“For 35 years, the Arkansas Committee has been a vital force in supporting and empowering Arkansas women artists,” said ACNMWA president MaryRoss Taylor. “We are proud of our many accomplishments, including our Women to Watch exhibitions, Juried Artist Registry, Artist Award and internship.”
Here are a few highlights of the organization’s programs:
- Twenty-seven women artists have been featured in traveling Women to Watch exhibitions in the state.
- Nineteen Arkansas women artists have had their work exhibited at NMWA in Washington, D.C..
- The work of more than 150 Arkansas women artists has been featured in the online Juried Artist Registry.
- Twenty-three Arkansas women artists have received the ACNMWA’s Artist Award.
Women to Watch
The Women to Watch exhibit program was developed by NMWA in 2008 to feature underrepresented and emerging women artists from the states and countries where the museum has outreach committees or affiliates. NMWA curators select the theme and affiliates invite nationally approved local arts professionals to guest curate submissions for the national museum exhibition.
The international Women to Watch exhibit in Washington, D.C., affords Arkansas women artists national visibility, media exposure and curatorial connections. In addition to submitting local artists for consideration at the national museum, the Arkansas committee also facilitates a touring exhibit of all nominees which is displayed in galleries across the state over a period of several months.
Women to Watch was created specifically for NMWA’s domestic and international affiliated committees. An Arkansas artist submitted by the ACNMWA has been chosen to participate in every Women to Watch exhibition since 2010. “Women to Watch provides an incredible opportunity and national and international museum recognition for Arkansas women artists,” Taylor said. “The fact that so many of our artists have been selected to participate in this program speaks volumes about the caliber of women artists who live and create here in Arkansas.”
Read more about Women to Watch at acnmwa.org/programs/women-to-watch.
Juried Artist Registry
Every two years, ACNMWA invites Arkansas women artists to apply to be included in its online Juried Artist Registry. An arts professional serves as juror. Selected artists’ images, artist statements and websites are featured on the ACNMWA website for a two-year period. This Registry offers a contemporary look at a range of work and serves as a public resource to connect artists, curators, and collectors, and encourages the creation, exhibition, and promotion of artwork by Arkansas women artists. It is the only online registry for Arkansas women artists. See the current Juried Artist Registry at acnmwa.org/programs/juried-artist-registry.
Artist Award
Every year, ACNMWA accepts applications from Arkansas women who are visual artists for its Artist Award. A committee of ACNMWA members selects a recipient. The purpose of the award is to help an accomplished woman artist realize her vision and make her achievements more visible to the art community and the public. The $4,000 award helps the artist support and further her studio practice and may be used for any need or purpose.
Read more about the artists who have received the Artist Award at acnmwa.org/programs/artist-award.
Internship
The internship program provides a $3,000 stipend to an Arkansas woman attending a university or college in Arkansas to collaborate with a mentor working in an Arkansas museum, gallery or cultural organization. This award, which is open to both undergraduate and graduate students, is designed to give the student an opportunity to learn about and make contributions to the cultural life of Arkansas while enriching her program of study related to the advancement of fine arts, art history or arts administration. A committee of ACNMWA members selects the recipient.