Explore the National Museum of Women in the Arts
Located in the heart of Washington, D.C., the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) is the first museum in the world solely dedicated to championing women through the arts. NMWA advocates for better representation of women artists and serves as a vital center for thought leadership, community engagement, and social change.
Just 11% of all acquisitions at prominent American museums over the past decade were of work by women artists. The NMWA collections feature more than 5,500 works from the 16th century to today created by more than 1,000 artists.
NMWA was incorporated in November 1981 as a private, nonprofit museum. In 1983, the museum purchased its building at 1250 New York Avenue, NW—a 78,810-square-foot Washington landmark near the White House that was constructed in 1908 as a Masonic Temple. It was refurbished and expanded in accordance with the highest design, museum, and security standards, and won numerous architectural awards. Beginning in 2021, the museum began its first full renovation since 1987, adding nearly 2,500 square feet of gallery space, a new Learning Commons, and enhanced visitor accessibility.
Collection galleries at the National Museum of Women in the Arts; Photo by Jennifer Hughes, courtesy of NMWA
National Museum of Women in the Arts, exterior, 13th Street side, 2023; Photo by John Mannarino
