Women in the Arts / In Memoriam: Wilhelmina Cole Holladay

In Memoriam

CHAMPION WOMEN THROUGH THE ARTS dear members and friends,

On behalf of NMWA Board Vice-Chair Winton Holladay, the Holladay family, and the Board of Trustees, it is with great sadness that I share the news of the death of Founder Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, on March 6, in Washington, D.C. With her passing, we have lost a visionary leader. She and her late husband, Wallace, began collecting art by women in the 1970s, spurred by the realization that historical and contemporary women artists were not given their due. She had the audacity not just to build a collection but also to start this museum, gathering others to this special cause.

Mrs. Holladay had the vision to create a place of honor for women in the arts. She recognized a need, and, in her determined fashion, she achieved it, with support from a broad base of people across the country. That support—your support—buoyed her, especially in the museum’s early days, when the need for a “women’s museum” was questioned and criticized.

Those qualities are integral to her legacy, which you will read about in these pages. She had a force of personality that drew people into the project of forming and supporting this institution, as well as an exceptional ability to involve others by welcoming and recognizing all different kinds of people.

She lived to see the museum flourish and celebrated many triumphs: building and establishing the museum itself; helping us organize wonderful programming, often in partnership with other world-class institutions; and growing the endowment to sustain NMWA into the future.

We will miss her leadership, energy, and unerring commitment to the museum, but we will honor her memory in many ways. Foremost, we will continue to work for the mission she truly believed was important in this world: celebrating the work of great women artists, past and present.

MUSEUM INFORMATION

WOMEN IN THE ARTS

1250 New York Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005

In Memoriam: Wilhelmina Cole Holladay Volume 39, no. 2 April 2021

PUBLIC TRANSIT

Take metrorail to Metro Center station, 13th St. exit; walk two blocks north to corner of New York Ave. and 13th St. WEBSITE

https://nmwa.org BROAD STROKES BLOG

Women in the Arts is a publication of the National Museum of Women in the Arts® DIRECTOR

Susan Fisher Sterling EDITOR

https://nmwa.org/blog

Elizabeth Lynch

MAIN

Alicia Gregory

ASSISTANT EDITOR

202-783-5000 TOLL FREE

800-222-7270 MEMBER SERVICES

866-875-4627 SHOP

877-226-5294 TOURS

202-783-7996 MEZZANINE CAFÉ

202-628-1068 LIBRARY AND RESEARCH CENTER

202-783-7365 MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS

866-875-4627 HOURS

Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.– 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon–5 p.m.; Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day ADMISSION

NMWA Members free, Adults $10, Visitors over 65 $8, Students $8, Youth under 18 free.

Free Community Days are the first and third Sundays of every month.

Check https://nmwa.org for more information.

Susan Fisher Sterling The Alice West Director fb.com/womeninthearts @womeninthearts @womeninthearts

DESIGN

Studio A, Alexandria, VA For advertising rates and information, call 202-266-2814 or email elynch@nmwa.org.

Women in the Arts is published three times a year as a benefit for museum members by the National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20005-3970.

Copyright © 2021 National Museum of Women in the Arts.

National Museum of Women in the Arts®, The Women’s Museum®, #5WomenArtists™, and Women in the Arts® are registered trademarks of the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

On the cover: Michele Mattei, Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, 2010; Archival ink on cotton rag paper, 40 x 30 in.; NMWA, Gift of the artist; © Michele Mattei Director’s photo: © Michele Mattei

Contents

“Art by its nature is owned in part by anyone who sees it and is moved by it and remembers it afterward.”

WILHELMINA COLE HOLLADAY, PAGE 6

↑6

An Inspired Collection: Discovering and Sharing Work by Women Artists

//

SPECIAL ISSUE

2

In Memoriam: Wilhelmina Cole Holladay (1922–2021)

With dedication, drive, and a singular idea, Holladay created NMWA to help address the underrepresentation of women artists in museums and galleries worldwide. For nearly forty years, her vision has been the museum’s guiding light.

↑4

In Their Own Words: Reflections on a Visionary Leader

Public figures, artists, museum members, and the Holladay family share their thoughts on Holladay’s visionary leadership and attest to the importance of NMWA in their own lives.

Holladay relished discovering historical artists, knowing contemporary figures, and acquiring their work to share with a broad public. She and her husband built a personal collection and donated five hundred works to the museum at its founding, adding to this gift through the years.

10

From the Archives: Remembering Our Founder

Photographs and documents from the museum’s archives depict memorable moments in Holladay’s remarkable life.

