National Museum of Women in the Arts

The National Museum of Women in the Arts on New York Avenue NW is the only major museum in the world devoted exclusively to women artists. Collector Wilhelmina Cole Holladay and her husband Wallace founded it in 1981 and opened the doors in 1987 inside a 1908 Beaux-Arts former Masonic temple. The roughly 6.000-piece collection runs from Renaissance painters like Lavinia Fontana through Berthe Morisot and Camille Claudel to Frida Kahlo, Alma Thomas and contemporary voices including Amy Sherald. After a two-year renovation the museum reopened in October 2023 with restored marble staircases, refreshed gallery flow and a re-curated permanent show. The grand Great Hall with its twin chandeliers doubles as a venue for readings and recitals throughout the year.