Commemorating NMWA Founder Wilhelmina Cole Holladay

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, March 13, 2014; Photo by Astrid Riecken for the Washington Post via Getty Images

Wilhelmina Cole was born on October 10, 1922, in Elmira, New York. She recalled being enchanted by artwork by women even as a child. In her oral history in the Archives of American Art, Holladay described a print of a Rosa Bonheur painting at her grandmother’s house and an Élisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun image that hung in her own bedroom, one of the artist’s self-portraits with her daughter Julie.

A sepia-toned photograph of a young light-skinned girl sitting outside in a chair, smiling and cradling a doll. She wears a light color dress with a large bow in her hair. Behind her is a lattice and flowering plants.

Wilhelmina Cole, age 5, ca. 1927; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

She attended Elmira College, not far from her childhood home. There, she was known as “Billie.” She was active in the school’s theater program, minoring in drama. She performed in The Women by Clare Boothe Luce (who, many years later, would give the museum its Frida Kahlo painting). She was on the yearbook staff and was recognized by peers for her “versatility in clothes, talents, and coiffures.”

A yearbook portrait from the mid-1940's features a light-skinned woman with dark, shoulder-length hair and short, thick bangs that end mid-forehead. She wears a dark lipstick color. Atop the photo is a typed series of information about her; below is her n

Wilhelmina Cole senior page, Iris Yearbook, Elmira College, 1944; Elmira College Archives, Gannett-Tripp Library, Elmira College, Elmira, N.Y.; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Eleven young light-skinned women pose on a patio for a group portrait. Some sit around a table covered with books; others stand leaning against a railing.

Wilhelmina Cole (pictured far left) with friends, Iris Yearbook, Elmira College, 1943; Elmira College Archives, Gannett-Tripp Library, Elmira College, Elmira, N.Y.; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

In 1946, Holladay moved to Washington, D.C, where she worked for the Embassy of the Republic of China as social secretary to Soong Mei-ling, wife of Chiang Kai-shek. It was in D.C. that she met her future husband, Wallace Holladay. Wallace had studied architecture and was interested in art, a passion that they shared during their 65-year marriage. They were married at Saint Margaret’s Episcopal Church on September 27, 1946. After the birth of their first son, Holladay dedicated herself to volunteer projects. Her knowledge of art history grew when she was a docent at the National Gallery of Art, and she and her husband started to build an art collection.

A black-and-white wedding portrait features a light-skinned, slim couple standing in front of an ornate altar. The woman clasps her husband, clad in a suit, at the elbow and holds a bouquet. Neither smile.

Wilhelmina and Wallace Holladay on their wedding day, September 27, 1946; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

The Holladays loved to travel. On one of their early trips to Europe, they discovered and fell in love with the work of Clara Peeters. Upon returning home and finding no information on Peeters—or any other woman artist—in the entirety of H. W. Janson’s History of Art, the Holladays decided to focus their collection on great art by women. “If Peeters were sufficiently important to hang in two of the world’s great museums, how was it we did not know of her?” Holladay wrote in her memoir.

A vintage photograph of a light-skinned woman with short brown hair sitting on the ground with a map spread out in front of her. On top of the map is a picnic with apples, potatoes, radishes, sandwiches, a bottle of water, and a bottle of wine. There is a small black case in the bottom right corner of the photograph.
A vintage photograph of a light-skinned man with short light-colored hair sitting on the ground. The man drinks out of a full sized bottle of wine with a potato in his other hand. There is a small black case beside him and a bunch of radishes sitting on a map in front of him.

The Holladays enjoy a picnic in the Loire Valley, France; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Holladay’s dedication to creating NMWA was detailed in her daily planner. A typical week shows her visiting possible museum sites, seeking funding, moving in the museum-world circles of Washington, D.C., and talking to artists. She continued this pace of meetings, phone calls, and travel for decades in service to her museum.

Two pages from a 1981 daily planner that include copious handwritten notes in black ink for the week of November 16 to 22. Occasional names are underlined in red ink.

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay’s daily planner, November 16–22, 1981; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Holladay received significant criticism about her plans for NMWA—some believed the museum’s very existence politicized art. Others believed she was avoiding the political issues of feminism. She persisted with her mission, nonetheless. This June 1987 issue of the feminist magazine Women Artists News addressed the criticism. It was gifted to Holladay by founding editor Judy Seigel, who sent her best wishes. Holladay framed this cover and hung it in her office.

A magazine cover in black, white, green reads “Women Artists News” at the very top, below is a cartoon drawing of two girls on a green lawn in a confrontation. One girl yells at the other in a talk bubble that says: “THE WOMEN’S MUSEUM IS A WHITE GLOVE UN-FEMINIST STATUS QUO OPERATION BASED ON A CORPORATE IMAGE OF POWER AND SUCCESS.” The other girl responds “They’re going to show my painting next month.” A handwritten inscription is jotted in the right hand bottom corner.

Cover of Women Artists News, June 1987, with inscription by Judy Seigel; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

In the early 1980s, the Holladays’ art collection was housed at their residence on R Street in Georgetown, where they hosted tours by appointment and occasional lectures. Temporary museum administration offices were located at 4849 Connecticut Avenue, NW and later 4590 MacArthur Boulevard, NW. NMWA Librarian Krystyna Wasserman (later curator of book arts) was one of the museum’s first hires. Scholarly work was a priority for Holladay.

A group of light-skinned women in an ornate residential living room. One woman holds up a large book of illustrated prints and talks to the group. The other women look on with expressions of happiness and intrigue.

Early Board members examine naturalist prints in the Holladay home, 1985; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

In 1983, the Holladays purchased the Masonic Temple at 13th Street and New York Avenue. Built by architect Waddy Wood in 1907, the grand building was in disrepair. Once the site was selected, it took more than a year to secure the approval of the Masonic board, pursue historic landmark status, and plan the labor required for the renovation.

At the head of a large board table, a light-skinned woman stands next to a light-skinned man, both wearing business attire. Four other men sit at the table looking at the man and woman. The woman leans down slightly, signing a document with her right hand.

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay signs the deed for 1250 New York Avenue (standing beside Robert L. Morris, president of the DC Masonic Temple Association), November 1983; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Mr. Holladay was an enthusiastic supporter of his wife’s efforts and, as co-founder, an equal partner in developing the museum’s collection as well as overseeing the major renovation of NMWA’s home at 1250 New York Avenue.

A black and white photograph of two light-skinned men and a light-skinned woman dressed in suits from the 1980s stand across the street from an ornate five-story stone building. The figures glance up a the building.

Wallace F. Holladay, Anne-Imelda Radice, and architect Coke Florance observe 1250 New York Avenue; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

A large, ornate hall is photographed from a balcony, looking down onto a floor under renovation, with steel supports in place. Around the hall paint chips off of the walls and a layer of dust coats the balcony railing. Construction debris is visible on the left side.

Interior of 1250 New York Avenue during renovation, ca. 1984; Photo by Walter Smalling, Jr.; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

The museum’s first exhibition, American Women Artists, 1830–1930, was a survey curated by one of the country’s foremost feminist art historians, Dr. Eleanor Tufts. Here, Holladay is photographed in the galleries at the museum’s opening press conference.

In an art gallery featuring five large oil paintings on the walls, a male photographer takes a posed photograph of a light-skinned woman leaning against a podium in the center of the room. It holds a sculpture of a man on a horse. The woman smiles slightly under the photographer's large umbrella lights. She wears a blazer, long skirt and an elegant silk scarf tied around her neck.

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay photographed at NMWA opening press conference, April 2, 1987; Photo by Stephen Payne; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

The museum opened to the public on April 7, 1987, and Holladay addressed the crowd at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. NMWA Director Anne-Imelda M. Radice; wife of the Vice President Barbara Bush; Washington, D.C., First Lady Effi Barry; and Frank Hodsoll, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, are pictured in attendance.

A light-skinned woman speaks at a podium adorned with many microphones outside of a large building. A crowd of people look on and four others, three women and a man, stand in front of the crowd, to the side of the woman with their hands clasped in front of them.

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, Frank Hodsoll, Anne-Imelda Radice, Effi Barry, and Barbara Bush at the inaugural ribbon cutting ceremony, April 7, 1987; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Two older light-skinned women in suit and skirt sets smile and cut a red ribbon on the doors of an institution. One woman has brown hair and the other hair white hair.

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay and wife of the Vice President Barbara Bush at the inaugural ribbon cutting ceremony, April 7, 1987; Photo by Stephen Payne; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Three light-skinned women stand in a row smiling. They all have short to medium-length dark hair and wear 1980s-style business wear. Two wear pearls. In the background is a wooden library card catalogue.

Founder Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, Librarian Krystyna Wasserman, and Director Anne-Imelda Radice at the opening celebration for the Library and Research Center, September 21, 1987; Photo by Stephen Payne; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Perhaps an unlikely pair, Holladay and artist Judy Chicago long supported each other against the challenges of naysayers. Holladay rose to Chicago’s defense during an ugly period in which her artwork was decried as indecent on the floors of Congress. Chicago supported NMWA as a necessary and worthy cause in the face of challenges that it was not sufficiently feminist.