13

Honoring the Founders: Carrying the Legacy Forward

We are pleased to announce the renaming of NMWA’s Legacy Society as the Wilhelmina and Wallace Holladay Legacy Society, a tribute to the Holladays’ shared passion and determination.

PHOTO BY ASTRID RIECKEN FOR THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GET TY IMAGES

2

In Memoriam Wilhelmina Cole Holladay (1922–2021)

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay was the founder and chair

I N M E M O R I A M : W I L H E L M I N A C O L E H O L L A DAY

of the board of the National Museum of Women in

the Arts. Against tremendous odds and with dedication, drive, and a singular vision, Holladay created a

museum to help address the underrepresentation of

women artists in museums and galleries worldwide.

For nearly forty years, Holladay’s vision has been

the guiding light of NMWA. Her foresight in recog-

nizing women artists of the past and championing

women artists of the present was visionary—even revolutionary—for the time.

Life and Legacy Holladay’s interest in art by women began in the 1970s, when she and her husband Wallace were traveling abroad visiting museums and galleries. They were drawn to a painting they saw in Vienna, a still life by Flemish artist Clara Peeters, and later saw more paintings by Peeters at the Prado in Madrid. When Holladay attempted to learn about the artist, she could find no information on Peeters—or any other female artist—in the standard art history textbook of the day, H. W. Janson’s History of Art. Astonished by this discovery, the Holladays focused their collecting on work by women artists.

By the 1980s, the Holladay collection had grown to approximately 500 works by 150 artists, from the Renaissance to contemporary times. In addition to artwork, the Holladays kept an archive of catalogues, books, photographs, and biographical information on women artists. Nancy Hanks, then head of the National Endowment for the Arts, encouraged them to consider establishing a museum, and Holladay focused her considerable organizational and fundraising skills toward that goal.

NMWA was incorporated in 1981, and for the next six years, Holladay opened her home to the public for tours, traveled extensively to garner support, raised more than $20 million from public and private sources, purchased and renovated a historic building to house the collection, and donated her personal collection and library to the museum.

On April 7, 1987, Barbara Bush, wife of the then-Vice President, cut the ribbon to open the museum in a 1908 Renaissance

Holladay received the National Medal of Arts as well as diplomatic orders from France and Norway. She was listed regularly as one of the most powerful women in Washington, D.C., and received a lifetime achievement award from the District of Columbia. Among Holladay’s other awards for her service to women were induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, a lifetime achievement award from the Women’s Caucus for Art, the Women Who Make a Difference Award from the International Women’s Forum, and the Distinguished Achievement Award from the National League of American Pen Women. She received honorary doctorate degrees from four colleges.

Holladay was predeceased by a son, Scott Cole Holladay, and her husband, Wallace F. Holladay. She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Wallace “Hap” Holladay Jr. and Winton Holladay; four grandchildren, Brook Holladay Peters (Brian), Fitz Holladay, Jessica Holladay Sterchi (Louis), and Addison Holladay (Eliza); and nine great-grandchildren.

3

Carrying the Mission Forward The museum Holladay created continues to flourish and grow, and its message gains strength with each passing decade. Following in the founder’s footsteps, NMWA works to increase public awareness of gender equity issues and inspires dynamic exchanges about art and ideas through its collections, diverse exhibitions, programs, acquisitions, and social media campaigns. The museum advocates for better representation for women artists and serves as a vital center for thought leadership, community engagement, and social change. It is a unique place: the only major museum in the world solely dedicated to championing women in the arts.

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay speaks at the museum’s inaugural ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 7, 1987; at right are Frank Hodsoll, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts; Anne-Imelda M. Radice, NMWA’s first director; Effi Barry, wife of D.C. Mayor Marion Barry; and Second Lady Barbara Bush

WO M E N I N T H E A RTS

revival landmark building three blocks from the White House.

Today, the museum’s collection has grown to include more than 5,500 works by approximately 1,000 artists. Special exhibitions showcase work by established and emerging women artists. NMWA is a leader in online content and arts education, and its programs build engaged communities and inspire change. The museum also maintains one of the foremost repositories of documents and materials on women artists in the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center. NMWA members and donors, nearly 13,000 strong, come from all over the U.S. and twenty-one other countries, and twenty-five national and international outreach groups count more than 3,000 dedicated members.

