Royalists, Romantics and a Ladies’ Afternoon Romp

DC is home to the world’s only museum dedicated entirely to the contributions of female artists – and this year that museum, the National Museum for Women in the Arts, celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Wednesday afternoon, NMWA Board Member Cindy Jones organized a luncheon in honor of the Museum’s major milestone to introduce area women to the city gem and encourage their patronage.

Founder Wilhelmina Cole Holladay was on hand to tell the history of the building (ironically formerly a Masonic Temple) and collections and give sixty-some women an intimate tour of the Museum’s Great Hall, Library and Theatre before sitting them down to a luncheon of chilled cucumber soup with crab and salmon over orzo.

After polishing off lemon souffles, the ladies were then treated to a private viewing of the newest exhibit, Royalist to Romantics, which features 77 paintings, prints and sculptures from the Louvre, Versailles and other French national collections — many of which have never been seen out of France.

*Royalists to Romantics remains on public view until July 29, 2012.