Women’s History Month

A modern museum gallery is photographed at a wide angle. Visitors observe large artworks on the walls.
Celebrate Women’s History Month all month long with NMWA!

2025 Events

Several people sit at tables while they create an art project.
Attendees participate in an art-making activity in the studio at the September NMWA Nights; Photo by Derek Baker for NMWA

Free Community Day

Visit us on the first Sunday and second Wednesday of each month for free museum admission. Take this opportunity to explore our collection and current exhibitions.

A woman smiles outdoors. She wears a coral dress, white gloves, and holds red pom-poms. The weather is sunny with a clear blue sky; trees and grass are in the background.
Photo by Bella Sgarlata

Pop-up Performance: Molly Grace

Kick off Women’s History Month with Nashville-based musician Molly Grace. Attendees will hear from Grace about the inspiration behind her music and her journey as a queer artist. She will then perform an acoustic version of her newest single, F.E.M.M.E. Wear your hottest pink, red, glittery, or sparkly looks to match the vibe!

Two women are pictured in a split-frame image. The person on the left is in a room with a gold-framed mirror behind her. She wears a dark V-neck top with gold embellishments. The person on the right has brown curly hair and is holding a large cardboard replica of a finger pointing up.

Artist Talk: Uncanny

On the eve of International Women’s Day, join us for a special program exploring NMWA’s new exhibition, Uncanny. Curator Orin Zahra joins exhibition artists Fabiola Jean-Louis and Sheida Soleimani, who discuss how their works use feminist strategies of defamiliarization and resistance.

A crowd participates in a yoga class in the Great Hall of the National Museum of Women in the Arts. They all wear athletic apparel and are standing on their own yoga mats in a "warrior 2" pose.
The National Museum of Women in the Arts hosts a yoga session in the building’s Great Hall as part of its International Women’s Day celebration.

International Women’s Day Yoga 

Kick-start International Women’s Day with an all-levels yoga flow session surrounded by artwork in our iconic Great Hall. The class will feature seated, supine, and standing poses. Modifications and amplifications will be offered, and participants will be encouraged to practice at their own pace. Suitable for all levels. Please bring your yoga mat.

Soft focus black-and-white photograph of a still body of water with three parallel wooden docks to the right, receding into the background. Low hills hug the horizon line and an overcast sky caps off the image.
Photography courtesy R.C. Barajas

Firsthand Experience: Pinhole Pics 

Firsthand Experience workshops bring contemporary artists together with learners ages 13 and older. In this session, learn about the history of pinhole cameras and how a contemporary artist uses this basic tool to make surreal and ethereal photographs. Join us to create your own lens-less camera, capture images, and develop your photographs.

Two look at a colorful painting featuring a woman in a long pink and white skirt with a gold shawl around her shoulders.
The National Museum of Women in the Arts’ September 2024 NMWA Nights. Photo by Derek Baker for NMWA.

Frida Kahlo: Art & Legacy 

Celebrate International Women’s Day with a virtual talk exploring the life, art, and enduring legacy of Frida Kahlo. Join Sarah Powers, curator at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, for a deep dive into Kahlo’s artistry and life, focusing on the pivotal role of the artist’s personal mythology in shaping our understanding. Following the presentation, Powers and Laura Hoffman, NMWA director of digital engagement, will discuss NMWA’s collection of Kahlo’s personal letters and how digital innovation is transforming the way we connect with personal narratives in art .

An open accordion-style book in the shape of a house. On each page is a black and white graphic background and a washed-out black and white photograph. Beneath each image is typed text on accordion folded paper.
Clarissa Sligh, What’s Happening with Momma?, 1988; Silkscreen and letterpress on paper, 6 1/2 x 11 1/2 in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Gift of Clayre Baessler Liammari; © Clarissa Sligh

The Big Draw

Join NMWA educators at the National Building Museum for a free, day-long festival celebrating the power of drawing as a tool for communication, problem-solving, and storytelling.

An aerial view of an elliptical shaped futuristic building that has grass and trees on top; the building is surrounded by a green park in a city with a football stadium behind it.
Lucas museum aerial view rendering

Creative’s Keynote: Sandra Jackson-Dumont

In this Creative’s Keynote, Sandra Jackson-Dumont, director and CEO of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, will discuss the power of visual storytelling. Attendees will learn about the role of narrative art in influencing societies, innovative approaches to curating projects, and ways to create space for a wide range of perspectives and ideas. The talk will be followed by a salon-style cocktail hour from 7 to 8 pm.