Holladay was born on October 10, 1922, in Elmira, New York. She developed an early appreciation of art from her maternal grandmother. She earned a BA from Elmira College in 1944 and later studied art history at Cornell University and the University of Paris. During World War II, Holladay worked in Washington, D.C., where she met her husband, then an officer in the United States Navy. She worked as social secretary to Madame Chiang Kai-Shek from 1945 to 1948, but after the birth of her son Wallace Jr., she dedicated herself to volunteer projects.

In addition to serving as chair of the museum’s board of trustees, Holladay was active in many other organizations, serving on the boards of the National Women’s Economic Alliance, the Adams National Bank, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the World Service Council of the YWCA, the American Academy in Rome, the United States Capitol Historical Society, the National Gallery of Art’s Collector’s Committee, and the International Women’s Forum.

//

4

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

Reflections on a Visionary Leader From the Holladay Family “Our family is deeply moved by the support, remembrances, and kind wishes that followed the passing of Wilhelmina Cole Holladay. Wilhelmina, ‘Billie’ as she was known to friends, believed profoundly in philanthropy and volunteerism. Her leadership and generosity established the museum, and she worked tirelessly to create an important institution where women artists could fully participate in and shape the national and international cultural conversation. Her unwavering sense of purpose and her love of art enriched the lives of all who were privileged to work alongside her.”

Winton Smoot Holladay, Vice-Chair of NMWA’s Board of Trustees and daughter-in-law of Wilhelmina and Wallace Holladay

I N M E M O R I A M : W I L H E L M I N A C O L E H O L L A DAY

Notable Quotes and Remembrances Through her personality, accomplishments, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts itself, Wilhelmina Cole Holladay touched many lives. Here we share select statements and excerpts that reflect Holladay’s charm and dedication, as well as the museum’s impact on public figures, artists, and museum supporters, members, and visitors. Many spoke of her visionary leadership, shared personal stories, and attested to the importance of NMWA in their own lives:

“The Bush Family has a strong tie to the National Museum of Women in the Arts. My motherin-law Barbara Bush cut the ribbon alongside Billie Holladay at the museum’s grand opening in 1987. While living in D.C., I worked with Billie to open the 2006 exhibition Divine and Human: Women in Ancient Mexico and Peru. That same year, President Bush awarded her the National Medal of Arts for her efforts to bring well-deserved recognition to talented female artists. George and I are grateful for Mrs. Holladay’s commitment to supporting women in the arts, and for the lasting gift she gave to our nation.”

Mrs. Laura Bush, Former First Lady of the United States

“Memories of such great women remain vivid.”

Nancy Barker, member of NMWA

“She was one of my mentors when I joined Art Table, Inc., in 2007. I’m grateful to her on so many levels. Create what you want, don’t wait for others!”

Alvah T. Beander, art appraiser and consultant

“I do not recall when we (my husband, photographer Donald Woodman, and I) first met Billie, but sometime before the museum opened, she invited us to her home for dinner with her and Wally. It was a memorable evening, highlighted by Billie’s stories about how—like her mother—she sometimes served dessert before the main course. Her quirky sense of humor, her passion for women’s art, and the decision she and Wally had made about opening the first and only museum in the world devoted to women artists endeared her to me from

the start. When the museum opened, I remember Billie’s shock that some feminist artists refused to support her vision, which astounded me. As I said then and often thereafter, Billie dedicated her life, her resources, and decades of work—with the full cooperation of Wally—to women’s art. If that is not feminism at its best, I don’t know what is. In a world in which women’s cultural production continues to be undervalued, discounted, or marginalized, we need institutions to keep our work from being erased. Hooray for Billie, her vision, and the institution she and Wally founded. I am proud to be associated with it and to have my visual archives become part of its legacy, a legacy which will eventually ensure that women’s art will be equally valued.”

Judy Chicago, artist

“A life well-lived.”

Dorothea Rockburne, artist

Holladay accepts the National Medal of Arts from President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush in an Oval Office ceremony on November 9, 2006

PHOTO BY REBECCA DUPAS; COURTESY OF THE DC COMMISSION ON THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES

PHOTO BY DONALD WOODMAN

5

Clockwise from top left: Holladay with artist Judy Chicago in the Holladay home in Georgetown, ca. 1988 On September 14, 2017, Holladay received the Mayor’s Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement from Mayor Muriel Bowser and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities

“I was thrilled to be greeted by her at the charter members’ reception when the museum first opened.

So thankful for all she did for women in the arts.”

Mary Zisk, Charter Member of NMWA

“We’re deeply saddened by the passing of the extraordinary Wilhelmina ‘Billie’ Cole Holladay.

She was a founding member of the DC Forum and visionary art collector. . . . She was truly an inspiration to many.”

