- Sector Scan
Artists Speak: The Largest Survey of Women Artists Reveals Key Challenges and Opportunities
- Posted Apr 10, 2025
Research commissioned by Anonymous Was a Woman (AWAW)
As women’s rights and creative freedoms face growing pressure in the U.S. and globally, a groundbreaking new report from Anonymous Was A Woman (AWAW) sheds light on the lived experiences of women visual artists today.
Commissioned by AWAW and developed in partnership with journalists Charlotte Burns and Julia Halperin, arts leader Loring Randolph, and SMU DataArts, the Artists Speak survey draws on responses from more than 1,200 artists of all ages, races, and backgrounds.
The findings reveal both urgent challenges and powerful sources of resilience—from persistent gender and age discrimination to the vital role of artistic community and peer support. Artists spoke candidly about financial precarity, institutional exclusion, and the invisible labor behind sustaining a creative life.
This landmark report was launched during AWAW’s Artists Speak Symposium and is now available to read and share.
Susan Unterberg
Founder and Donor, Anonymous Was a Woman
“The political climate has changed and the artist community is at risk, so now it’s time to share experiences and find ways to support women artists.”