Wilhelmina "Billie" Cole Holladay was a visionary leader and a passionate advocate for women's art.
She founded the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), the first and only museum solely dedicated to championing women through the arts.
A personal interest quickly developed into a social and educational cause for Wilhelmina. During a tour of Vienna she was amazed and dismayed to learn that the talented woman artist was not listed in major art references, nor were many other deserving women artists.
She transformed a former Masonic temple in Washington, D.C. into a stunning museum that showcases the diversity and excellence of women's art from different cultures, periods and genres.
So AMAZING as it had once been a building where Women were NOT Allowed!
In addition to serving as the museum's chair of the board, she was active in many other ventures, 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.
In recognition of her service, "Billie" received the National Medal of Arts in 2006 from President George W. Bush.
That same year she was awarded the Légion d'honneur by the French Government. A diplomatic order was also bestowed from Norway.
She was regularly listed as one of the most powerful women in Washington, D.C, and received a lifetime achievement award from the District of Columbia.
She passed away in the midst of Covid-19 Restrictions on March 6, 2021, at the
age of 98, leaving behind a legacy of inspiration and empowerment for
generations of women artists and art lovers.