International Women’s Forum

“I had the pleasure of meeting and painting her twice. . . .

Wilhelmina wouldn’t accept that her portrait be done by a man and asked for me, a female member of the Portrait Society, to paint her. She was one of the most gracious and fascinating people I’ve met.

She had a vision, and it was a good one.”

Loryn Brazier, artist

“USCHS joins in mourning the passing of Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, founder of NMWA. She served on our Board of Trustees and brought a light that she so generously shared with many cultural organizations in the D.C. area and around the world. May her vision continue to inspire.”

United States Capitol Historical Society

“Billie’s legacy in Washington is deeply inspiring. The founding of the National Museum of Women in the Arts attests to her fortitude and leadership, serving as an example to those following in her footsteps. She paved the way for those to come after her, and for that I am deeply grateful.”

Kaywin Feldman, director of the National Gallery of Art

“Several years ago, it was my distinct pleasure to award Mrs. Holladay the D.C. Lifetime Achievement Award for her steadfast support of the arts. As the founder and guiding light of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, she was instrumental in building the museum into an influential institution and international bastion of worldclass art that showcases the work of women artists from all over the world. Establishment of the museum will remain one of Mrs. Holladay’s crowning achievements. Alongside this remarkable accomplishment, Mrs. Holladay’s philanthropy and support of local arts assures her legacy and well-deserved place among the pantheon of those who have made an indelible mark on our city.”

Muriel Bowser, Mayor of Washington, D.C.

WO M E N I N T H E A RTS

PHOTO BY TONY POWELL

Holladay accepts applause at the museum’s 30th Anniversary Spring Gala in 2017

6

An Inspired Collection I N M E M O R I A M : W I L H E L M I N A C O L E H O L L A DAY

Discovering and Sharing Work

by Women Artists

In her 2008 memoir, A Museum of Their Own, Wilhelmina Cole Holladay wrote, “To own a work of art is a special experience, because one knows that ‘ownership’ is really quite nebulous and paradoxical. Every work of art has inspired or thrilled other viewers, because art by its nature is owned in part by anyone who sees it and is moved by it and remembers it afterward.”

While Holladay worked to grow the museum’s circle of art donors, she and her husband, Wallace, formed an integral part of NMWA’s collection upon its founding, when they donated five hundred works from their personal collection.

They added to this core gift over the years through numerous exciting new donations and purchases on behalf of the museum. To this day, many of our visitors’ best-loved works—by Rosa Bonheur, Alma Woodsey Thomas, Elaine de Kooning, Élisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun, Joan Mitchell, Lucy M. Lewis, and Louise Bourgeois, among others—were given by the founders.

Holladay titled a memoir chapter on art collecting “The Grand Acquisitions,” with stories of a few of the special works that she and her husband acquired for the museum.

She conveyed the thrill of knowing artists personally, discovering new works, and sharing it all with a broad public.

Meeting Artists of the Past and Present Many longtime members and friends know Holladay’s story of discovering Flemish painter Clara Peeters (1594–after 1657), which set the gears in motion for the creation of this museum. While traveling, the Holladays saw memorable work by Peeters in Vienna, and then again at the Prado, in Madrid. When they got home and tried to learn more about

Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, Portrait of a Woman (Presumed Portrait of the Marquise de Lafayette), 1793–94; Oil on canvas, 30 ¾ x 24 ¾ in.; NMWA, Gift of Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay

WILHELMINA COLE HOLLADAY

She described a meaningful exchange with sculptor Dorothy Dehner that led to the artist’s gift of the bronze Looking North F (1964), as well as a dramatic studio visit with painter Alice Neel that culminated in the Holladays’ purchase of the powerful portrait T.B. Harlem (1940), both significant works in the museum’s collection.

Holladay told a lively story of meeting painter Lee Krasner (“She could drink more vodka than anybody I had ever met. After several rounds we bought [The Springs, 1964].”)

She noted that Krasner, who had been married to Jackson Pollock, began making abstract works inspired by nature before Pollock began his famous “action” series, which bears a striking resemblance. Holladay concurred with more forward-thinking scholars of Abstract Expressionism when she asked, “Could Jackson Pollock’s signature works have been influenced by the earlier drafts of his wife?”— reflecting Holladay’s determination to give artistic credit where it was due.

