About POWarts

POWarts, the Professional Organization for Women in the Arts, is a nationally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2008 to champion the professional lives of female-identifying individuals in the business of the visual arts.

Through an active calendar of educational programming, the collection and distribution of employment, diversity and equality-related data, and industry standardization initiatives, POWarts promotes community, collegiality, and collaboration and strives towards the professional advancement of our members, the creation of healthier workplaces, and a more equitable and diverse arts industry.

We hope you'll join us!

POWarts’ Core Values + Guiding Principles:

Equity: POWarts is wholeheartedly dedicated to the principles of inclusivity, equal job access, fair, living wages, and salary transparency for all working within the greater visual arts industry. We believe that all individuals deserve equitable treatment and opportunities in all areas of their professional lives, and the freedom and ability to advance their careers in a positive, proactive, healthy, and supported way. 

Safety: POWarts is fundamentally committed to advocating for and maintaining a visual arts industry in which all workers experience physical, emotional, and financial safety. 

Advocacy: Rooted in a dedication to providing artworkers the tools, knowledge, and support they need to credibly and productively advocate for themselves. More broadly, POWarts is focused on holding the visual arts industry accountable and is determined to facilitate and deliver industry-wide change that responds directly to the issues, concerns, blind spots, and biases that artworkers face. POWarts believes that in order to create lasting change, everyone must play a part in assuring safe, healthy environments, fair practices, workplace regulations, and equitable treatment. 

Education and Transparency: POWarts provides its members with access to industry-specific information and data, and to professional development tools and resources. In fostering an open dialogue with shared resources, POWarts creates the conditions for understanding and collective empowerment.

Mobilization of the Next Generation: We are fully committed to nurturing and growing the next generation of workers in the visual arts industry. POWarts aims to build and maintain a community in which all members, at whatever point in their career arcs, can safely share their experiences, offer and receive support and assistance, and actively impact one another’s professional advancement and security.  

Inclusivity and Mutual Respect: POWarts fosters communal engagement rooted in mutual respect. We nourish our networks to create diverse support systems, and to craft solutions that amplify others. We cultivate a culture of curiosity and empathy, and invite, include, and center a diverse mix of underrepresented voices, experiences, and points of view. 

The Intersection of Creativity and Industry: The business of art requires the creative spark to exist, and cannot be fully expressed or brought forth to a wider audience without a fair, foundational set of systems supporting all the behind-the-scenes workers. Women in the visual arts community need the knowledge and tools to center themselves between these disparate but interlinked conditions, and to fruitfully advocate for their own education and advancement within a healthy industry, no matter which side of the equation they occupy.

STAFF

Sara Kay, Founder & CEO

Steering Committee

Kaitlyn Ward, Programming
Kingston Ward Projects

María Mora, Ambassador
International Studio & Curatorial Program

Fari Nzinga, Regional Ambassador
Speed Art Museum

Board of Directors

Sara Kay, Board Chair

Gregory J. Peterson, Of Counsel and Secretary

Suwana Perry, Board Member

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