Who We Are and What We Do
Who We Are
A Brief History
Exhibition History
AWA Leadership
American Women Artists is a membership organization made up of women artists, patrons, and gallery owners throughout the United States and Canada. AWA is an independent, tax-exempt nonprofit organization that celebrated its inaugural exhibition in 1990 at the Tucson Museum of Art and incorporated in 1998 as a 501 (c) (3) in the state of New Mexico.
Since its inception, American Women Artists has worked diligently to bring women artists to the attention of the art world through museum exhibitions, juried competitions in leading galleries around the country, symposiums, workshops, and mentorship. Our goal is to increase the number of professional opportunities for women in the visual fine arts that lead to greater inclusion.
Top: Terry Cooke Hall Rhapsody in Blue
Bottom: Lisa Gleim The Grey Guardian: King of the Plains
The Why and How of What We Do
American Women Artists was selected to be featured on the public television series Empowered hosted by Meg Ryan.
The 7-minute mini-documentary was filmed at the National Sporting Library & Museum just outside of Washington D.C. in the fall 2025 during AWA’s exhibition A Vision of Nature. Experts from the field including the founders of The Bennett Prize and a curator from the National Gallery of Art weigh in on the importance of AWA while AWA Past-Presidents share what AWA means to them. This mini-documentary will play on public television stations around the U.S. during 2026 and 2027 raising awareness and inviting the public to join AWA as members and donors.
The fact that I have a painting in the permanent collection of the Booth Western Art Museum is a direct result of my participation in the AWA show there.”
— Nancy Boren, TX