WO M E N I N T H E A RTS

Opposite: Clara Peeters, Still Life of Fish and Cat, after 1620; Oil on panel, 13 ½ x 18 ½ in.; NMWA, Gift of Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay

7

PHOTO BY LEE STALSWORTH

her, they found nothing in a leading art history textbook of the day. They were stunned to find that not only did H. W. Janson’s History of Art exclude Peeters, it included no women artists at all. At that time, they were just beginning to collect art seriously, and they were advised by a friend, Richard Brown Baker, to develop a focus for their collecting, which would make their efforts more fulfilling.

These two experiences—the frustration of finding so little information on women artists and the desire to cultivate a specialized collection—came together with the force of fate.

“We would collect great art by women,” Holladay wrote. “We would focus on paintings . . . by eminent artists who were women and had been inevitably neglected. We would aim to show women’s contribution to the history of art.”

Holladay had a passion for rediscovering artists neglected by history. The initial enchantment that she found in work

by Peeters led to the acquisition of Peeters’s Still Life of Fish and Cat (after 1620) and to major purchases of work by other women artists from the region in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Art by Rachel Ruysch, Judith Leyster, Anna Maria van Schurman, Maria Sibylla Merian, and others was shown in NMWA’s 2019–20 exhibition Women Artists of the Dutch Golden Age. Visitors marveled at the works, noting that, thanks to the Holladays, the museum’s collection has extraordinary depth in this field.

Another historical milieu that attracted Holladay was eighteenth-century France, when the Enlightenment and changing revolutionary tides brought women artists into prominence, then swept them out again. The Holladays set out to acquire works by women admitted to the prestigious French Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture.

In addition to Vigée-LeBrun, they acquired art by Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, Anne Vallayer-Coster, Marguerite Gérard, and others. These works, and the related connections that Holladay built with artistic and political leaders in France, gave rise to major NMWA exhibitions and supported scholarly research on the artists. Holladay was even awarded the Legion of Honor for service to the arts of France.

NMWA’s founder was equally fascinated by the contemporary art world. Holladay wrote, “Getting to know artists personally makes the collector an especially privileged person, because one learns things that strangers never know and that scholars can puzzle out only after exhaustive study.”

“We would collect great art by women. We would focus on paintings by eminent artists who were women and had been inevitably neglected.”

I N M E M O R I A M : W I L H E L M I N A C O L E H O L L A DAY

8

A Broader Circle It was important to Holladay to build the museum’s circle of supporters, and she deftly connected intriguing artists with donors who were eager to acquire their work for the museum.

She also counted friends including artists Faith Ringgold and

Above: Lee Krasner, The Springs, 1964; Oil on canvas, 43 x 66 x 1 ½ in.; NMWA, Gift of Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay Right: Dorothy Dehner, Looking North F, 1964; Bronze, 21 ¼ x 64 x 7 ¼ in.; NMWA, Gift of the artist

Judy Chicago, who supported her vision for the museum from its earliest days. Holladay felt the power of art throughout her own life, and her legacy—NMWA—exemplifies a place where art is shared by all who see it.

//

WORKING WITH MRS. HOLLADAY

A Fond Remembrance Mrs. Holladay was one of the most important people in my life. I met her in May 1982, when the museum was located in our first office on Connecticut Avenue. She had received a small grant from the Marks Foundation for a librarian, and I was hired on the spot. My dream job began by making records of hundreds of volumes from the Holladays’ collection of books on women artists. Over the next several years, I worked with her during the transformation of the former Masonic Temple on New York Avenue into the National Museum of Women in the Arts. The museum included a beautiful library reading room, an archives, and a rare book room.

Mrs. Holladay had a gift for getting along with all sorts of people, from radical feminists such as artist Sue Coe to conservative museum patrons.

That assured the success of NMWA, which she saw as not an overtly political institution, but a place for celebration of women artists of all backgrounds, as well as a space to

learn and discuss new ideas.

After seeing an eye-opening exhibition of artists’ books at the Cleveland Institute of Art, I wanted to organize similar exhibitions for our reading room.

I brought some examples of artists’ books for Mrs. Holladay to see, and she loved them. She purchased several other works for the museum’s collection, among them a limited-edition book of poetry and etchings

by Meret Oppenheim. Over time, we built a significant collection of artists’ books, and the museum was distinctive in supporting this fascinating medium.

Both Mrs. Holladay and I felt that books were among our best friends, and they cemented our personal friendship. She was a voracious reader, as well as an excellent needle worker.

A big pile of thrillers from her son was always waiting next to her armchair. I remember when she suggested that I read The Elegance of the Hedgehog

by Muriel Barbery, a book she loved, which became one of my favorite novels.

