WASHINGTON, DC.- Today, the
National Museum of Women in the Arts won the Webby Peoples Voice Award for Best Social Media Account in the Art and Culture category in the 24th Annual Webby Awards. This is the museums first nomination and win at The Webby Awards. NMWA won for its overall presence on Instagram. With its account @WomenInTheArts, the museum addresses the gender imbalance in the presentation of art by bringing to light important women artists of the past while promoting great women artists working today.
"I'm delighted that the Webbys chose to recognize the excellence of our Instagram account, said NMWA Director Susan Fisher Sterling. Now, more than ever, social media is a vital tool for us to connect with the public by sharing important stories of women artists and building a community of support and curiosity.
NMWAs nearly 100,000 Instagram followers enjoy posts featuring the work of women artists, behind-the-scenes glimpses of exhibitions and programs, collaborations with other organizations promoting women artists and eye-opening statistics about gender equity in the arts. NMWA also leads the award-winning #5WomenArtists campaign, which challenges cultural organizations and individuals with the prompt, Can you name five women artists? This has evolved into a global year-round awareness campaign about the gender disparity in the arts that has reached millions of people.
The Webby Awards, hailed by The New York Times as the Internets highest honor, was established in 1996 and presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS) to honor excellence across digital media. This year, there were nearly 13,000 entries from all 50 states and over 70 countries.
NMWAs Instagram account is managed by Director of Digital Engagement Mara Kurlandsky and Digital Content Coordinator Adrienne Poon.