Women to Watch is an exhibition program designed to increase the visibility of, and critical response to, promising women artists who are deserving of national and international attention. Every two to three years, the National Museum of Women in the Arts hosts an exhibition featuring underrepresented and emerging women artists from the states and countries in which the museum has outreach committees. Each exhibition focuses on a specific medium or theme chosen by the museum’s curators.

An outstanding contemporary curator, selected by the committee and approved by NMWA, nominates a short list of artists working within the chosen medium. NMWA’s curator then selects a single artist from these nominees for the Women to Watch exhibition in Washington, DC.

MA-NMWA Women to Watch 2024 Opening Reception
Left to Right: Nominating Curator Lisa Tung, Artistic and Executive Director of MAAM; Woomin Kim; Candice Smith Corby; Ceci Méndez-Ortiz; Chandra Méndez-Ortiz; Gallery Kayafas Owner Arlette Kayafas; Daniela Rivera.

Women to Watch Exhibitions

2024: New Worlds

How extraordinary times inspire artists

Massachusetts artists Daniela Rivera, Candice Smith Corby, Woomin Kim, Ceci Méndez-Ortiz, Chandra Méndez-Ortiz

2024 national exhibition: New Worlds

2020: Paper Routes

Contemporary artists working in paper

Massachusetts artists Elizabeth Alexander, Carly Glovinski, Tomashi Jackson, Youjin Moon

2020 national exhibition: Paper Routes

2018: Heavy Metal

Employing metal in a myriad of ways to highlight the material’s brilliance, texture, and color

2018 national exhibition: Heavy Metal

2015: Organic Matters

Exploring the relationships between women, nature, and art

2015 national exhibition: Organic Matters

2012: High Fiber

Expressive forms centering on themes of nature, history, and the consuming power of making

2012 national exhibition: High Fiber

2008: Photography

A diverse selection of works in color and black and white

2008 national exhibition: Photography