9

For thirty-five years, until I retired in 2017, Mrs. Holladay supported everything I wanted to do at NMWA, from collecting artists’ books to organizing exhibitions in the library and the galleries. I learned so much from her, not only about art, but also about ambition, discipline,

generosity, and perseverance.

I will miss her, but she will live in my memories, and the museum she created will house her creative spirit forever. // Krystyna Wasserman is curator

of book arts emerita at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Above right: Meret Oppenheim, Caroline, 1985; Artist’s book with letterpress, colored etchings, and embossing, 5 ½ x 11 in. (closed); NMWA, Gift of Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay

Wasserman and Holladay enjoy a visit in 2010 from wife of the then-Vice President Dr. Jill Biden, who toured the museum and helped launch the New York Avenue Sculpture Project

WO M E N I N T H E A RTS

Left to right: Krystyna Wasserman and Wilhelmina Cole Holladay welcome visitors to the opening of NMWA’s Library and Research Center (LRC) in September 1987

//

Remembering Our Founder

I N M E M O R I A M : W I L H E L M I N A C O L E H O L L A DAY

PHOTO BY STEPHEN PAYNE

10

FROM THE ARCHIVES

The National Museum of Women in the Arts and its mission were woven into the life of Founder Wilhelmina Cole Holladay. Through her dedication and talents, what began as a personal project for her and her husband—collecting great art by women—grew into a groundbreaking institution that has elevated the stature of women artists for innumerable visitors. NMWA continues to fulfill her vision by celebrating, championing, and cementing women artists in history.

Photographs and documents from the museum’s archives highlight memorable moments in her remarkable life.

Early Influences Wilhelmina Jean Cole was born on October 10, 1922, in Elmira, New York. She recalled being captivated by art even as a

child and credited her maternal grandmother with helping to develop her aesthetic. When she declared that something was pretty, her grandmother would say, “Yes, dear, but why?” encouraging her to think deeply about what moved her. A print of a Rosa Bonheur painting hung at her grandmother’s house, and an Élisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun image hung in her own bedroom, one of the artist’s self-portraits with her daughter Julie.

She attended Elmira College, not far from her childhood home.

There, she was active in the school’s theater program, minoring in drama. She performed in The Women by Clare Boothe Luce (who, many years later, would give the museum its Frida Kahlo painting). She was on the yearbook staff and was recognized by peers for her “versatility in clothes, talents, and coiffures.”

“[The idea of NMWA] became a living concept that totally absorbed me.”

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay

A Beautiful Partnership She moved to Washington, D.C., in 1946, where she worked for the Embassy of the Republic of China as a social secretary to Soong Mei-ling, wife of Chiang Kai-shek. It was at this time that she met her husband, Wallace Holladay. Wallace had studied architecture and was interested in art, a passion that they shared during their sixty-five-year marriage. They were married at Saint Margaret’s Episcopal Church on September 27, 1946.

After the birth of their first son,

Holladay dedicated herself to volunteer projects. Her knowledge of art history grew when she was a docent at the National Gallery of Art, and she and her husband gradually started to build an art collection.

By the late 1970s, the couple were serious collectors, and they had defined their focus on work by women artists. In her memoir, Holladay celebrated her husband’s unfailing support and good humor, as well as “his wonderful eye, which homes in on the best at any gallery show.”

Above: Wilhelmina Cole Holladay is photographed on April 2, 1987, at a press conference for the museum’s opening; All archival images are from the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center at NMWA

“Our idea struck a chord—or a nerve.”

11

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay

coverage and public reactions, she observed, “Our idea struck a chord—or a nerve.” Holladay received significant criticism about her plans for NMWA, as some believed the museum’s very existence politicized art. Others believed she was avoiding the political issues of feminism. She persisted with her mission, nonetheless.

Holladay’s dedication to creating NMWA was detailed in her daily planner.

A typical week shows her visiting possible museum sites, seeking funding, moving in the museum-world circles of Washington, D.C., and talking with artists. She continued a

dynamic pace of meetings, phone calls, and travel for decades in service to her museum.

A Temple to Women in the Arts In the early 1980s, the Holladays’ art collection was housed at their residence on R Street in Georgetown, where they hosted tours by appointment and occasional lectures. Temporary museum administration offices were located at 4849 Connecticut Avenue, NW, and later 4590 MacArthur Boulevard, NW. NMWA librarian Krystyna Wasserman (later curator of book arts) was one of the museum’s first hires, as scholarly work was a priority for Holladay.

