COLLECTION
Visitors explore the collection galleries during a free Community Day with works by Amy Sherald, left, and Elizabeth Catlett, right
A “Visionary” Collection
Acquisition Spotlight
A June 2020 feature in Bmore Art praised NMWA’s cutting-edge collecting practices. “What you see in NMWA’s collection are insightful finds, ahead-of-thecurve discoveries, and a strong commitment to racial, gender, and LGBTQI diversity.”
Renowned Portugese artist Joana Vasconcelos’s nearly six-foot-tall glass and textile chandelier Rubra (2016) (pictured opposite, top left) was added to NMWA’s collection through a gift from museum patron Christine Suppes. In Rubra, Vasconcelos reinvigorates traditional craft through contemporary artistic practices. This sculpture features handmade wool crochet, lace, sequined fabric, gold tassels, delicate beaded ornaments, Murano glass, and LED lightbulbs.
By the Numbers In FY20, the museum’s collection grew with the addition of 201 new works in 9 different mediums:
174 Photographs 2 Vessels 9 Paintings 2 Drawings 5 Sculptures 1 Artist’s book 5 Prints 1 Pastel 2 Multiples 8 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS
Conservation Spotlight In fall 2019, conservation researchers from the Smithsonian American Art Museum visited NMWA to examine two beloved paintings by Alma Woodsey Thomas—Iris, Tulips, Jonquils, and Crocuses (1968) and Orion (1973)—and share new findings on the artist.