A girl with medium colored skin, a beige hijab, and a white and silver sequin outfit stands next to a girl with light-medium colored skin in a black dress. They are getting their photo taken with an iphone and stand in front of a black and white portrait photograph of a girl and boy in formal, prom wear.
Attendees at the May NMWA Nights. Photo by Derek Baker for NMWA.

NMWA Nights

Mark your calendars for the third Wednesday evening of each month for a creative and engaging after-hours experience! Peruse the galleries, grab a cocktail, listen to a performance, attend a tour, or participate in art-making activities. Two drink tickets are included with admission; additional beverages and food are available for purchase.

Two individuals are pictured in a split-frame image. The person on the left is a woman in a tan jump suit standing in an empty restaurant. The person on the right is a woman wearing a white tank top with a scarf tied around her neck, standing in front of a charcoal grill.
Jill Nguyễn and Bricia Lopez; Photo of Jill Nguyễn by Chris Svetlik

Fresh Talk: Defining Success

Join Jill Nguyễn, founder of Capitol Jill Baking, and Bricia Lopez, co-owner of Guelaguetza, a Oaxacan restaurant and boutique market in Los Angeles, for a dynamic conversation as they discuss nontraditional paths to success as entrepreneurs from the food industry. Find inspiration from the speakers about how to measure your own success, with insights that reach beyond the food and small business industry. The talk will be followed by a salon-style cocktail hour from 7 to 8 pm.

A photograph of a medium-skinned woman with black hair, shown from the waist up. She is wearing a black zip-up jacket and has her arms crossed in front of her. She stands in front of a large-scale abstract tapestry made of red, orange, pink, and gold fabric.
Suchitra Mattai. Courtesy of the artist and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles; Photo by Heather Rasmussen

Artist Talk: Suchitra Mattai

During this virtual program, multidisciplinary artist Suchitra Mattai joins Assistant Curator Hannah Shambroom and Senior Educator Adrienne L. Gayoso in conversation about her vibrant, layered works and how they speak to history, identity, and belonging.

Standing gracefully on the sandy banks of the shore, a Black woman in a Grecian white robe embodies the mythic Aphrodite, posing as portrayed in Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus.”
Photo by John Marty (he/him)

Film: Holding Back the Tide

Presented in partnership with the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital, Holding Back the Tide is an impressionistic hybrid documentary exploring the life cycles of oysters in New York, once the world’s oyster capital. Through the lens of queer characters and ancient myth, the film uncovers the overlooked history and biology of the bivalves that shaped the city. Following the screening, join us for a conversation with the film’s director, Emily Packer, and Kelley Daley, NMWA director of public programs.

A hand holds a "I can name #5WomentArtists" pin in front of a laptop displaying the Wikimedia Commons website.
2017 Wikipedia Edit-a-thon; Photo by Emily Haight for NMWA

Wikipedia Edit-a-thon

Join NMWA’s Library and Research Center and our partner Wikimedia DC for a virtual Wikipedia Edit-a-thon to help close information gaps related to gender, feminism, and the arts. This year, NMWA focuses on environmental justice and sustainability in the arts to complement the 2025 #5WomenArtists campaign. Anyone and everyone interested in learning more about editing Wikipedia, regardless of experience, gender, or background, is welcome to attend.

A black-and-white artwork features a dark-skinned woman's duplicated head, one facing the viewer straight on and the other upside down. The faces are stylized and abstract, with a textured appearance, set against a plain white background.
Frida Orupabo, Two Heads (detail), 2022; Framed collage with paper pins, 58 1/4 x 41 1/2 in.; On loan from Lisa Gregory; © Frida Orupabo; Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Nordenhake Berlin/Stockholm/Mexico City

Art Chat

On the fourth Friday of each month, jump-start your weekend with art from the comfort of home! Join NMWA educators for informal 45-minute chats about selected artworks from NMWA’s collection or special exhibitions. Consider a new sampling of artworks in each session. You can even enjoy your favorite happy hour drink or snack during the event.