In 1983, the Holladays purchased the Masonic Temple at 13th Street and New York Avenue. Built by architect Waddy Wood in 1908, the grand building was in disrepair, but the Holladays had a vision of its revitalization as a museum.

They saw potential for gallery spaces and a Performance Hall, and they planned an elegant event space on the main floor— now the Great Hall. Once the site was selected, it took more than a year to secure the approval of the Masonic board, pursue historic landmark status,

Upper left, left to right: Wilhelmina Cole, age 5, ca. 1927 The Holladays on their wedding day, 1946

and plan the labor required for the renovation.

Creating NMWA was a true shared passion for the Holladays. With expertise in architecture and engineering, Wallace led the rehabilitation of the Masonic Temple as a museum, while Wilhelmina found the supporters to make their dream a reality.

Launching and Growing the Museum Holladay cultivated connections with political and art-world leaders and took great pride in the museum’s location in the nation’s capital.

Vice President Bush and his wife, Barbara, hosted the museum’s founding members at a reception before the opening. Barbara Bush also took part in the museum’s public opening on April 7, 1987, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The museum’s first exhibition, American Women Artists, 1830–1930, was a survey curated by one of the country’s foremost feminist art historians, Dr. Eleanor Tufts. The opening featured a gala and a series of celebratory events.

In her efforts to establish the museum as a national institution, Holladay led the

Left: The Holladays loved to travel; here, they are shown visiting Machu Picchu, Peru

Above: Holladay signs the deed for the museum’s permanent home, the former Masonic Temple, in November 1983

WO M E N I N T H E A RTS

Organizing with Purpose and Drive In Holladay’s telling, the idea to create a museum evolved slowly. In 1979, she wrote to art dealer Roman Norbert Ketterer describing her goal of developing “a collection of women artists from the Renaissance on for educational purposes. My hope is that it will eventually show the contributions of women to the history of art and will be helpful to students.” She referred to Nancy Hanks, former chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, as the “godmother” of the idea of NMWA—through their conversations, Holladay recalled, “it became a living concept that totally absorbed me.”

The museum was incorporated on November 24, 1981, and Holladay began to spread the word. Following early press

I N M E M O R I A M : W I L H E L M I N A C O L E H O L L A DAY

formation of NMWA-affiliated outreach committees around the world. These groups work on behalf of women artists in their home states and countries, extending the museum’s mission. “I can hardly overstate the importance of our state and foreign committees.

Indeed, they may be one of NMWA’s most effective secret weapons and the reason we have grown as well as we have,” Holladay wrote. Today, there are twenty-five active committees representing regions across the U.S. from California to New York, three South American nations, and six European nations.

A Recognized Triumph In addition to the inaugural ribbon-cutting featuring Barbara Bush, several other high-profile figures in Washington have helped celebrate NMWA’s milestones. In 1997, First Lady Hillary Clinton cut the ribbon for the opening of the museum’s new Elisabeth A. Kasser Wing, which provided space for a shop and expanded galleries. First Lady Laura Bush welcomed the Holladays to the White House, along with First Lady of Mexico Marta Sahagún and First Lady of Peru Eliane Karp, during the 2006 exhibition Divine and Human: Women in Ancient Mexico and Peru. That same year, President George W. Bush awarded Holladay a National Medal of Arts. Dr. Jill Biden, wife of the then-Vice President, toured NMWA in 2010 and cut the ribbon to open the first installation in the New York Avenue Sculpture Project.

International figures visited and lauded the museum, too.

NMWA featured South African mural artist Esther Mahlangu in an exhibition and exterior mural project in 1994. Dr. Maya Angelou delivered remarks during an opening event, and

“I happily and gratefully admit that the museum has given me far more than I have given to the museum.”

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay

South African President Nelson Mandela visited during his tour of Washington, D.C. Another high-profile museum visitor, Diana, Princess of Wales, delivered a speech against the use of landmines at a gala fundraiser held in the museum’s Great Hall.

New York Avenue was blocked off with barricades for the crowds that gathered to see her arrive.

In addition to her National Medal of Arts, Holladay amassed numerous awards and honors. French Ambassador Jean-David Levitte presented Holladay with the distinction of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor on November 30, 2006.

She received honorary degrees from several universities and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the District of Columbia.

Grounded in the Mission In her memoir, Holladay wrote, “I happily and gratefully admit that the museum has given me far more than I have given to the museum.” However, her bold efforts to create a dedicated home for great women artists, and to correct the omission of those artists from history, cannot be understated.

