Presentation: Collection Highlights

Visitors typically flock to the National Museum of Women in the Arts for its mighty collection and unique role in the art world—the NMWA is the only major museum in the entire world to focus on women artists. Inside its doors, this means you will find more than 4,500 pieces from 1,000 artists, representing more than 400 years of accomplishments in the arts. These pieces include paintings, sculptures and even work from up-and-coming artists the museum deems “Women to Watch.” However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Museum of Women in the Arts has closed its doors until March and postponed highly anticipated shows like its Mary Ellen Mark retrospective. But art lovers have no need to worry. The NMWA is hosting a series of virtual tours, allowing each docent to put their personal spin on the museum collection. With more than 200 pieces in an online collection, virtual museumgoers can learn about everything from 16th-century oil paintings to modern-day photographs. While every tour is guaranteed to have a different focus, collection highlights include Amy Sherald’s “It Made Sense… Mostly in Her Mind,” Georgia Mills Jessup’s “Rainy Night, Downtown” and the Guerrilla Girls’ “Horror on the National Mall!” Start the year off right by learning about and celebrating the achievements of women artists, all from the comfort of your couch. If you’re lucky, you’ll find inspiration for some stay-at-home art of your own. The virtual tour begins at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 13. Registration is available at nmwa.org. $12 suggested donation.