaffolding work, giving access to the building’s historic cornice for inspection and restoration.

Individual with light skin wearing a white hard had and florescent green vest inpsects the decorative cornice of the building. — Photo Credit: Sandra Vicchio & Associates

January to March 2022

The campaign surpassed $55 million in campaign contributions, and fixtures are removed in the Performance Hall to begin a full restoration of the space.

Interior view of the gutted performance hall. — Photo credit: NMWA

March 15 to September 26, 2022

MISS CHELOVE’s four-story mural, Reseeded: A Forest Floor Flow, was installed on the museum’s exterior. This is the first of the Lookout public art installation series during the building’s renovation.

Exterior view of the museum with scoffolding all around that features a large, colorful mural on the front depicting a dark-skinned woman gazing into the distance with her arm touching her face. The background features flowers and green leaves. — MISS CHELOVE, *Reseeded: A Forest Floor Flow* (installation view), 2022; Printed mesh, 60 x 48 ft.; Commissioned by the National Museum of Women in the Arts with support provided by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities; © 2022 MISS CHELOVE; Photo by Kevin Allen

April to August 2022

Construction milestones include work on the passenger elevators shafts for greater accessibility, wall framing, insulation, HVAC system equipment installation on the roof, and floor reinforcement.

September to December 2022

Construction continued on schedule with gallery wall construction, installation of the state-of-the-art collections storage, and exterior re-coating of the terra cotta cornice underway.

October 24, 2022, to April 30, 2023

The second public art installation of NMWA’s Lookout project, Katharina Cibulka’s SOLANGE #27, went on view on the façade of the museum’s building.

A building with a white mesh artwork covering its façade, featuring bright pink cross-stitched letters that say "As long as generations change but our struggles stay the same, I will be a feminist." — Katharina Cibulka, *SOLANGE #27* (installation view, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C.), 2022; Mesh scaffolding net, tulle, and cable ties, 82 x 82 ft. (25 x 25 meters); © 2022 Katharina Cibulka; Photo by Kevin Allen

January 2023

The Capital Campaign is 94% funded, crossing the $63 million mark.

A digital rendering shows the exterior of a historic building in an urban setting at night. Interior lights shine onto the street below. The building is several stories tall, constructed of gray and tan stone, with an arched doorway, high windows, and detailed cornice around the roof. Tiny digitally rendered people are visible inside through the windows and walking on the street outside. — National Museum of Women in the Arts renovation project: west elevation; Rendering by Marshall Craft Associates, Inc., with Sandra Vicchio & Associates, LLC

October 21, 2023

The newly renovated building will reopen to the public on October 21, 2023 with a series of celebratory events for members, campaign donors, and the community.