AWITA London

AWITA London AWITA is a non-profit networking group that aims to advance the careers of women in the visual arts.

The Association of Women in the Arts is a networking association dedicated to women who work in the visual arts. Founded in London, we foster business links within the arts community, hosting informative discussions and providing a forum for women to connect with other like-minded professionals. We actively support the creation of exciting new collaborations and provide networking and mentoring op

portunities for those looking to develop their careers and/or businesses. Comprised of individuals with a minimum of 5 years working in the professional arts field, the association is open to gallerists, art advisors, educationalists, museum and fair directors, auctioneers, artists, curators and collectors.

Our Mentoring Walk & Talks are our response to mentoring in an industry where time is often in short supply.The format i...
23/06/2026

Our Mentoring Walk & Talks are our response to mentoring in an industry where time is often in short supply.

The format is simple: we meet, split into small groups, and take a 30-minute walk to exchange experiences and ideas.

Our next walk for members is on Friday Treasure House Fair . Coming after Basel, post-sales week, and following a heat wave, it’s a chance to decompress and reconnect with peers across the sector. 

Become a member to attend [email protected] 

Images by Jennifer Moyes at our 2023 Walk and Talk at Frieze Sculpture Park

&Talk

We are running an introductory AI Toolkit Series for members to address this training gap. Led by Martina Batovic (), a...
19/06/2026

We are running an introductory AI Toolkit Series for members to address this training gap.

Led by Martina Batovic (), an experienced art world professional turned data and systems operations manager, the series is tailored to our sector - tackling common questions like which platforms are best suited to different tasks and what makes a reliable ChatGPT prompt.

The final online session next week will teach us about “data lakes” within organisations (deep reserves of internal knowledge) and how they can be used to inform smarter, fairer decisions.

Email [email protected] to become a member and attend the session.

Last month, we brought our two membership groups together .london and members for a curated walkthrough of the Drawing ...
18/06/2026

Last month, we brought our two membership groups together .london and members for a curated walkthrough of the Drawing Room Biennial
With two artists and two advisors, it was an evening of networking and sharing personal responses to the works.

This year 296 artists have made and donated a work. Bids close in 5 days on 23rd June at 9pm. Image credits of 10 works Charmaine Watkiss Mona Hatoum .kitty Sanya Kantarovsky ingrid Berthon-Moine Artist Ṣọlá Olúlòde .gluzberg

“Significant strides made by women to win influential jobs in the art world are under threat from a newly identified pro...
17/06/2026

“Significant strides made by women to win influential jobs in the art world are under threat from a newly identified problem: their mid career exit from the industry.”
On the Financial Times today, Melanie Gerlis reports on the AWITA (Association of Women in the Arts) x artnet Hardwiring Change: Buying Back Time 2026 survey, bringing together a range of voices to explore why mid-career women are leaving the arts and what needs to change.
“the aim is to acknowledge where power lies and build coalitions.”

Reflecting also on our conversation last Monday at Deutsche Bank, hosted by Mary Findlay, and moderated by Margaret Carrigan, with contributions from Elaine Bedell OBE, Rosanna Cundall, Touria El Glaoui, Ese Jade Onojeruo and Alexandra Steinacker-Clark.

It speaks to a structural issue that can’t be ignored: not just access to leadership, but retention, progression, and the conditions that shape who gets to stay and thrive in the art world.
FT Live Events Mary Findlay Deutsche Bank Art Rosanna Cundall Ese Jade Onojeruo Alexandra Steinacker-Clark | Art Historian, Author, Podcaster

Read the article online and download survey report in BIO.

This week in Zürich, Rothschild & Co. Rothschild & Co hosted the launch of AWITA Switzerland bringing together a full ho...
12/06/2026

This week in Zürich, Rothschild & Co. Rothschild & Co hosted the launch of AWITA Switzerland bringing together a full house of inspiring and engaged women that came together from around the country.

The evening featured a panel discussion on ‘Time, Power and Capital’, led by AWITA Founder Sigrid Kirk. Drawing on insights from the 2025 and 2026 AWITA × Artnet surveys, the open conversation explored themes that resonated with the Swiss art ecosystem and the experiences of women working across the sector.

The panel comprised of Stephanie Schleining-Deschanel (Stephanie Schleining Deschanel), Bonhams, Barbara Seiler (barbara seiler), barbara seiler.galerie, Leonie Thalmann (), Pro Helvetia Pro Helvetia, Dr. Valentina Locatelli (Valentina Locatelli) , art+château.

What became clear throughout the event is that this was only the beginning of many important conversations to be held nationwide.

Topics including care, value, time, mentorship, professional development, gender equality, and leadership were brought to the table.

AWITA Switzerland is now open for membership and looks forward to welcoming its Founding Members.

“We are here because the Swiss art world is stronger when its women are connected. Our mission is to send a clear signal to the industry and to the next generation that the future of the art world in Switzerland is being shaped with intention and solidarity, by women.” - AWITA Switzerland co-founders Alexa Jeanne Kusber ( ) and Xanthi Skoulariki Xanthi Skoulariki )

A special thank you to Giovanna Lagutaine, Managing Director of the Art Division at Rothschild Wealth Management in Zürich, for her support and partnership in making this launch possible.

Photographer: Joana Ribeiro

If you are a woman or non-binary professional working in the visual arts in Switzerland and want to expand your network,...
10/06/2026

If you are a woman or non-binary professional working in the visual arts in Switzerland and want to expand your network, gain industry insights, access professional development opportunities, and connect with a community that understands the realities of building a career in the arts, we invite you to join us.

AWITA Switzerland brings together experienced professionals across the art ecosystem - from galleries, museums, foundations, auction houses, art law, communications, and beyond - to foster meaningful connections, peer support, mentoring, and knowledge exchange.

As we launch the Swiss chapter, our ambition is to create a strong and supportive community that champions women's careers, encourages collaboration, and contributes to a more equitable pan-Swiss art world.

Because progress happens faster when we do it together.

Membership is now open.

🔗 Learn more and apply via the website.

Yesterday morning, Deutsche Bank () hosted the launch of "Hardwiring Change: Buying Back Time" our second annual report ...
09/06/2026

Yesterday morning, Deutsche Bank () hosted the launch of "Hardwiring Change: Buying Back Time" our second annual report with

A leading panel interrogated the data

It’s clear that if one thing matters most, it's this: we cannot hardwire change alone. Challenging structures, questioning accepted norms, and making the art world a fairer place - that work belongs to all of us.

This is not a crisis of ambition. Women enter this sector with talent, energy, and aspiration. The crisis is sustainability -  invisible labour, administrative overload, and systems that burn out the very people expected to lead them. 

Read the report and if you believe in the importance of this work, become a member. 

The full report is on the website.

On the 10th of June, AWITA Switzerland officially launches. The conversation will draw on findings from the 2026 AWITA ×...
08/06/2026

On the 10th of June, AWITA Switzerland officially launches.

The conversation will draw on findings from the 2026 AWITA × Artnet survey, examining how its insights resonate within the Swiss art ecosystem and the experiences of women working across the sector.

Moderated by Sigrid Kirk ( ), the panel brings together:

Stephanie Schleining-Deschanel (,
Barbara Seiler (), .galerie
Leonie Thalmann, Pro Helvetia
Dr. Valentina Locatelli (.ch) , .chateau

Together, they will explore questions of leadership, economic power, professional sustainability, and structural change for women in Switzerland's art world, situating local perspectives within a broader international conversation.

The event is hosted with the generous support of Rothschild & Co Wealth Management

As AWITA's newest chapter, AWITA Switzerland aims to foster meaningful connections, knowledge exchange, and professional advancement for women in the visual arts across the four linguistic regions of the Swiss cultural landscape.

Ahead of the AWITA Switzerland launch in just under 2 weeks, we want to introduce the Swiss Team spearheading the new ch...
29/05/2026

Ahead of the AWITA Switzerland launch in just under 2 weeks, we want to introduce the Swiss Team spearheading the new chapter.

Alexa Jeanne Kusber () and Xanthi Skoulariki () are the co-founders of AWITA Switzerland, joined by Stephanie Yarce () Gabriela Devaud and Caroline Hirt.

Together they bring complementary strengths across the institutional, curatorial, and commercial dimensions of the Swiss and international art world and a shared belief in the power of women to lead its future.

The AWITA Switzerland Launch is taking place in Zurich on the 10th June and the membership application platform opens the same day.

Write to [email protected] for more information.

Mentoring

The 2025 AWITA x Artnet Report revealed that gender inequity in the arts isn’t anecdotal - it’s systemic.Launching 8 Jun...
29/05/2026

The 2025 AWITA x Artnet Report revealed that gender inequity in the arts isn’t anecdotal - it’s systemic.

Launching 8 June, the 2026 report moves the conversation beyond baseline data to examine retention, burnout, invisible labour, and the future of work in the arts.

RSVP Essential at [email protected]

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