Two light-skinned women sit on a couch in a residence. The woman on the left wears a cardigan, blouse, and skirt and has chin-length straight brow hair. The woman on the right has curly shoulder-length hair, wears glasses, and a polka dotted top and black pants. They look at each other as they are in conversation. Four embroidered pillows sit on the couch behind and next to them.

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay with Judy Chicago in the Holladays’ Georgetown home, ca. 1988; Photo by Donald Woodman; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

In her efforts to establish the museum as a national institution, Holladay cultivated the formation of NMWA committees all over the globe. From Texas to New York, Canada to France, these NMWA-affiliated groups work on behalf of women artists in their home states and countries, extending the museum’s mission. “I can hardly overstate the importance of our state and foreign committees. Indeed, they may be one of NMWA’s most effective secret weapons and the reason we have grown as well as we have,” Holladay wrote in her memoir. Today, there are 25 active committees representing regions across the US from California to New York, three South American nations, and six European nations.

A black and white photograph of a room full of men and women seated at two long tables. In the front of the room a light-skinned woman with short brown hair stands at a podium addressing the group. The men are wearing suits and the women are wearing formal luncheon attire from the 1980s.

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay addresses attendees at the National Museum of Women in the Arts 1989 State Committee Conference at the U.S. Capitol Ways & Means room, Washington, D.C.; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

NMWA featured South African mural artist Esther Mahlangu in both an exhibition and an exterior mural project in 1994. Poet Dr. Maya Angelou delivered remarks, and South African President Nelson Mandela visited her exhibition during his tour of Washington, D.C.

A dark-skinned woman stands at a podium which is set up outside of a large building and in front of a large crowd of people. The woman points to another dark-skinned woman to the right, who is dressed in colorful, traditional African dress and jewelry. She smiles warmly next to a light-skinned woman with shoulder-length brown hair and a dark-skinned man. Behind the podium is a large geometric mural.

Dr. Maya Angelou, Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, and Esther Mahlangu at the opening reception for Esther Mahlangu, South African Muralist: The BMW Art Car and Related Works, September 15, 1994; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Another high-profile museum visitor, Diana, Princess of Wales, delivered a speech against the use of landmines at a gala fundraiser held in NMWA’s Great Hall. New York Avenue was blocked off with barricades for the crowds that gathered to see her arrive.

Three light-skinned women stand next to each other in fancy evening dresses inside an art gallery. The woman on the left wears a green dress, has red hair, and clasps a purse in her left hand; the women in the middle has short blonde hair, wears a red dress, and clasps her hands together in front of her; the women on the right has greying brown chin-length hair and wears a black dress, and also clasps her hands together in front of her. They all smile at the camera.

Elizabeth Dole, president of the American Red Cross; Diana, Princess of Wales; and Wilhelmina Cole Holladay at the International Red Cross Benefit at NMWA, June 17, 1997; Photo by Robert Isacson; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton made two appearances at NMWA in 1997. In February, she made the museum the site of her speech for the Fannie Mae Women’s Health Summit. In November, she cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony for the museum’s Elisabeth A. Kasser Wing.

Three light-skinned women wearing formal skirt and blazer sets stand in a row smiling for a photograph. A woman with blonde hair wears a blue and red/orange striped suit, while the others are all in black with different broaches adorned on their left lapel

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, Hillary Clinton, and Elisabeth A. Kasser; Photo by Bill Fitz-Patrick Photography; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

With NMWA board member Kathy Springhorn, the Holladays were invited to St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2000 by Hermitage Museum Director Mikhail Piotrovsky. NMWA’s then-Chief Curator Susan Fisher Sterling accompanied them and, three years later, An Imperial Collection: Women Artists from the State Hermitage Museum debuted at NMWA. In 2008, Sterling became the museum’s director and has worked side by side with Holladay and the Board of Trustees to the present day.

A color photograph of a group of 2 light-skinned men and 3 light-skinned women who stand in an ornate room, with large windows, crystal chandeliers, colored marble details, and gold accents. The figures are all wearing business attire and smiling at the camera.

Wallace Holladay; National Advisory Board Member Kathy Springhorn; Wilhelmina Cole Holladay; Vitcheslav Feodorov, head of Hermitage Russian department; Elizaveta Renne, Hermitage curator of British paintings; and Susan Fisher Sterling on a tour of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

First Lady Laura Bush received the Holladays; Marta Sahagún de Fox, First Lady of Mexico; and Eliane Karp de Toledo, First Lady of Peru at a White House reception for the 2006 NMWA exhibition Divine and Human: Women in Ancient Mexico and Peru. Pictured second from the right is Winton Holladay, Holladay’s daughter-in-law and vice-chair of the Board of Trustees. Winton’s dedication to the museum extends from the earliest days.

