This episode continues Claire and Melissa’s three part series about the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) and its 30th anniversary.
If you missed the first part, which included an interview with NMWA Director Susan Fisher Sterling, please take a moment to check out Episode 18.
In this episode, Claire and Melissa transition from NMWA’s founding to an examination of its collections, exhibitions and programs, all of which support public engagement with women’s artistic accomplishments.
Although it is a relatively a young collection, NMWA holds over 5,000 artworks from the 16th century to the present, created by over 1,000 women artists. In addition to exhibiting works from the permanent collection, NMWA’s special exhibitions rotate and showcase artworks by both established and emerging artists represented by collections around the world. The landmark exhibition, Magnetic Fields: Expanding American Abstraction, 1960s to Today (on view in D.C. until January 21, 2018), is one such exhibition.
To help broaden the scope of discourse, Associate Curator Ginny Treanor joined the conversation by phone and revisits the story of NMWA’s founding from a curatorial angle, while speaking to her curatorial practice as it relates to NMWA’s mission.
Director of Public Programs Melani Douglass was also available for an interview, and shares with listeners one of the museum’s public programs that really supports the idea that women in the arts can be power catalysts for change. This initiative is called Women, Arts, and Social Change, which creates a space for women from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to gather and combine their voices for social consciousness and empowerment.
Produced by Lacy Scarmana
