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 a midcareer woman artist to further develop her work. Awardees are chosen on the basis of their past accomplishments, their artistic growth, and the quality of their work.[1] Since 1996, some 200 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
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