A formal photograph of seven light-skinned individuals—four women in the center, two men on either end—in the U.S. Presidential office. The woman in the very middle wears a traditional Mexican dress, to her left another woman wears a cheetah-patterned skirt and blazer set. The others are in various business dress. Everyone smiles at the camera.

Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay, First Lady Laura Bush, First Lady of Peru Eliane Karp, First Lady of Mexico Marta Sahagún, Winton and Hap Holladay; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

The Holladays took a special interest in women artists of 18th-century France, a period when the Enlightenment and revolution brought women artists into prominence, then swept them out again. They acquired works by Élisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun, Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, Anne Vallayer-Coster, Marguerite Gérard, and others. These works, and the connections that Holladay built with artistic and political leaders in France, gave rise to major NMWA exhibitions and supported scholarly research on the artists. In 2006, Holladay was awarded the Legion of Honor for service to the arts of France.

In an ornate room featuring red and gold patterned wallpaper and curtains, a light-skinned man fastens a pin to the lapel of the jacket of a light-skinned older woman. An ornate mirror and candelabra sit above a fireplace to their right.

French Ambassador Jean-David Levitte awards the Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur distinction to Wilhelmina Cole Holladay at the French Ambassador’s Residence in Washington, D.C., November 30, 2006; Photo by Russell Hirshon; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

A light-skinned elderly couple smile slightly for the camera, which captures them from the chest up. They are dressed in formal evening attire, the woman wearing large pearls, a broach, and gemstone earrings. The man wears a red patterned tie and glasses.

Wallace and Wilhelmina Cole Holladay at NMWA’s 20th anniversary celebration, March 30, 2007; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

In 2010, NMWA inaugurated the New York Avenue Sculpture Project, placing large, vibrant works by sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle on the median in front of the museum. Second Lady Jill Biden visited and toured the museum and library during the celebratory opening day.

In a large, light-filled gallery, two women look on at a wall sculpture that is made of black shredded tires. The woman on the left wears a turquoise blue skirt and jacket set with white open-toed heels. She smiles looking on at the artwork. The women on the right is older and dressed in black pants and a white and grey striped over coat. The appear mid-conversation.

Second Lady Jill Biden and Wilhelmina Cole Holladay examine Chakaia Booker’s Acid Rain (2001) in the NMWA galleries, April 28, 2010; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

A light-skinned older woman speaks into a black microphone at a podium. Standing next to her is a black woman wearing a colorfully patterned matching headwrap and shirt and large beaded earrings.

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay and Faith Ringgold at the opening reception for American People, Black Light, June 18, 2013; Photo by Yassine El Mansouri; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Long a dream for Holladay, the 2014 exhibition Picturing Mary: Woman, Mother, Idea brought together masterpieces of Western art from around the world to examine the image of Mary. Featuring works by Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Gentileschi, the show was a success for the museum and a personal delight for Holladay.

A group of light-skinned older people stand close in an art gallery listening as a Monsignor speaks to them. In the background is an artwork depicting Mary and Jesus; the wall next to it is painted teal.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, and Monsignor Timothy Verdon at the Picturing Mary: Woman, Mother, Idea celebration dinner, December 3, 2014; Photo by Jack Hartzman Photography; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Holladay celebrated the gift of a painting by Berthe Morisot from longtime museum supporters Joe and Teresa Lozano Long in April 2017.

An older light-skinned woman wearing a green dress with a high neck poses next to an impressionist portrait painting of a woman with brown hair. The woman smiles and rests her hand behind the painting’s ornate gold frame.

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay poses with Berthe Morisot’s Jeune Femme en Mauve (1880), April 20, 2017; Photo by Margo Schulman; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

An older light-skinned woman is celebrated during a gala dinner. Many guests sit in the seats and turn towards her clapping. She smiles happily. Large, ornate bouquets decorate the hall and are the centerpieces of the tables.

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay at NMWA’s 30th anniversary gala, April 21, 2017; Photo by Tony Powell; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Creating the National Museum of Women in the Arts was a true shared passion for Wilhelmina and Wallace Holladay. Both had a lifelong love of art. Wallace led the rehabilitation of the Masonic Temple as a museum, and Wilhelmina found the supporters to make their dream a reality.

A light-skinned elderly couple formally pose for a photograph in an ornate room. They wear formal evening attire and smile subtly. The woman places her hand against the man's lower chest.

Wilhelmina Cole and Wallace Holladay, 1997; Photo by Blackmore & Isacson; Courtesy of the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at the National Museum of Women in the Arts