The Anonymous Was a Woman foundation has announced its 2025 grant recipients, awarding $50,000 each to 15 women-identifying artists across various disciplines. This year's distinguished cohort includes prominent figures such as painter Candida Alvarez, who recently had a major retrospective at El Museo del Barrio in New York, and conceptual artist Park McArthur, who presented an ambitious survey exhibition simultaneously at museums in Vienna and Mönchengladbach, Germany earlier this year.
Among the notable recipients is photographer Lola Flash, whose work is currently featured at the Museum of Modern Art, showcasing the foundation's commitment to supporting artists at significant moments in their careers. The grant also recognizes photographer Kunié Sugiura, who had a prominent exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art this spring, and sculptor Sonya Kelliher-Combs, whose artwork is presently included in "An Indigenous Present," a comprehensive survey of Indigenous contemporary art at the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston.
Founder Susan Unterberg expressed her continued dedication to the mission in a statement to ARTnews, saying, "Each year reminds me why this work matters. In a period when both artistic freedom and women's rights are increasingly vulnerable, I am more inspired than ever by this year's recipients. Their vision, rigor, and originality remind us what is at stake and fuel our mission to stand behind artists pursuing their work with conviction and imagination."
The Anonymous Was a Woman organization was established by Unterberg in 1996, taking its name from a famous Virginia Woolf quotation. In keeping with the literary reference, Unterberg initially maintained her anonymity as the foundation's benefactor, only revealing her identity as its creator in 2018. By that time, the organization had already provided substantial funding to numerous acclaimed artists over the years, including renowned figures such as Joan Jonas and Simone Leigh.
The foundation is primarily known for its signature $50,000 grants, which are specifically awarded to artists over the age of 40, recognizing the unique challenges faced by mid-career women artists. In recent years, Anonymous Was a Woman has expanded its scope beyond individual artist support to include funding for environmentally focused projects, demonstrating its evolving commitment to addressing contemporary issues through art.
The complete list of 2025 Anonymous Was a Woman Award recipients includes: Candida Alvarez, Ambreen Butt, JoAnne Carson, Cecelia Condit, Lola Flash, Sonya Kelliher-Combs, Michelle Marcuse, Park McArthur, Nicole Miller, Narcissister, Dhara Rivera, Linda Stark, Kunié Sugiura, Hong-An Truong, and Paula Wilson. These artists represent a diverse range of practices and backgrounds, reflecting the foundation's commitment to supporting the breadth of contemporary women's artistic expression.
