Influential Women of the CMA: Home

Main pages:

Individual women:

For more information on how to best utilize the library and archives, you can take a look at the other LibGuides we have available.

Born out of a need for spotlighting the diverse talents of women during the history of the Cleveland Museum of Art, this guide features a select few women from the history of the CMA and their contributions. Though not a complete survey of every woman who has impacted the museum, the ones to be featured in this guide have helped further the mission of "for the benefit of all the people forever." Rather than focusing on women artists, this focuses on the women who are less well known to visitors. From directors to donors, you can find a brief biography and some highlights of their tenure at the CMA. Some entries may be less detailed than others, but this showcases the unfortunate reality of how women have been overlooked through history.

Below are resources on the CMA's history, women in Cleveland, female artists, and other things not mentioned in detail within the guide.

You may also notice a distinct lack of women of color featured in this guide. There is also an unspoken boundary that many of the women with clear documentation are well-off and educated women, which historically has been white women. The absence of diversity, however, was not due to a lack of trying. When considering the past women who have influenced the history of the museum, it becomes harder to find women of color who were recognized for their efforts. Due to the systemic racism within the country, now and in the past, it's less likely that these women of color were being elevated to positions where their influence was noticeable and acknowledged. Since this guide focuses on the history of the museum, it's important to acknowledge these shortcomings while still highlighting what has been accomplished by others. This also does not account for any "invisible" or less visible minority groups that may not be acknowledged or represented - like disabilities, sexuality, or religion.

Below are some resources on DEI at the CMA and museums in general.

This guide remains a continuous work in progress with new pages dedicated to specific women being added. The women chosen are based on a set of parameters, but this does not mean that these are the most important or influential.