National Museum of Women in the Arts
Yes, you can see Georgia O’Keeffe’s stunning works at the National Gallery of Art. And you can visit Ann Hamilton’s immersive installation At Hand at the Hirshhorn. But nowhere else in the world will you find such a large collection of art by only female artists as at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The museum reopened in 2023 following a multiyear, $67.5-million renovation; its more than 5,500 works by women, from the 16th century to the present, are now better lit and better displayed than ever before.
Inside the white marble Renaissance Revival museum building, constructed as a Masonic temple in 1908, is a space so elegant it’s frequently in demand as a wedding reception venue. Some artworks are displayed in the Great Hall, but most are in upstairs galleries, accessed via the sweeping marble double stairways. The museum remains “the world’s first major museum solely dedicated to championing women artists” and recognizing women’s artistic and creative accomplishments. The permanent collection includes works by Rosa Bonheur, Mary Cassatt, Helen Frankenthaler, Barbara Hepworth, Georgia O’Keeffe, Lilla Cabot Perry, Elaine de Kooning, and many others. Most popular is Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait, the artist's only work permanently on view in Washington. The museum mounts several special exhibits annually, rotating mediums from photography to painted glass and sculpture to drawings.
Also recommended is the museum’s gift shop, which sells items made by women and women-owned businesses.
Yes, you can see Georgia O’Keeffe’s stunning works at the National Gallery of Art. And you can visit Ann Hamilton’s immersive installation At Hand at the Hirshhorn. But nowhere else in the world will you find such a large collection of art by only female artists as at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The museum reopened in 2023 following a multiyear, $67.5-million renovation; its more than 5,500 works by women, from the 16th century to the present, are now better lit and better displayed than ever before.
Inside the white marble Renaissance Revival museum building, constructed as a Masonic temple in 1908, is a space so elegant it’s frequently in demand as a wedding reception venue. Some artworks are displayed in the Great Hall, but most are in upstairs galleries, accessed via the sweeping marble double stairways. The museum remains “the world’s first major museum solely dedicated to championing women artists” and recognizing women’s artistic and creative accomplishments. The permanent collection includes works by Rosa Bonheur, Mary Cassatt, Helen Frankenthaler, Barbara Hepworth, Georgia O’Keeffe, Lilla Cabot Perry, Elaine de Kooning, and many others. Most popular is Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait, the artist's only work permanently on view in Washington. The museum mounts several special exhibits annually, rotating mediums from photography to painted glass and sculpture to drawings.
Also recommended is the museum’s gift shop, which sells items made by women and women-owned businesses.
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