Wilhelmina Holladay | |
|---|---|
| Born | Wilhelmina Cole (1922-10-10)October 10, 1922 Elmira, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 6, 2021(2021-03-06) (aged 98) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Education | Elmira College University of Paris |
| Known for | National Museum of Women in the Arts |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Women's Caucus for Art Lifetime Achievement Award (2001) National Medal of Arts (2006) |
| Honours | Legion of Honour Royal Norwegian Order of Merit |
Wilhelmina Cole Holladay (néeCole; October 10, 1922 – March 6, 2021)[1] was an American art collector and patron. She was the co-founder of theNational Museum of Women in the Arts,[2] and was awarded theNational Medal of Arts in 2006.
Holladay, known as "Billie",[3] was born inElmira, New York, on October 10, 1922.[4][5] Her father, Chauncey Cole, worked as a businessman; her mother, Claire Elisabeth née Strong, was ahousewife.[3] She was close to her maternal grandmother,[3] whom she credits with inculcating a perception of beauty.[4] Holladay graduated with a degree in art history fromElmira College in 1944. She went on to study art history atCornell University, before undertaking further studies at theUniversity of Paris from 1953 to 1954.[1]
DuringWorld War II, Holladay worked for theUnited States Air Force and the Embassy ofChina. In the latter capacity, she was employed as the social secretary ofSoong Mei-ling, the wife ofChiang Kai-shek.[3] She met Wallace Holladay while he was a naval officer in Washington, and later married him.[6]
The Holladays began collecting art in the 1950s. On a trip to Europe during the 1970s, they saw and admired paintings byClara Peeters at theKunsthistorisches Museum inVienna and theMuseo del Prado inMadrid.[3] They were dismayed to discover that neither Peeters nor any other female artist was mentioned in the leading art texts of the time. From that point, they began specializing in acquiring significant works by female artists such asÉlisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun,Artemisia Gentileschi, andAngelica Kauffman.[7] They ended up collecting 500 works by 150 painters and sculptors.[3]
Holladay and her husband founded theNational Museum of Women in the Arts in 1981, donating their collection of works by female artists. For the first few years, the collection was housed in the Holladays' home. She had consulted with the art historianAnn Sutherland Harris regarding long-term placement of her private collection, and Harris suggested she found a museum dedicated to women's art.[8] In 1987, the museum acquired a formerMasonic temple in Washington, D.C. as its permanent facility.[9] The museum houses a permanent collection of art, presents changing special exhibitions and performances, maintains a library and research center, publishes exhibition catalogues, and offers educational programming.[10]
Holladay married Wallace F. Holladay in 1945. They remained married until his death in 2012. Together, they had two children: Wallace "Hap" Jr. and Scott Cole, who predeceased her.[3][4]
Holladay died on March 6, 2021, at her home inWashington, D.C. She was 98; no cause of death was announced.[3][4]
Holladay was inducted into theNational Women's Hall of Fame in 1996. Five years later, she was conferred aWomen's Caucus for Art Lifetime Achievement Award.[5] She received a Visionary Woman Award fromMoore College of Art & Design in 2005,[11] before being conferred aNational Medal of Arts the following year.[4][12] and a Foremother Award from theNational Center for Health Research.[13] Holladay also received two foreign honors: theLegion of Honour from the French government and theRoyal Norwegian Order of Merit.[14]
Holladay authored the bookA Museum of Their Own: National Museum of Women in the Arts, published by Abbeville Press.[15]
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