Anonymous Was A Woman Award
The Anonymous Was A Woman Award is given to women artists who are over 40 years of age, in part as a way of countering sexism in the art world.[1][2] It was initiated in 1996 in direct response to the National Endowment for the Arts' decision to stop funding individual artists.[2]
The award comes with a grant of $25,000 and is designed to enable exceptional woman artists to further develop their work. Awardees are chosen on the basis of their past accomplishments, their originality and artistic growth, and the quality of their work.[1] Since 1996, some 210 women have received the award.[1]
The award was founded by a New York artist who has chosen to remain anonymous.[2] She named the award in reference to a line from Virginia Woolf’s book A Room of One’s Own[1] and in recognition of all the women artists through the ages who have remained anonymous for various reasons.[2] Nominators, who include art writers, curators, art historians, and previous winners, are likewise unnamed.[1]
Award winners
2016
- Shiva Ahmadi
- Laura Anderson Barbata
- Tania Bruguera
- Sonya Clark
- Simone Leigh
- Medrie MacPhee
- Eiko Otake
- Rona Pondick
- Lourdes Portillo
- Shinique Smith
2015
- Donna Dennis
- Wendy Ewald
- Simone Forti
- Rachel Harrison
- Pam Lims
- Jennifer Montgomery
- Dona Nelson
- Lisa Sanditz
- Lisa Sigal
- Julianne Swartz
2014
2013
2012
2011
- Eleanor Antin
- Linda Besemer
- Dara Birnbaum
- Andrea Bowers
- Ann Hamilton
- Yoko Inoue
- Jungjin Lee
- Mary Miss
- Sheila Pepe
- Judith Shea
2010
- Maureen Connor
- Samm Kunce
- Louise Lawler
- Elizabeth LeCompte
- Suzanne McClelland
- Joyce Pensato
- Laura Poitras
- Victoria Sambunaris
- Arlene Shechet
- Eve Sussman
2009
2008
- KayLynn Deveney
- Lesley Dill
- Gail Dolgin
- Rochelle Feinstein
- Beryl Korot
- Catherine Lord
- Lorraine O’Grady
- Christy Rupp
- Nancy Shaver
- Frances Stark
2007
- Miriam Beerman
- Lois Conner
- Petah Coyne
- Agnes Denes
- Diane Edison
- Paula Hayes
- Joan Semmel
- Jill Slosburg-Ackerman
- Leslie Thornton
- Carrie Mae Weems
2006
- Xenobia Bailey
- Francis Barth
- Judith Bernstein
- Ellen Bruno
- Terry Evans
- Mary Heilmann
- An-My Le
- Howardena Pindell
- Martha Rosler
- Marie K. Watt
2005
- Nancy Chunn
- Deborah Hoffman
- Sharon Horvath
- Zoe Leonard
- Judy Linn
- Senga Nengudi
- Carolee Schneemann
- Valeska Soares
- Kathryn Spence
- Meg Webster
2004
2003
- Meg Cranston
- Nancy Davenport
- Nancy Dwyer
- Maria Elena Gaitan
- Gillian Jagger
- Nina Katchadourian
- Melissa W. Miller
- Joan Nelson
- Frances Reid
- Hanneline Rogeberg
2002
- Lutz Bacher
- Beverly Buchanan
- Kathy Butterly
- Pat de Groot
- Alison Knowles
- Deborah Luster
- Sana Musasama
- Connie Samaras
- Kimsooja
- Gail Wight
2001
- Judith Barry
- Nao Bustamante
- Marta Chilindron
- Anne Chu
- Laura Letinsky
- Yong Soon Min
- Maria Nordman
- Clarissa Sligh
- Mierle Laderman Ukeles
- Jan Yager
2000
- Laura Aguilar
- Chakaia Booker
- Margaret Honda
- Mildred Howard
- Liz Larner
- Beverly McIver
- Catherine Murphy
- Judith Joy Ross
- Ritsuko Taho
- Kukuli Velarde
1999
- Beth B
- Sheila Batiste
- Ginny Bishton
- Nancy Burson
- Judy Fox
- Judith Linhares
- Ruth Marten
- Renee Stout
- Steina Vasulka
- Cecilia Vicuña
1998
- Polly Apfelbaum
- Cindy Bernard
- Ellen Driscoll
- Jeanne Dunning
- Nene Humphrey
- Joan Jonas
- Sermin Kardestuncer
- Lisa Lewenz
- Ann Messner
- Shelly Silver
1997
1996
- Rachel Berwick
- Gina Lamb
- Claudia Matzko
- Robin Mitchell
- Jeanne Silverthorne
- Shellburne Thurber
- Deborah Willis
- Lucy Winer
- Lynne Yamamoto
- Kim Yasuda