Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, Founder of National Museum of Women in the Arts, Remembered
WASHINGTON, DC
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Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, who founded the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), the first and only museum solely dedicated to championing women through the arts, died on Saturday, March 6, 2021, at the age of 98 in Washington, D.C.
Against tremendous odds and with dedication, drive and a singular vision, Holladay created a museum to help alleviate the underrepresentation of women artists in museums and galleries worldwide.
“For nearly 40 years, Wilhelmina Holladay has been the guiding light of our museum,” said Director Susan Fisher Sterling. “Mrs. Holladay knew the power of art and the importance of women in art and in the world. Her foresight in recognizing women artists of the past and championing women artists of the present by creating a new museum was visionary—even revolutionary—for the time. Her actions signaled a major shift in our thinking about art and society, and it is her genius and purpose we carry forward with us today.”