Collection

Visitors explore the collection galleries during a free Community Day with works by Amy Sherald, left, and Elizabeth Catlett, right

A “Visionary” Collection

A June 2020 feature in Bmore Art praised NMWA’s cutting-edge collecting practices. “What you see in NMWA’s collection are insightful finds, ahead-of-thecurve discoveries, and a strong commitment to racial, gender, and LGBTQI diversity.”

By the Numbers

In FY20, the museum’s collection grew with the addition of 201 new works in 9 different mediums:

174 9 5 5 2 Photographs Paintings Sculptures Prints Multiples 2 2 1 1 Vessels Drawings Artist’s book Pastel

Acquisition Spotlight

Renowned Portugese artist Joana Vasconcelos’s nearly six-foot-tall glass and textile chandelier Rubra (2016) (pictured opposite, top left) was added to NMWA’s collection through a gift from museum patron Christine Suppes. In Rubra, Vasconcelos reinvigorates traditional craft through contemporary artistic practices. This sculpture features handmade wool crochet, lace, sequined fabric, gold tassels, delicate beaded ornaments, Murano glass, and LED lightbulbs.

Conservation Spotlight

In fall 2019, conservation researchers from the Smithsonian American Art Museum visited NMWA to examine two beloved paintings by Alma Woodsey Thomas—Iris, Tulips, Jonquils, and Crocuses (1968) and Orion (1973)—and share new findings on the artist.

Fun Fact In 2020, NMWA acquired 161 photos by renowned documentary photographer Mary Ellen Mark, donated by members of the Photography Buyers Syndicate.

Above, clockwise from top left: Joana Vasconcelos, Rubra, 2016; Murano glass, wool yarn, ornaments, LED lighting, polyester, and iron, 69 1/4 x 43 in. diameter; NMWA, Gift of Christine Suppes | Mary Ellen Mark, Girl Jumping over a Wall, Central Park, New York City, 1967 (printed later); Gelatin silver print, 16 x 20 in.; NMWA, Gift of Jill and Jeffrey Stern; © Mary Ellen Mark/The Mary Ellen Mark Foundation | Rania Matar, Yara, Cairo, Egypt, from the series “SHE,” 2019; Archival pigment print, 44 x 37 in.; NMWA, Museum purchase: Funds provided by the Heather and Robert Keane Family Foundation; © Rania Matar | Beverly Buchanan, Red Shack in Yellow Field, 2004; Oil pastel on paper, 9 x 12 in.; NMWA, Gift of Anna Stapleton Henson