21 Places That Celebrate Female Artists

Female visual artists have long had to struggle, not just to have their work widely seen, but to create at all. But women have made art as long as there’s been art, though their work has historically been hidden or discounted in the Western art world. Many persevered, both through the strength of their work and the force of will, and in celebration of Women’s History Month, we want to highlight some of our favorite places where you can see these contributions in person. 

In the refectory of the Museum of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy, is a massive rendition of the Last Supper. Painted by nun and artist Plautilla Nelli, the oil painting is believed to be the first large scale painting of the famed religious subject created by a woman. At the intersection of Center and Ninth in Oakland, California, is an even larger heir to that work, the only mural dedicated to the women of the Black Panther Party. Muralists Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith designed the piece, overseen by Ericka Huggins, a former Black Panther. From the Surrealist wonders of Leonora Carrington to the work of the legendary Frida Kahlo, here are our picks for places to explore and celebrate trailblazing, culture-defying female artists.