The Woman's Art Club of Cincinnati is proud to be the oldest existing Woman's Art Club operating without interruption in the United States.

1892 To Today

In December 1892, at the founding of the Woman's Art Club of Cincinnati, the mission of the nineteen members was "... to stimulate its members to greater effort in their work and to increase a general interest in art. “

In April the Club held its first show at the Clossons Co. on Elm Street. In October 1893, the first annual exhibit opened. In 1903 the exhibit was held in the WACC's rooms at 18 East Fourth Street. New Associate members brought the membership to 75. Some of our distinguished early members include Bessie Wessel, Elizabeth Nourse and founding members Dixie Seldon and Henrietta Wilson.

In keeping with the objective to foster the visual arts, the club has established several awards and gifts as well as it’s Annual Juried Exhibit held over the past 100+ years that is open to women artists across the region. The Club financially assists Cincinnati art students by annually selecting one outstanding student to receive a scholarship. In addition, art books are presented to the Cincinnati Art Museum Library as memorials to deceased members of the Club. In recognition of the Club's contributions to the community, we were awarded the Post-Corbett "Special Award" in 1992. Today the club hosts fascinating lectures, demonstrations, field trips, critiques, or paint outs on each meeting date, and twice monthly holds life-drawing sessions.

The mission of the Woman's Art Club of Cincinnati today is “…to provide a forum to promote the visual arts by way of creative activities for children and adults.”

Current membership has grown to over 200 members. In 2007, the club became established as a 501C3 foundation and acquired a historical dairy barn in Mariemont. After renovations, the barn will become the new home of the Woman’s Art Club of Cincinnati.