PHOTO BY RUSSELL HIRSHON

PHOTO BY BILL FITZ-PATRICK PHOTOGRAPHY

12

Holladay’s vision—marked by curiosity, wonder, and celebration of the arts—continues to shine through the museum that carries on her life’s work.

Clockwise from top left: Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, First Lady Hillary Clinton, and Elisabeth A. Kasser celebrate the opening of the museum’s new Kasser Wing extension in 1997 French Ambassador Jean-David Levitte awards the Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur distinction to Holladay at the French Ambassador’s Residence in Washington, in 2006 Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay, First Lady Laura Bush, First Lady of Peru Eliane Karp, First Lady of Mexico Marta Sahagún, and Winton and Hap Holladay at the White House in 2006

Honoring the Founders “If it were not for the National Museum of Women in the Arts, I would never have been exposed to artists like Alma Woodsey Thomas, Amy Sherald, and so many others.

I am forever grateful.

Thank you, Mrs. Holladay, for making NMWA possible.”

13

Shelley Carton, Charter Member and member of the Wilhelmina and Wallace Holladay Legacy Society

Carrying the Legacy Forward As we reflect on the passing of our founders, it seems only fitting that we dedicate NMWA’s Legacy Society to Wilhelmina and Wallace Holladay. Naming this important group in their memory is a tribute to their shared passion for women artists as well as their determination and hard work that established our unique museum.

The Holladays’ vision and unstinting generosity placed the museum on a path to grow into a dynamic arts institution. Their contributions to the museum are innumerable: they acquired and donated the art that is the foundation of our collection, they found a building with amazing potential and transformed it into the museum’s home, and they inspired an ever-growing circle of friends and supporters who have helped make NMWA the remarkable beacon for women artists that it is today.

The Wilhelmina and Wallace Holladay Legacy Society recognizes not only our founders but all of our dedicated friends who, through their planned gifts, ensure that the museum’s mission will thrive for generations to come.

Over the past three decades, legacy gifts from members and friends have amplified the Holladays’ impact, providing transformational funds that have enabled the museum to effectively advocate for all women in the arts. These gifts have helped NMWA expand the breadth and quality of its exhibitions, grow the collection, develop innovative education and public programming, create publications of the highest quality about great women artists, launch groundbreaking digital initiatives, and attract new generations of supporters and community members.

We are deeply indebted to all our current forward-thinking

donors for their commitment to—and belief in—the National Museum of Women in the Arts of tomorrow.

If you would like to help carry the Holladays’ legacy forward through a planned gift and be recognized as a member of the Wilhelmina and Wallace Holladay Legacy Society, we would be honored to work with you.

For more information, visit https://nmwa.org/plannedgiving or contact our Planned Giving Team: Christina Knowles Director of Development, Annual Giving, and Membership 202-783-7984 cknowles@nmwa.org Ken Dutter Planned Giving kdutter@nmwa.org 866-875-4627

“NMWA has given the world a new view of great women artists.

I am proud to be a member and support the future of this wonderful museum.”

Barbara D. Gurwitz, Museum member and member of the Wilhelmina and Wallace Holladay Legacy Society

“Without NMWA, women’s artistic and cultural contributions would once again be invisible, which translates into a world without the full spectrum of human expression.”

Denise Duarte, Charter Member and member of the Wilhelmina and Wallace Holladay Legacy Society

WO M E N I N T H E A RTS

NMWA Founders Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay

1250 New York Avenue NW Washington, DC 20005-3970

//

MEMORIAL GIVING

PHOTO BY LEE STALSWORTH

Support Her Legacy at NMWA

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay (1922–2021) was a visionary leader who created a special museum to honor women in the arts. She recognized a need, and—in her determined fashion—she achieved it, with help from a broad base of supporters across the U.S. People like you fueled her tireless work to champion women artists for decades.

The board and staff of the National Museum of Women

in the Arts are committed to the continuity and growth of this institution, which remains the only major museum solely dedicated to women in the arts.

Since our doors first opened in 1987, the museum has truly made an impact—through its presence in Washington, D.C., its exhibitions of underrecognized women artists, and its innovative programming.

We will honor Holladay’s memory in many ways, foremost

through our continued work on behalf of women artists.

When you make a taxdeductible gift by April 30, your name will be included on a list of supporters who have honored Holladay’s extraordinary legacy on behalf of women in the arts. Visit https://nmwa.org/in-memoriam to learn more and leave us a message or make a gift in her memory.

Joyce Tenneson, Portrait of Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, 1983; Unknown photographic medium, 13 1/2 x 20 3/8 in.; NMWA, Gift of Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay