Note: All submitted events must be approved before they appear in the calendar.
WASHINGTON—There are plenty of opportunities to support women artists with NMWA this season, even while the museum prepares for the building reopening in fall 2023. Listen to live music, learn about the work of women muralists, and, through the end of April, visit Katharina Cibulka’s “SOLANGE” installation on the building façade.
The information below is current as of February 2023. All times listed are Eastern Time. For more information, visit the museum’s online calendar. Live transcriptions are provided during most virtual programs. To request additional access services, please check the online calendar for contact information or email accessibility@nmwa.org.
Special Events2023 Spring GalaFriday, April 14, 6:30 p.m. Location: Embassy of Italy Join co-chairs Anita McBride and Patti White and Honorary Diplomatic Chair Ambassador of Italy Mariangela Zappia for a special night at the museum’s largest annual fundraising event. Proceeds benefit NMWA’s special exhibitions and diverse education and public programming initiatives, allowing us to champion women artists of the past, present and future. The evening will feature cocktails, a seated dinner and entertainment. Please contact gala@nmwa.org for information on tickets, sponsorship opportunities and more.
NMWA Book Club: Unwieldy CreaturesThursday, June 15, 6–8 p.m.OnlineJoin us to explore Addie Tsai’s Unwieldy Creatures (2022), a biracial, queer, nonbinary retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The story follows three beings who navigate life from the margins. Plum is a queer biracial Chinese intern at one of the world’s top embryology labs, who runs away from home to be with her girlfriend, only to be left on her own. Dr. Frank is a queer biracial Indonesian scientist who compromises everything she claims to love in the name of science and ambition when she sets out to procreate without sperm or egg. Dr. Frank painstakingly creates a being that experiences complications at birth resulting from a cruel twist of revenge. Plum struggles to determine the limits of her own ambition when Dr. Frank offers her a chance to assist with her next project. How far will Plum go in the name of scientific advancement, and what is she willing to risk? Facilitated by literary maven Lisa Pegram, the author joins the discussion about the themes of the book in relation to fashion, art, and our own humanity. Free. Reservations required.
Women, Arts, and Social Change ProgramsThe Tea: Hayley FaheyFriday, April 7, 12–1 p.m.OnlineSinger-songwriter Hayley Fahey features in this online series in which women musicians perform original work via livestream. Each session includes a short interview, conducted over a cup of tea, which explores the artist’s creative process. Fahey has enchanted audiences across the country with her voice’s dynamic range and bluesy tenderness. Her sound is a unique blend of pop, soul and Americana, reminiscent of her earliest influences: singer-songwriters from the 1970s and early 2000s pop. She takes the audience on a journey with heartfelt lyrics, pop-driven hooks, and vivacious energy. Free. No reservations required. Stream live at nmwa.org/livestream.
FRESH TALK: Work on the Walls—Women Muralists and Graffiti ArtistsSunday, April 30, 4:30–6 p.m.Planet WordArt and language each empower humans to express emotions and ideas. When combined in the form of murals and graffiti art, they have immense ability to convey complex thoughts and reach numerous people in public spaces. What is the potential impact for social change? What does it mean for women to harness this potential? How can the perspectives of women and nonbinary people illuminate this distinctive medium? Join us for a conversation with mural artist MISS CHELOVE and mixed-media artist Nekisha Durrett as they answer these questions and explore connections between art and language. Reservations required. $25 general admission, $20 for members, students and seniors. The conversation will also be livestreamed at nmwa.org/livestream.
Fifth Annual MakeHER Summit WorkshopsMonday, May 1, 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.1615 M Street NW, Suite 200Join NMWA for a day of meaningful connection and in-depth workshops that will offer practical tips and resources for creative entrepreneurs aiming to start or grow a business. This year, we are partnering with COCO B. Productions to inspire individuals to dream with purpose, pen a narrative that ignites an internal fire and build attainable strategies to achieve personal and professional goals. The program includes a keynote address by entrepreneur Mariko Bennett and workshops to guide you in developing strategic plans and goals. $15 general admission, $10 for members, students and seniors. Reservations required.
The Tea: Heather MaeFriday, May 5, 12–1 p.m.OnlineSinger-songwriter Heather Mae features in this online series in which women musicians perform original work. Each session includes a short interview, conducted over a cup of tea, exploring the artist’s creative process. Mae is an award-winning songwriter whose evocative vocals and rhythmic piano style are reminiscent of artists such as Stevie Nicks and Sara Bareilles. Her music addresses complex topics related to mental health, LGBTQ+ issues, self-love, racial injustice, social inequality, and women’s rights. Mae is inspired by her personal experiences and identities—a queer, plus-size woman living with bipolar disorder—and those of fans with whom she has forged connections while touring the United States. She crafts powerful lyrics and unforgettable music about life’s moments, from the quietly chaotic to the explosive. Free. No reservations required. Stream live at nmwa.org/livestream.The Tea: Crys MatthewsFriday, June 2, 12–1 p.m.OnlineCrys Matthews features in this online series in which women musicians perform original work. Each session includes a short interview, conducted over a cup of tea, exploring the artist’s creative process. Matthews blends Americana, folk, jazz, blues, bluegrass and funk into a bold, complex performance steeped in traditional melodies and punctuated by honest, original lyrics. Compared to musicians as wide-ranging as Toshi Reagon, Tracy Chapman and Ruthie Foster for her eclectic infusion of genres, Matthews has won honorable mentions at the 2013 and 2014 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest and extensive radio play from Women of Substance radio. Matthews has shared stages with Melissa Ferrick, Chris Pureka and Liz Longley, as well as regional artists such as Owen Danoff, Eliot Bronson and Heather Mae. Free. No reservations required. Stream live at nmwa.org/livestream.
Art TalksArt Talk Live: Elizabeth CatlettThursday, April 6, 5:30–6:30 p.m.OnlineJoin staff from NMWA and the Gadsden Arts Center & Museum (GACM) to explore connections between GACM’s exhibition The Art of Elizabeth Catlett: From the Collection of Samella Lewis and NMWA’s collection. This exhibition comes from the collection of Samella Lewis (1924–2022), a student of Catlett and an accomplished artist, professor and author. It features 30 works by Catlett; a few by her husband, Francisco Mora; and others by Lewis herself. The conversation will extend to artists with ties to Catlett past and present, such as Loïs Mailou Jones, one of Catlett’s teachers at Howard University. Free. Reservations required.
Art Chats @ 5Fridays, April 7, 21, May 5, 19, June 2, 26, 30, July 7, 21, 5–6 p.m.OnlineJump-start your weekend with art! Join NMWA educators online for informal 45-minute art chats about selected artworks in the collection. Each week the group will consider a new sampling of artworks. You can even enjoy your favorite happy hour drink or snack during the sessions. Free. Reservations required. Registration for each month’s Art Chats opens by the 20th of the preceding month.
Slow Art DaySaturday, April 15, 1–2:30 p.m.OnlineJoin a movement! Slow Art Week, April 7 through April 15, is an international event encouraging people of all ages to visit community art spaces—virtually or in person—and look at art slowly. To participate, invest time looking closely at a limited number of artworks suggested by NMWA, then consider a series of prompts. You are encouraged to examine at least five works of art for ten minutes each. On April 15, connect with other slow art lookers to discuss your experience and learn more about the selected artworks. Free. Reservations required for the online conversation, and space is limited. Visit this page starting on March 31 for selected artworks and slow looking suggestions.
NMWA xChange: Trailblazer and Rule Breaker Lavinia FontanaTuesday, May 9, 12–12:45 p.m.OnlineNMWA’s monthly talk show connects viewers to the museum and its mission to champion women artists. In this episode, Dr. Aoife Brady, curator of Italian and Spanish art at the National Gallery of Ireland, joins NMWA hosts to discuss the upcoming exhibition Lavinia Fontana: Trailblazer, Rule Breaker, which celebrates portraiture by Fontana, widely considered to be the first woman artist to achieve professional success outside of a court or convent. This exhibition will include NMWA’s Portrait of Costanza Alidosi (ca. 1594). Brady will also discuss her museum’s Fontana Conservation and Research Project. Free. Reservations required.
For EducatorsVirtual Educator Summer CampJuly 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27, 10–11:30 a.m.OnlineNMWA’s virtual Educator Summer Camp is designed for all educators—schoolteachers, adults supporting students learning remotely, home school instructors, scout leaders, etc. We just ask that you come with your learners in mind and a playful spirit! We will offer independent 1.5-hour sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from July 6 through July 27. Sessions, inspired by the Art, Books, and Creativity (ABC) Institutes and NMWA’s collection, are hands-on, participatory and fun. Sessions will explore NMWA’s collection and resources, introduce historic and contemporary women artists and engage participants in experimental making and close looking. Guest instructors include artists and educators from around the country. You will receive a recommended supply list, applicable digital resources and a Zoom meeting link in advance of each session. Camp activities are designed to make use of materials and tools you might have at home, to encourage repurposing and seeing everyday objects in a new light. Register for one session or many depending on your interest and commitments. Registration opens May 8.
InstallationsLookout: Katharina CibulkaThrough April 30, 2023Austrian artist Katharina Cibulka covers the museum’s north-facing façade with one of her monumental “SOLANGE” (German for “as long as”) nets, a project that addresses gender-based inequity and social power structures. In bright pink tulle, Cibulka stitched the message, “As long as generations change but our struggles stay the same, I will be a feminist.” Prior to developing each site-specific “SOLANGE” phrase, the artist seeks public input to understand the concerns and hopes of local residents. Lookout: Katharina Cibulka is the artist’s first installation in the United States.Lookout: Katharina Cibulka is organized by the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The project is generously supported by Share Fund and the members of NMWA.
Information
RENOVATION: The museum building at 1250 New York Avenue NW is closed for a major renovation, with plans to reopen on October 21, 2023. Visit nmwa.org/renovation for more information.
INFORMATION: nmwa.org, 202-783-5000
SOCIAL MEDIA: Broad Strokes blog, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram
