The Whole Story

Every year, by the time we wrap up the March issue, I feel especially proud to be a woman, part of a sisterhood built on strength, support, and the encouragement of individual self-expression while recognizing the universal aspects of our shared experience.

We feature women artists in every issue of American Art Collector but in March we take a very conscious look, not only at their artwork, but their place in the greater context of the contemporary art world.

For a preview of Of Mark & Meaning, an exhibition at the Customs House Museum showcasing members of the Association of Women Artists (AWA), I asked artists of all ages and stages of their career to reflect on where women stand in the art market today, and whether they felt like their stature had improved since they started out. Many said that strides that have been made with the establishment of awards like the Bennett Prize and organizations like AWA and Women Artists of the West. But all also said there is still a lot of work to be done.

According to 2025 research conducted by AWA, only 13 percent of works in U.S. art museums are by women (up from 4 percent in 2017). Art by women accounted for less than 10 percent of total auction sales in 2022. Women artists also trail in pay, earning 66 to 80 cents for every dollar earned by male artists.

By dedicating this issue to women artists, we hope we are doing our small part to advance the cause of women achieving equity with their male peers. Inside, we have a feature about our cover artist Alyssa Monks, a renowned painter whose work embodies the feminine in all its vulnerability and ferocity. We have another feature about Dianne Massey Dunbar who talks about how art helped her overcome a debilitating anxiety. In our gallery show previews, we learn about the unique processes of Eunika Rogers, who paints with organic matter, and June Stratton, who incorporates gold leaf-coated sculptural elements into her paintings. You’ll also find a whole section featuring women artists in our Collector’s Focus, which begins on Page 90.

All of these stories are important—individually and collectively. They need to be told. They need to be heard. In the case of the visual arts, they need to be seen. After all, AWA executive director Andrea Bailey reminds us that “without acknowledging women artists or giving them the platform and equal footing as their male counterparts, we are only hearing half the story.”

Sarah Gianelli
Managing Editor
sgianelli@americanartcollector.com